The Swiss Family Robinson

xperiment-Lichen and nutmegs discovered-Jack's adventure-The loom manufactured-Winter stores prepared-The rainy season sets in-Interior of our house arra

st was over, we went regularly to work with the birdlime. The tough,

de them place among the upper branches, where the f

witnessed their arrival at their feeding-places, but had seen only the last body of the season, a mere party

the state of the ground under the trees it was evident that at night they roosted on the branches. Seein

e more completely were they bedaubed with the tenacious mixture, and at length, with piteous cries, fell to the

my assistance; so, leaving it to them, I went to prepare t

embling captive, and gently cleansed its feet and wings with oil and ashes from the stiff, sticky mess with which it was bedaubed, placing it then in a wicker cage, and telling Jack to bring me any others like it which were caught. This he did;

od of sweet acorns, provided merely with lo

rkness having come upon us almost before we reached the wood, I lighted the torches, and perceived, as I expected

before we began to use the sticks, were picked up, and put in the bags. When we beat and struck the branches, it was as much as my wife and Franz could do to gather up the quantit

we could find time for nothing else; but next morning a great expedition to Woodlands was a

destruction, to inflict upon them such a chastisement as would eff

ns, as we were likely to be absent several days,

nger than that which we used for the pigeons; a number of short p

convenient spot in the forest, near Woodlands, well concealed by thick bushes and underwood, where we made a little encampment, pi

me in preparing for the reception of visitors, hoping to

e, winding string in and out in all directions between them thus making a kind of labyrinth,

nd basins of the mixture were set in all directions,

dings; and all being then accomplished, we retire

We armed ourselves with strong clubs and cudgels, and holding the dogs in leash, made our way silently behind the thick

o make us perfectly giddy; and then out from the forest poured the whole disorderly rabble of monkeys, scrambling, springing, leaping from the trees

curately of their numbers. They dashed fearlessly through and over the palings in all directions, some rushing at the eat

became besmeared with our birdlime on head, paws, or back or bre

mselves. Others were hopelessly entangled in stakes and cordage, which

d stuck fast together; the more they pulled, and

ering about with them, their paws having been caught when t

gerly drinking it, was immediately fitted with a mask, for the shell stuck to his forehead and whiskers, of course

ees around, many apes found themselves fixed to, or hanging from the branch

n almost uncontrollable, and who now rushed to the attack of the unfortunate m

e clubs and sticks, till the din of howling, yelling, barking, in every conceivable tone of rage and p

ly sharing their feelings, hastened to turn their thoughts to active employment in removing and burying th

age; and seeking for the scattered flock of sheep, goats, and poultry, we gradually

falling from a tree. On going to look, we found three splendid birds,

, having met with descriptions of its resplendent green, bronze, and steely blue plumage; and I was pleased

aid Fritz; "do you expect

n to practise a secret art. Mu

nation I decl

hing settled and comfortable, so that we returned without furt

proposed pigeon-house in the rock. Several other things there also

ocky home, fitting that up with partitions, perches, and nesting places; while a large wooden front was fitted on to the o

fit for habitation, I set the other children to work

geon-dealer's trick. You must know such gentry are very ingenious, not only in keeping their own pigeons safe, but in adding to their numbers by attracting those of other people. All

get you those

' feathers may touch it as they may pass in and out, and become scented with what will attract the

ropose to distill it in regular style), I strained it through a cloth, pressing it stron

ly with the three beautiful strangers; and when the other boys came home, and scrambled up the ladder to peep in at a little pane of glass I had fixed in front,

he dovecot, by which it could be opened or closed from below. Also he poured fresh aniseed oil all about the entrance, after which

nd the event, and I waved a wand with mock solemnity, while I muttered a se

they came timidly out on "the veranda," as little Franz expressed it; then, as though suddenly startled, the whole party took wing, with the s

s on a return which showed that they accepted this as a home, up sprang the three blue pigeons, the noble foreigners, for

etermination and resolve about it, t

ning birds, we could not forget this disappointment, and a

iddle of the next day; when most of us were hard at work ins

He is come!

