The Cruise of the Noah's Ark

In Short

The Cruise of the Noah's Ark by David Cory is an imaginative children's fantasy that follows a little girl named Marjorie who escapes her dull schoolwork by embarking on a grand voyage aboard a floating toy ark. Alongside Captain Noah, his wife, his three sons, and a cast of talking animals, Marjorie sails through fantastical hazards including sea fires, icebergs, and runaway auto-wheels. Written in 1922, the story retains its charm through its lighthearted blend of biblical imagery, bedtime-story logic, and joyful nonsense, offering young readers a playful celebrated escape into pure fancy.

The Story

The tale opens on a dreary afternoon as little Marjorie sits at her desk, thoroughly bored with practicing her letters. Her frustration vanishes when the rain outside turns into a torrent, flooding the nursery floor. Mr. Noah steps out of her wooden toy Ark and invites her aboard before the water rises higher. Accompanied by her rag doll Maria Jane, a toy automobile, and a cheerful gilt Weathercock from a nearby barn, Marjorie joins the Noah family—Captain Noah, Mrs. Noah, and their sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth—on a whimsical ocean journey.

Life aboard the Ark is an absurd mix of domestic routine and wild adventure. Feeding the passengers proves tricky, as the elephant devours bales of hay while the lion demands Delmonico steaks. Along the way, the crew rescues a stranded Jonah from the head of a whale and temporarily converts the Ark into a wheeled "Arkmobile" to host a three-ring circus on a sandy beach. Yet danger is never far off. Ham's playful antics get him temporarily locked in the brig, and later, the Elephant accidentally tumbles overboard while trying to save a tiny red ant.

Disaster strikes again when a fire blazes in the hold, forcing the animals to splash water alongside a helpful whale who douses the flames. Shortly after making wood repairs on a nearby coast, the Ark collides with a massive iceberg in freezing waters. The ship gets stuck on the ice floe, prompting Captain Noah and his sons to chop a exit channel. When the vessel accidentally drifts away, leaving the polar bears behind, Captain Noah bravely maneuvers back through rough seas to rescue them.

Following a collision with a burnt ship's hull, the vessel springs a leak. Mr. Jonah heroically plugs the hole by sitting directly on it until the Ark runs safely aground on a tropical island. There, the crew enjoys a cheery clam-bake picnic, complete with roasts made over hot stones, before a gathering black cloud warns them to set sail once more. As a fierce storm breaks out, Marjorie drifts off to sleep in her cabin. When the storm clears, she wakes up safely back in her nursery, with all the toys returned to their proper places and the Weathercock happily flying home to his barn.

How It Unfolds

The nursery floods Frustrated by her handwriting drills, Marjorie watches the rain pour over the windowsill until Mr. Noah invites her onto the floating Ark. She gathers her rag doll and toy car, stepping aboard just as the nursery floor fills with water.

The circus on sand After discovering an engine in the hold, the crew drives the Arkmobile onto a beach and builds a three-ring circus, complete with wrestling monkeys and Marjorie riding a white horse in a spangled dress.

Fire and ice A sudden deck fire threatens the ship until a friendly whale spouts a massive stream of water to extinguish the blaze. Shortly after, the Ark grounds itself on a towering iceberg, stranding two polar bears until a risky rescue mission brings them back aboard.

The leak and picnic A midnight collision punctures the hull, forcing Mr. Jonah to sit on the leak until the Ark hits a tropical shore, where the crew celebrates their safety with a seaside clam bake.

Home to the nursery A heavy midnight storm rolls in, but when Marjorie wakes up, the grand voyage has ended and the toys are all back in their proper nursery spots.

The People

• Marjorie wants an escape from her tedious handwriting lessons; faced with a flooded room, she eagerly steps into a fantasy realm, demonstrating bravery and good cheer through every naval disaster before returning safely home.
• Captain Noah wants to keep his varied passengers safe and maintain order on his vessel; hindered by unexpected icebergs, fires, and unruly sons, he remains a resolute, red-handkerchief-wiping leader dedicated to his crew.
• Mrs. Noah wants a peaceful household and a cozy environment for her family; despite managing a tiny ship kitchen crowded with parrots and snakes, she maintains motherly warmth and cooks steady meals for everyone.
• Ham wants constant fun and excitement; his mischievous ideas—like chasing pigs around the deck or teaching monkeys to wrestle—frequently land him in trouble, though his genuine affection for his mother shines through.
• Mr. Jonah wants to be a helpful passenger despite his awkward luck; after arriving via a whale, he gamely uses stilts in the circus and saves the ship from sinking by physically plugging a hole in the hull.

In Its Own Voice

" Shoo there. You know you can't swim like Mrs. Duck, so why don't you have some sense and get aboard out of harm's way?"

Mr. Noah attempts to herd a stubborn yellow toy hen out of the rising floodwaters near a toy car.

"Goodness me! I'm afraid my sealskin coat will get singed, and after all the trouble I've had putting it up in camphor."

Mrs. Noah worries about her stored winter wardrobe while sitting on a coil of rope as flames break out across the deck.

"Who'd have thought I'd ever be / A pilot on the deep blue sea."

The gilt Weathercock reflects on his extraordinary journey as he flies back to his familiar perch on Uncle Spencer's barn.

What It's Really About

Beneath its simple episodic adventures, the story explores the power of childhood imagination to transform ordinary domestic boredom into heroic capability. The copybook exercises that open the book represent rigid adult expectations, which are instantly dissolved by the chaotic, lawless freedom of the flood. By blending nursery objects with biblical motifs, the text captures how children merge sacred stories, familiar toys, and everyday home life into a single seamless play-world. The narrative celebrates resilience and domestic solidarity, showing that no matter how severe the fire, leak, or iceberg, a cooperative family group can weather any disruption and return safely to the comfort of home.

Why Read It Today

The Cruise of the Noah's Ark offers a delightful window into early 20th-century juvenile fiction, ideal for fans of classic toy fantasies like The Velveteen Rabbit or The House at Pooh Corner. Reading it feels like stepping inside an elaborate afternoon session of pretend play, where the rules of logic yield entirely to childhood delight. David Cory’s prose is direct, breezy, and accented with whimsical morning rhymes from the Weathercock that add a rhythmic, bedtime-story cadence to each chapter.

Modern readers should expect a period style that reflects its 1922 origins, complete with simple moral lessons, gentle gender roles, and straightforward episodic setups rather than complex character arcs. The humor is decidedly light and innocent, relying on funny visual juxtapositions—such as an elephant eating Delmonico steaks or a whale acting as a passenger ferry. For parents reading aloud or collectors of vintage children's literature, the book remains a cozy, nostalgic treasure that highlights the timeless magic hidden inside a child's toy box.