The Swiss Family Robinson

we drive the bees from the tree-Stair-making-Additions to our family of domestic animals-The education of the "pets"-Shoemaking-We lead water from the stream to Falconhurs

his nostrils to become completely cicatrized before I again put him to work. We were not a moment too soon; many of the young trees, which before threatened to fall, had now fulfilled their promise, and were lying

ed, and he handed me the fibers as I requ

uld run away, and in a little while we will untie them and they will trot about after us and give us fr

s, the wild ones grow out in the woods like the crab-apples, and the tame o

continued, "is the process of inserting a slip or twig of a tree into what is called an eye; that is, a knot or hole in the branch of another. This twig or slip then grows and produces, not such fruit as the original stock would have borne, but such as the tree from which i

e slips of good fruit trees come f

et, wholesome fruit, without the slightest care or attention being bestowed upon them; while in England and Germany, and even in France, these same trees require the utmost exertion of horticultural skill to make them bring forth any fruit whatever. Thus, when the Romans inva

even call cherries Swiss? I alway

by Lucullus, a Roman general, about seventy years before Christ. Hazelnuts also came from Pontus; walnuts, again, came originally from Persia. As for grapes, they are of the greatest a

rossed Jackal River and entered our plantation at Tentholm: "h

lives from Armenia and Palestine; the figs originally from the island of Chios; the peaches and apricots from Persia; plums from Damascus in Syria, and the pears of all sorts from Greec

alm-cabbage she set before us, but at length these good things produced the desired effect, and one after another declared himself satisfied. As we sat reclining after our labor and digesting our dinner, we discussed the various projects we had in contemplation. "I wish," said my wife, "

project, and turned over ever

ore than once have I thought that this trunk might be hollow, or partly so, and if such be the case our task wou

ok at them and one flew right against my face a

e, for all we can tell, hollow the greater part of its length, for like the willow in our own country it might d

of. The rest followed his example, and they were all soon climbing about like squirrels, peep

of the angry insects and were able to attend to the boys. Jack, who had been the first to reach the hole, had fared the worst, and was soon a most pitiable sight, his face swelled to an extraordinary degree, and it was only by the constant application of cold earth that the pain was alleviated. They were all eager to commence an organized attack upon the bees at once, but for an hour or more, by reason of their pain, they were u

their trunk, with Fritz's assistance I carefully stopped up every hole in the tree with wet clay, that the bees might not issue forth next morning before we could begin operations

st pipeful, and putting my thumb over the end of the cane, I gave the pipe to Fritz to refill. He did so and I again smoked. The buzzing was no

uick, with a hammer and chise

r, however, we did not take out, but we left it attached by one corner that it might be rem

ee, and placed them in the hive prepared for their reception. As rapidly I then took every ato

ive and buzzed away to the trunk of the tree. They seemed astonished at finding this uninhabitable, and an immense deal of noisy humming ensued. Round and round they flew, backward and forward between the gourd and tree, now settling here and now there, until, at length, after due consideration, they took possession of the hive and abandoned their former habitation to us, the invaders of their territory. By the evening they were quite quiet, and we ventured to open the cask in which we had stored our plunder. We first separated the honey from the honeycomb

d, and, as we stood below, we could look up the trunk, which was like a great smooth funnel, and see the sky above. It was now ready for the staircase, and first we erected in the center a stout sapling to form an axis round which to build the spiral stairs; in this we cut notches to receive the steps, and corresponding notches in the tree itself to support the outer ends. The steps themselves we formed carefully and neatly of planks from the wreck, and clenched them firmly in their places with stou

und on board the wreck, and which would assist us to track them. Juno, too, had a fine litter of puppies, but, in spite of the entreaties of the children, I could not consent to keep more than two, and the rest disappeared in that mysterious way in which puppies and kittens are wont to leave the earth. To console the mother, as he said, but also, I suspect, to save himself considerable trouble, Jack placed his little jackal beside the remaining puppies, and, to his joy, found it readily adopted. The other pets were also flourishing, and were being usefully trained. The buffalo, after giving us mu

se he placed, sometimes between the wide-spreading horns of the buffalo or goat, and, sometimes upon the back of the great bustard, that he might become accustomed to pounce upon living prey. These lessons had their due effect, and the bird, having been taught to obey the voice and whistle of his

e. With Jack's help he made a little basket of rushes, which he so arranged with straps that it might be easily fitted on to the mon

t; nothing could persuade him that the animals he caught were not at once to be devoured, consequently poor Jack was never able to save from his j

