The Swiss Family Robinson

ack's plan-We adopt it-The use of a lever-Our tug-boat completed-Another night on the wreck-We collect the cargo-And embark-Jack's friends will not be left behind-Steer for the shore-Once more on land

e dogs devour the agouti-Fritz's ange

wild and terrific scene, and returning light as often brought but renewed distress,

re could be formed as to our whereabouts. The crew had l

had been sprung in every direction, and the w

cries to God for mercy, mingled with strange and often lud

s soul to his Creator, and strove to bethin

"Dear children," said I, "if the Lord will, he can save us even from this fearful peril; if not, let us calmly yield our liv

her, she began to cheer and encourage them with calm and loving words. I rejoiced t

ss and emotion. Fritz, in particular, besought help and deliverance f

nfiding prayer, and the horror of our situation seemed less overwhelmi

d!" while at the same instant the ship struck with a frightful shock, which

aking up of the ship, and the roa

heard above the tumult shouting, "

st to reach it. You know God helps those that help themselves!" With that, I left them and went on deck. What was my horror when through the foam and spray I beheld the only remaining boat leave the ship, the last of the seamen spring into her and p

clouds of mist and rain drove past, I could make out, through rents in the vaporous curtain, a line of rocky coast, and rugged as it was, my heart bounded toward it as a sign of help in the hour of need. Yet the sense of our lonely and forsaken condition weighed heavily upon me as I re

once regarded our problematical chance of escaping as a happy certainty, and

comprehend our real situation, greatly fearing the effect of the intelligence on her nerves. Not for

d she, "it will never do to grow faint by fasting too

ver, and at intervals we were startled by crashes

now, won't he, father?"

rply, "don't you know that we must not settle what God i

z, my boy. You too often speak harshly to your

n age to be aware of the real danger we were in, kept watch with us. After a long silence, "Father," said he, "don't you thi

at I shall arrange something at once, i

wo together so as to form floats sufficiently buoyant to support a person in the water, and my wife and young sons each willingly put one on. I then provided myself

night my wife and I maintained our prayerful watch, dreading at

with thankful hearts we perceived that the gale had began to moderate; blue sk

ining portion of the deck, when they, to their s

lors gone? Have they taken away the boats? Oh, papa! wh

aith we depended have left us cruelly to our fate in the hour of danger. God will never do so. He has not forsaken us,

e calm enough for sw

d Ernest, "but think of mother and the rest of us!

carry us safe to shore. However, we must contrive something, an

proceeding to examine, as of great consequence, the s

feed the unfortunate animals on board, who were in a

gratitude by such tremendous bounds that they knocked their little deliverer completely head over heels, frightening him nearly out of his wits. Jack did not long yield either to fear or anger; he presently recovered h

n the cabin, we all d

guns, shot belt, powder fl

ax, and a hammer, while pincers, chisels

done, Franz!" cried I; "these fish hooks, which you, the youngest, have found, may contribute more than any

good news. Some useful animals are still alive; a cow, a donkey, two goats, six sheep,

friend Jack here has presented me with a couple of huge

se! Why, they will help us t

get on shore, Jack; but I must say

there?" returned he. "I have often sailed s

nest, let me have your tools, hammers, nails, saws, augers, a

water in the hold, but we managed to fish them out, and drag them to a suitable place for launching them. They were exactly what I wanted, and

s edge, and I looked at them with great satisfaction; t

he, "muster courage to

n you see my contrivance completed, you wil

; they also being flexible, were brought to a point at each end, and all firmly secured and nailed together. I felt satisfied that in smooth water this craft would be perfectly trustwort

" cried I. "Run and f

y cutting up a long spar, I raised the fore part of my

t, "that with that thing you alone

e of the lever; and promised to have a long talk on the

n to push, this time with success, and soon our gallant craft was safely launched: so swiftly indeed did she glide into the water that, but for the rope, s

ong poles across at the stem and stern, and fixing at the end of each empty brandy casks. Then the boat appearing steady, I got in; and turning it toward the most open side of the wreck, I cut and cleared away obstructions, so as to leave a free passage for our departure, and the boys brought oars to be ready for the voyage. This important undertaking we we

preceding day, but I did not forget the possibility of a renewe

rough. She at last consented to do this, and left us for a short time, reappearing with much embarrassment and many blushes, in a most becoming suit, which she had found in a midshipman'

aid I, "with God's help we are about to effect our escape. Let the poor animals we must leave behind be well fed, and put plenty of fodder within th

of carpenter's tools, guns, pistols, powder, shot, and bullets, rods and fishing tackle, an iron pot, a case of portable soup,

s though to reproach us for deserting them. "Why should not the fowls go with us!" exclaimed I. "If we find no food for them, they can

made for the shore. My wife, who managed all this for me, kept us waiting for her some little time, and came at last with a bag as big as a p

