Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

With strange mysterious power, an ancient mariner (old sailer) compels some poor guy (the Wedding Guest) on his way to a fun wedding party to sit and listen to an incredible story about a horrifying sailing voyage. The wedding guest is unhappy about missing the fun party, but the mariner's "glittering eye" overpowers him and he sits mesmerized, listening to the whole creepy tale.

The mariner tells of a nightmarish voyage. While rounding the "horn" in the Antarctic Ocean, the mariner's ship is surrounded by dangerous ice bergs. Things look bleak until a beautiful albatross flies in for a visit. The sailors feed it and the ice splits open. The albatross stays a while and seems to be leading the ship out of trouble, when for no good reason, the mariner kills it with a bolt from his trusty crossbow. I've known a few guys like that.

At first the mariner's shipmates shun him for this crime against nature. They hang the albatross about the mariner's neck. (This is where the expression, "an albatross around his neck" comes from). But then, as the good breeze and good weather continue, the crew decide killing the bird must have been a good thing. Now the trouble really begins. No wind, no water, much suffering, until all the crew but the mariner drop dead. For seven days the bodies lay there staring at the poor mariner who, though in agony from thirst himself, can't die.

Lots more strange and wondrous things happen, including the dead crew rising like zombies to sail the ship. But, as we used to say in grade school oral book reports, if you want to know the rest of the story, you'll have to read it.