he rest and recreation we required while engag

amboo molds I had prepared. My first idea was to pour the wax in at the end of the mold, and then when the candles were cooled to slip them out; but I was soon convinced that this plan would not succeed. I therefore determined to divide the molds length-ways, and then having greased them well, we might pour the melted wax into the two halves bound tightly together, and so be able to take out the candles when cool without injuring them. The wicks were my n

eady to receive the wax. They were filled; the wax cooled; the candles taken out and subjected to the criticism of all hands. When night drew on, they were formally tested. The decision was unanimous: neither gave such a good light as those with the cot

omised myself a pair of waterproof bo

after layer of caoutchouc I brushed over it, allowing each layer to dry before the next was put on, until at length I considered that the shoes were of sufficient thickness. I dried them, b

om all sides, and soon every one in

the river some way up stream, that the water might be raised to a sufficient height to run to Falconhurst. From the reservoir thus made we led the water down by pipes into the turtle's shell, which we placed near our dwelling, and from which the superfluous water flowed off through the hole made in i

pable of, we were suddenly alarmed by hearing a most terrific noise, the roaring or bellowing of

lla, while Ernest gave it as his opinion, and I thoug

epare to receive it; up with you all

lly crept down; with our guns at full cock we glided among the trees; noiselessly and quickly we pushed on further and further; suddenly, close by, we heard the terrific sound again. Fritz raised his gun, but almost as quickly again dropped it, and burst into a hearty fit of laughter. There was no mistaking tho

ager. Creep back to Falconhurst and

Fritz then arose, holding in one hand the noose and in the other some oats and salt. The ass, seeing his favorite food thus held out, advanced to take it; Fritz allowed him to do so, and he was soon munching contentedly. The stranger, on seeing Fritz, started back; but finding her companion show no signs of alarm, was reassured, and soon approached sniffing, and was about to take some of the tempting

norts, struggled violently to get free. All her endeavors were vain: the cords were stout, and after a while she quieted down and stood exhausted and quivering. I then approached: she

as unruly as ever, and as a last expedient I resolved to adopt a plan which, though cruel, was I knew attended with wonderful success by the American Indians, by whom it is practiced. Watching a favorable opportunity, I sprang upon the onager's back, and seizing her long ear in my teeth, in spite of her kicking and plunging, bit it through. The result was marvelous, the ani

the vaulted roots of our tree, forming the framework of bamboo canes, which we laid close together and bound tightly down; others we fixed below as supports. The interstices were filled up with clay and moss; and coating the whole over with a mixture of tar and lime-water, we obtained a firm balcony, and

d but to store them with food. Day after day we w

nding the two younger boys home with their mother and the cart, I took a large canvas bag, and with Fritz and Ernest, t

ck. As we were thus engaged, Knips sprang suddenly into a bush close by, from which, a mome

me! I've got a couple of birds an

ced them in Ernest's hat; while he gathered some of the long, broad grass, with which the nest was woven, and which grew luxuriantly around, for Franz to play at sword-drill with. We then loaded the onager with the acorns, and moved homeward. The eggs I covered carefull

then cut the reeds in slips, and plaited them to form a whip for Lightfoot. The leaves seemed so pliable and strong that I examined them to see to what further use they might be put. Their tissue was

ow be clothed in rags; just make me a spindle, and you shall soon have shirts and stoc

s, and soon the onager and buffalo were galloping home again, each laden with a great b

d in ingenuity. This must be retted, carded, spun, and woven, and then with sc

drawn by the ass, and laden with the bundles, between which sat Franz and Knips, while the rest of us followed with spades and hatchets. I described to my bo

nor washed away. They are formed in the shape of blunted cones, and placed point downward; at the upper and broader end is built a little platform to contain the eggs, on which the female bird sits, with her long legs in the

s, sugar-canes, were all collected and stored in abundance-for grumbling thunder, lowering skies, and sharp showers warne

s and provisions were below, and our beds and household goods around us, hemmed us in on every side; by dint of patience and better packing, we obtained sufficient room to work and lie down in; by degrees, too, we became

uty Fritz and I used to sally forth every evening, and as regularly every evening did we return soaked to the skin. To obviate this, the mother, who feared these continual wettings might injure our health, contrived waterproofs: she

ced head downward on a sheet of tin about an inch wide; holding the nails in their proper position I poured solder round their heads to fix them to the tin, which I then folded down on either side of them to keep them perfectly firm. In the evening, when our room was illuminated with wax cand

ill close prisoners. Incessant rain battered down ab