Swiss Family Robinson

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

crew had lost heart, and were utterly exhausted by incessant labour. The riven masts had gone by the b

e and often ludicrous vows, to be performed should deliverance be granted. Every man on board alterna

f the Lord will, He can save us even from this fearful peril; if not, let us calmly yield our lives into His hand, and think of the joy and blessedness o

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

r his dear parents and brothers, as though quite forgetting himself. Our hearts were soothed by the never- failing comfort of child-like co

ship struck with a frightful shock, which threw everyone to the deck, and seemed to threaten her immediate de

captain was heard abov

the boats! W

ully, `Take courage, my boys! We are all above water yet. There is the land not far off, let us do our best to reach it. You know God helps thos

r, as I contrived to find my footing. The ship was shattered on a

ded into the lifeboats, and the last who entered c

push off, regardless of my cries and entreaties that we might be allowed to share their slender chance of preserving their lives. My voice wa

jammed between two high rocks, and was partly raised from among the breakers which dashed the fore-part to pieces. As the clouds of mist and rain drove past, I cou

to say with a smile, `Courage, dear ones! Although our good ship will never sail more, she is so placed that our cabin wi

of trusting in my assurances. The boys at once regarded our problematical chance of escaping as a

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

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

led by crashes announcing further damage to our unfortunate ship. We thought of the

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

ogether 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 with mat

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

ith thankful hearts we perceived that the gale had begun to moderate; blue sky

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

st, `for you can swim, but think of mother and the rest o

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

proceeding to examine, as of greatest consequence, the

tend to the unfortunate animals on board, who were in a

e no sooner opened, than out sprang two splendid large dogs, who testified their extreme delight and gratitude by such tre

seizing the larger by the ears, he jumped on his back, and, to my great amusement, coolly rode to meet me as I came up the hatchway. I could not refrain from lau

n the cabin, we all d

guns, shot belt, powder-fl

rge scissors, an axe, and a hammer, while pincers

and eagerly began to show us the `nice sharp little

to avoid confusion with Fritz. I see no reason for t

ave found, may contribute more than anything else in the ship to save our

ll alive: a donkey, two goats, six sheep, a ram, and a cow and a fine sow both big with young. I was but just in time to save t

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

to a big tub, and flo

plendidly like that, r

worth trying. Now, Ernest, let me have your tools, hammers, nails, saws,

old, but we managed to fish them out, and place them on the lower deck, which was at that time scarcely above water. They were exactly what I wanted, and I

ll as adults drank alcoholic beverages, often considerably diluted with water, because it had b

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

he, `muster courage to

n you see my contrivance completed, you wil

ing flexible, were brought to a point at each end, and all firmly secured and nailed together, producing a kind of narrow boat, divided into eight compartments, which I had no doubt would float adequa

' cried I. `Run and f

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

t, `that with that thing you alone

he said he could move the world if he had a point from which his mechanism might operate, a

sh, this time with success, and soon our gallant craft was safely launched: so swiftly indeed did she glide into the water that, if the rope had not been well sec

leap in to have the fun of sitting down in the tubs. But it was plain to me at once that something more was required to make her perfectly safe, so

obstructions, so as to leave a free passage for our departure, and the boys brought oars to be ready for the voyage. Thi

lding to necessity, we sat down to enjoy a comfortable supper, for during our exciting an

d storm, and therefore made every one put on the belts as before. I persuaded my wife (not without considerable difficulty), to

st becoming suit, which she had found in a midshipman's chest.* We all admired her costume, and any awkwardness she felt soon

man wearing trousers would be considered so shocking that if she were so

d 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 the

ls, powder, shot, and bullets, rods and fishing tackle, an iron pot, a case of portable soup and another of biscuit. These useful articles of course took the plac

ats, each in his tub. Just then we heard the cocks begin to crow and

them, they can be food for us!' Ten hens and a couple of cocks were accordin

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 pillow in her arms. `This is my contrib

old. Then came Fritz, a handsome, spirited young fellow of fourteen; the two centre tubs contained the valuable cargo; then came our bold, thoughtless Jack, ten years old; next him twelve-year-old Ernest

float belt, and had something useful close t

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

deserting them, they set up a piteous howl, 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 acco

mber, the merciful man regardeth the life of his beast. God ha

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

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

ought of bringing away the

Jack, drawing a little spy-gl

saw that our geese and ducks were swimming towards 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 upwards from the lo

s, geese and ducks kept up an incessant din, added to which was the screaming and croaking of flamingoes and penguins, whose dominio

r merciful escape, and with full hearts we commended ourselves to God's good keeping for the time to come

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 the sailcloth we had brought; besi

ded by 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 p

me glue for carpentry, was eager to kn

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 th

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

know how and when to use, firearms. A father who did not teach his s

hem up the bank on which we had landed, and was therefore obliged to look for a more convenient spot. As I did so, I was startled by h

n its powerful claw. Poor Jack was in a terrible fright; kick as he would, his enemy still clung on. I waded into the

other, caught the lobster in both hands, but instantly received such a severe blow fro

vengeful spirit, or when the enemy is unable to defend itself. The lobster, it is true, gave you a bite, but then you, o

! Look here, Franz! Mind, he'll bite you! Where's Fritz?' All came crowding round Jack and his prize, wondering at i

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 ea

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

ng but some nasty mussels-I saw them too. Who

' returned Ernest calmly. "They were stuck

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

ull 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

st, `it is not only

try

but where can Fritz be?' she continued, a little anxiously. `And how are we to eat our soup when he does com

hing at once. We shall be fortunate if we do

ift the boiling pot to

the stork served up a dinner in a jug with a long neck. Silence was at length broken, when all of us burst in

cocoanut shells

plates and as many s

smi

ells would do,' said he,

and clean out a few shells. And none of you must complain because the spoons

nd 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 supply

ssful!'

`Never mind, my boy,

ind him. `A sucking-pig, a little sucking-pig. Where d

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

time. Tomorrow and the day after will bring work of their

her on land or sea, livi

g,' said Jack, `whe

ther than walked, and every now and then would squat down on their hind legs and rub their snouts with their forepaws. Had n

een carefully examining

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

, `listen to the grea

prove that a pi

kes its nest under the roots of trees, and lives upon fruit. Its meat is white but dry, having no fat, and never entirely loses a certain wild flavour, which is disagreeable to Europeans. It is held in great esteem by

to open an oyster with his large knife. `Here is a simpler way

k, however, tightly closing his eyes and making a face as though about to take medicine, gulped one down. We followed his example

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

Are you so much better than your brothers? Your cool soup will do capitally fo

efore the hungry dogs, who lapped up its contents in a moment; he then returned, and

, and Fritz first threw a stone at the dogs and then, seizing his gun, flew to rescue it from their hungry jaws. Before I could prevent him, he struck one of them with such force that his gun was b

was such an outbreak of temper. `For,' said I, `you have hurt, if not actually wounded, the dogs; you ha

ng, and speedily recovering himself, immediately he entreate

ce, gathered round us, and began to pick up the crumbs of biscuit which had fallen during our repast. My wife hereup

,' said I, `but pray be careful of what will be of such value to us; we can bring plenty of damaged b

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 fo

r twilight results from the refraction of the sun's rays; the more obliquely these rays fall, the further does the partial light extend, while the more perpendicu