there? What

n, to be sure!

d Ernest. "You want

?" cried I. "I fully believe

stranger of his own breed, apparently inviting her to enter his dwelling; for he popped in and out of the door, bowing, sidling, and cooing,

e panel!" shouted the boys,

ou frighten the little darlings. Besides, the others w

to our delight the second blue pigeon arrived, likewise with a mate, whom, after a pretty l

his appearance. Perhaps he had greater difficulty than the others

he boys talked of the arrival of "Mr.

or supper, but the child returned directly, exclaiming tha

that the third stranger also had returned with a lovely bride, and encourag

or lichen, and thought it might very possibly be the same which, in the West Indies, is gathered from the bark of old

it of use. Would we but collect enough, she would clean and sort it, and there woul

also to thank the pigeons, and they

d, until at length Jack, as usual, got into a scr

ne of his own particul

that he might surprise us with s

le of Spanish canes was on his back, muddy and green like himself; he had lost a shoe, and altogether pr

as happened to you?

wicker-work, because I wanted to weave some baskets and hencoops, and I saw such beauties a li

ankles; I tried to get on toward the reeds, which were close by, but in I went de

nobody came, and I can tell y

u did not hear us! The very rocks rang, but nothing came of it, so despair drove me to think of an expedient. I cut down all the reeds I could reach round and round me, and bound them tog

not follow. Suddenly I thought of catching hold of his tail. He dragged and pulled, and I sprawled, and crawled, and waded, sometimes on my ree

s your deliverer, and you have shown great presence of mind. Now go with your mother, and get rid of the slim

fully, bound them together again, that when dry they might be quite straight and equal, and fit for a frame. Smaller reeds were cut into pieces and sharpe

nd put together, my wife knowing nothing of it, while to the

of musical instrument; mother

led by the amusement and interest with which the children watch

, and as he promised to grow up strong and tractable, we soon saw how useful he woul

fresh water might be led close up to our cave, for it was a long way to go to fetch it from Jackal River, and esp

od, and the comfort of having it close at hand so great, that the mother declared she was as well pleased

e in-gathering of roots, fruits, and grains, potatoes, rice, guavas, sweet acorns, pine-cones; load after load arrived at t

nto the service, until at last the raft was knocked to

ame very unsett

rms of wind, with thunder, lightning, and torrents of

g and foaming against the cliffs. Everything heralded the approaching rains. All na

the month of June, and we had twe

the ass, Lightfoot, Storm, and the dogs, were all necessary to us, while Knip

t very often to see that all was in or

cave a comfortable appearance, which became

egions annoyed me, and I se

or, securing well by driving wedges in round it. Jack ascended this pole very cleverly, taking with him a hammer and chisel to enlarge a crevice in the roof so as to fix a

pent in arranging t

the library, fixing shelves

e for heavy work, arranged the workshops. The carpenter's bench, the turning lathe, and a large

eplace, bellows, and anvil, complete, all which we had

eps, cupboards, pegs, door handles, and bolts-there seemed no end to our requirements, and we often thought of the enormous a

the importance of constant employment as a means of strengthening and maintaining the health of mind and body. This, indee

le front of our rooms and entrances, by leveling the ground to form a terrace,

ere highly success

to be a most valuable collection, capable of

llustrations), there were histories and scientific works, as well as standard fictions in several languages; als

r which we all had a taste. With French we were well acquainted. Fritz and Ernest had begun to learn English at school, and made furthe

ges, so that in the event of meeting with people of other nations, th

prove our knowledge

to study English and D

d to continue to study it, so as to be able to make use of the ma

o learn Spanish, "because it s

to be so widely spoken in the islands of the Eastern Seas,

s kept buzzing about our ears from morning to night, each sporting his newly acquired word or sentence o

ry considerably lightened, and every one

sole tables with polished marble tops, elegant writing tables and handsome chairs, clocks of various descriptions, a musical box, and a chronometer were found;

