Summary
Summary of Little by Little; Or, the Cruise of the Flyaway
Little by Little; Or, the Cruise of the Flyaway at a glance
Summary: 8 min to read
- Reading time
- About 2 h 50 min2 h 15 min fast, 3 h 25 min slow
- Length
- 40,700 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1860by Oliver Optic
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
Key ideas
Key idea 1
A dare overcomes Paul's good sense
Paul Duncan knows the bay is too rough for his father's battered boat. But Thomas Nettle offers him money, mocks his courage, and asks whether he fears the waves or his mother. Paul pushes off despite her warning, choosing pride over his own judgment.
Captain Littleton brings him back with terrible news: his father has fallen from a ship under construction. The hours Paul spent answering a taunt were his last chance to be with him. A reckless choice now carries a grief Paul never expected.
Key idea 2
A father's charge becomes Paul's purpose
On the ride home, Paul feels guilt as well as sorrow.
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Key idea 3
Small earnings grow through careful work
At the kitchen table, the family begins planning a more secure life.
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Key idea 4
Paul acts when Carrie falls overboard
Sailing home with John, Paul sees Carrie Littleton fall from the Flyaway after its boom strikes her.
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Key idea 5
Keeping watch means staying responsible
Owning the Fawn gives Paul something precious to protect, but it also brings duties.
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Key idea 6
Broken promises put everyone at risk
Paul joins a cruise aboard the Flyaway, where Captain Gordon divides the boys into watches.
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Key idea 7
Courage resists pride and peer pressure
Paul and Thomas show different responses to correction.
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Key idea 8
Progress needs more than earning money
Paul wants to support his family, and his work deserves respect.
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Key idea 9
Character grows through small daily choices
Paul's journey begins with a reckless afternoon, but its central concern is the steadiness he learns to build.
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The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Go deeper: the whole of Little by Little; Or, the Cruise of the Flyaway
About 3 h to read.Who it’s for
Readers who enjoy boats, harbors and weather will love this book, as will those drawn to a hardworking young hero who earns his place through clear moral choices.
What this book is
Would you sail into a gale for a dare? On the first day of May, a rich boy named Thomas Nettle offers Paul Duncan, a boy of thirteen with a battered boat, money to do just that. Paul knows the wind is too strong. His mother orders him ashore, and he goes anyway.
Little by Little, or the Cruise of the Flyaway was written by Oliver Optic, the pen name of William T. Adams, and appeared in 1860. Adams hopes it will leave a quiet moral lesson alongside its excitement.
In this summary
- 1One taunt sends Paul out against ordersFree
- 2A dying father hands Paul a duty
- 3Little by little, Paul builds a fish business
- 4A dive into the bay earns the Fawn
- 5A stormy night teaches Paul to keep watch
- 6The cruise begins and a mutiny follows
- 7Obedience, pride and character are at stake
- 8Work, money and faith shape Paul's progress
- 9A narrator who talks to you and teaches sailing
Key point 1 of 9
One taunt sends Paul out against orders
The story opens on a beach in Bayville, near Boston. Paul Duncan is bailing his father's old boat when Thomas Nettle, the son of a wealthy retired merchant, offers him money to sail down to Tenean Point. The bay is full of whitecaps. Paul says no, Thomas mocks his courage, and then Thomas raises the price.
When Mrs. Duncan calls from the shore, Paul turns the boat back. Then Thomas asks whether he fears the waves or his mother. At last Paul shouts for Thomas to get in, pushes off, and pretends not to see his mother waving from the bluff.
Paul handles the boat calmly while Thomas bails and whistles to hide his fear. Near a cove, a man in a chaise waves them in. He is Captain Littleton, owner of the yacht Flyaway, and he has come to take Paul home at once. Paul's father, a ship carpenter, has fallen from a ship under construction. The hours Paul spent in the boat were the last he had left.
Giving in to mockery against your own good sense can cost you more than you ever expect.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
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Check yourself
Why does Paul sail into the gale against his mother's orders?
Right. “Paul goes into the gale because he cannot bear to be called chicken.”Not quite. “Paul goes into the gale because he cannot bear to be called chicken.”
What does Paul's motto suggest about building character?
Right. “He decides that good principles can be built, little by little, just as money can.”Not quite. “He decides that good principles can be built, little by little, just as money can.”
How does Paul respond to the plotters at Portsmouth?
Right. “Paul refuses to join the plotters at Portsmouth, though they are his friends and some are older.”Not quite. “Paul refuses to join the plotters at Portsmouth, though they are his friends and some are older.”
Go deeper: the whole of Little by Little; Or, the Cruise of the Flyaway
About 3 h to read.Paperback, hardcover and large print, printed for you at cost, are on their way.Email me when it is printed
Questions about Little by Little; Or, the Cruise of the Flyaway
What is Little by Little about?
It follows Paul Duncan, a boy from a poor seaside family, who takes on his family's support after his father's death. He becomes a fisherman, saves a girl from drowning, wins a boat, and faces a hard test on a yacht cruise.
What does little by little mean in the book?
It is Paul's motto. He believes that success and good character are built through small, steady steps each day rather than one big stroke of luck. He applies it to earning money and to growing in goodness.
Who are the Flyaway and the Fawn?
The Flyaway is a fifty-two-ton yacht owned by Major Nettle and Captain Littleton. The Fawn is a small schooner that Captain Littleton gives to Paul and John, who use her for fishing and hire.
Who wrote Little by Little and when?
Oliver Optic, the pen name of William T. Adams, wrote it. It appeared in 1860 as part of a library of books for young people and was written mostly at the request of boys who wanted a sea story.
Is Little by Little easy to read?
Yes, in a good sense: the chapters are short, the dialogue is lively, and the narrator explains sailing terms along the way. Boys and girls who like boats and weather will find the action easy to follow.
Cite this edition
Optic, Oliver. Little by Little; Or, the Cruise of the Flyaway. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/little-by-little-or-the-cruise-of-the-flyaway.
Optic, O. (2026). Little by little; or, the cruise of the Flyaway. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/little-by-little-or-the-cruise-of-the-flyaway (Original work published 1860)
Optic, Oliver. Little by Little; Or, the Cruise of the Flyaway. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/little-by-little-or-the-cruise-of-the-flyaway.
@book{optic2026little,
author = {Optic, Oliver},
title = {Little by Little; Or, the Cruise of the Flyaway},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/little-by-little-or-the-cruise-of-the-flyaway},
note = {First published 1860}
}