d. Then came Fritz, a handsome, spirited young fellow of fifteen; the two center tubs contained the valuable cargo; then came our bold, thoughtless Jack; next him Ernest, my second son,

a float belt, and had something useful close

eyes were strained to get a full view of the land, and the boys pulled with a will; but for some time we made no progress, as

and sprang into the sea. I was sorry to see this, for the distance to the land was so great that I scarcely expected them to be able to accomplish it. They followed us, however, and occasionally resting their fore-paws on

approached the shore the less inviting it appeared; the

ed to secure a couple of hogsheads, so as to tow them alongside. With the prospect of f

es were discernible. Fritz could distinguish many tall palms, and Ernest hoped they wou

ought of bringing away the

Jack, drawing a little spygla

saw that our geese and ducks were swimming toward this place. I steered after them into the creek, and we found ourselves in a small bay or inlet where the water was perfectly smooth and of moderate depth. The ground sloped gently upward from the low

se and ducks kept up an incessant din, added to which was the screaming and croaking of flamingoes and penguins, whose dominion

t to offer thanks and praise for our merciful escape, and with full he

t in which to pass the night. This we speedily did; thrusting a long spar into a hole in the rock, and supporting the other end by a pole firmly planted in the ground, we formed a framework over which we stretched

some large flat stones, near the brook which flowed close by. Dry twigs and seaweed were soon in a blaze on the hearth; I filled the iron

e glue for carpentering, was eager to k

dinner, my child. Do you thin

should not much like to taste glue soup! d

made of the juice of good meat, boiled till it becomes a strong, stiff jelly-people take them when t

coast to see what lay beyond the stream; this fatiguing sort of walk not suiting Ernest's fancy

ittle fellow stood screaming in a deep pool, and as I approached, I saw that a huge lobster had caught his leg in its powerful claw. Poor Jack was in a terrible fright; kick as he would, his enemy still clung on. I waded into the water, and seizing the lobster firmly by the back, managed to make it loosen its hold, and we brought it safe to land. Jack, having speedily recovered his spirits, and anxious to

?" All came crowding round Jack and his prize, wondering at its unusual size, and Ernest

ing remarked that the scene of Jack's adventure afforded a convenient place for getting my casks on shore, I retur

hould have the offending claw all to himself, when it was ready to be e

very good to eat, as well as Jack, only I co

g but some nasty mussels; I saw them too. Who

oysters, not mussels,"

for our next meal," said I; "we must all exert ourselves, Ernest, for the common good, and pray

deal lying in the crevices of the rocks; it tasted very pure and good, a

ul of this good salt instead of merely speculating so profoundly on the su

e that it seemed useless, till my wife dissolved an

e sea water its

it is not only salt, but

th which she had been stirring it, "dinner is ready, bu

ons, and we can scarcely lift the boiling pot to our mouths. We are in as uncomfortable

cocoanut shells

tes and as many silver sp

ells would do," said he,

oysters and clean out a few shells. What though our spoons have no h

and gathered in his handkerchief the oysters his brother threw him; as he thus stood he picked up and pocketed a large mussel shell for his own use. As they returned with a good suppl

ssful!"

"never mind, my boy,

hind him, "a sucking-pig, a little sucking-pig. Where

parkling eyes exh

oy," said I; "but I cannot approve of deceit, even

h all sorts of useful things from the wreck. Do let us go and collect them. And, father, why should we not return to the wreck and bring off some of the animals? Just think of what value the cow would be to us, an

ime. To-morrow and the day after will bring work of their

her on land or sea, livi

g," said Jack, "whe

rather than walked, and every now and then would squat down on their legs and rub their snouts with their for

en carefully examining

e one. See, its teeth are not like those of a pig, but rather those of a squir

great professor lecturing! He is goi

tures, and there is little doubt that this is a specimen. The little animal is a native of North America, where it makes its nest under the

," I continued, "who will try this delicacy?" All at first hesitated to partake of them, so unattractive did they appear. Jack, however, tightly closing his eyes and making a face as though ab

ndry scalded fingers. Ernest then drew from his pocket the large shell he had procured for his own

our cool soup will do capitally for the dogs, my boy; tak

p, had espied the agouti, and were rapidly devouring it. Fritz, seizing his gun, flew to rescue it from their hungry jaws, and before I could prevent him, struck one of them with such force that his gun was bent. The poor beasts ran off howling, followed by a shower of stones from Fritz, who shouted and yelled at them so

ng, and speedily recovering himself, immediately he entreated

My wife hereupon drew from her mysterious bag some handfuls of oats, peas, and other grain, and with them began to feed the poultry. She at the same time showed me several other seeds of various vegetables. "That was i

cking, to the marshy margin of the river. We, too, were ready for repose, and having loaded our guns, and offered up our prayers to God, thanking Him

twilight results from the refraction of the sun's rays: the more obliquely these rays fall, the farther does the partial light extend; while the more perpendicula