name for our salt-cave dwelling, and t

ed so rapidly, that no one fou

g was done, yet I made a yoke for the oxen, a pair of

than ever. Thunder roared, lightning blazed, torrents rushed toward the sea, which came in raging

e elements came

ful beauty; and soon all traces of the ravages of floods and storm

River, for a walk along the coast, and presently Fritz with sharp eyes observed something on the sma

d we resolved to make it the object of an excursion next day, being d

irs, and fresh pitching, and then we made for the point of inter

be a huge, st

er side. The boys hurried by the nearest way to the beach where lay the monster of the deep, while I clambe

ly half-way to the great fish, and as

s and coral branches we are finding. How doe

housands of shell-fish have been detached from their rocks and dashed in all directio

much larger than he seemed from a distance. The worst of it i

t say he's a beauty, though, and it is much pleasanter

n the afternoon, when the sea is calmer, we will return with the necessa

g alone on the island till we came back, and asked my permission to do so, th

a solitary family, gave him quite sufficient idea of shipwreck on an u

an to beg of me to exert my wonderful inventive

great clockwork out of a church tower, perh

the clockwork of the large kitchen-jacks? I'm sure mother would gi

-jack, I think your arms will be pretty well inured to the use of y

y use?" demande

nts, and made into beads for necklaces, etc. As such, it is greatly prized by savages, and were we

n our library, and make them the beginning of a Museum of Natur

neral kingdoms," remarked Fritz; "it is hard like stone, it has stems and branche

he calcareous cells of minute animals, so

heavy beams of wood, secured together at right angles, and loaded with stones. Hemp and netting are attached to the under side of the beams, to the middl

he hemp and network; they are broken off from th

y, raise foundations, on which, in course of time, fertile

xclaimed Jack. "It has seemed quite easy to pull s

notice that the wind had changed, Jack?

y shells and corals, and the proposed work for the afternoon,

said I, "the sea has only just ceased from its raging, and being at the best of times of uncertain and caprici

ispatched, and prepa

recesses of the cave; therefore all available casks and barrels were pressed into the service; many, of course, once full

on board, and we set forth, the labor of the oar being gr

e to the whale; my first care was to place the boat, as well as the casks, in

h being from sixty to sixty-five feet, and the girth between thirty an

ne-third of the length of the entire bulk, the eyes quite small, not

substance known as whalebone, masses of which appeared all along the jaws, solid at the base, and splitting into a sort of fringe

ull of oil; the opening of the throat wonder

imed Fritz; "he never can swallow a pr

e is so curious," I replied, "that I mus

then, frequents those parts of the ocean best supplied with the various creatures on which he feeds. Shrimps, small fish, lobsters, various molluscs, and medus? form his diet. Driving with open mouth th

whalebone, the water which he has taken together with his prey,

of the head, in order that the whale may rise to breathe, and repos

column of mixed vapor and water is thrown from the

me see if you can face the work of climbing this

to the head, where they assisted me to cut away the lips, so as to reach th

ting out slabs of blubber, while his mother and Fra

a multitude of

us in ever narrowing circles, and becoming bolder as their voracity was excited by the near view of the tempting

r robbers than we ourselves. We kept them off as well as we could by blows from our tools, and

, to be used for traces, harness, and other leather-work. It was about three-quarters of

this is considered quite a delicacy, as well as the skin, which, when properly dressed and cut in little cubes, li

lly palatable, but I valued it only on accou

uld to reach home, and cleanse our persons from the unpleasan

ng we star

was even more horrible than that of the preceding day; t

rger ones into vessels fit for holding the oil. This time we laid aside our clothes and wore only strong canvas trousers when we commenced operations, which were vigorously carried

ection to the singularly unpleasant task I had set them), as very strange that

bring away that brute's entrai

essity, the mother of all the more valuable inventions, has taught the inhabitants of these countries, Greenlanders, Esquimaux, a

ent, of our unpleasant materials, the further prepara

hes, and supper, cheered us a