Swiss Family Robinson

ke, and the children sprang abo

father?' they cried. `What d

oys,' I rep

ed they. `Why

but on the seventh, thou shalt do no manner of work." This i

won't do any work; but I'll take a bow and arrow and sho

that is not the way you are accu

to church here, and ther

here as well as

ch, no clergyman and

any church,' I said, `there will we worship our Creator. Come,

e by one, slippe

ildren some serious thought; but, without books, or the possibility of any of the usual Sunday occupations, we cannot keep them quiet the whole

g breakfasted, the family assembled round me, as we

the Almighty Giver of all good, I told the children I wou

n the Bible better than anything,' said Franz. `When

ies and provide for their comfort, I blush to think that I have neglected the Bread of Life, the word of God. I shall search

it a copy of the Holy Scriptures, which I thankfully received from her

his special care; and, lavishing on it all the varied resources of his might and goodness, it bloomed in beauty, and became the happy residence of a band of colonists, who were

flourished; and the noblest virtues exalted and rend

ms incredible, yet it was so; disobedience and pride brought misery and punishment, the fair prospects of the colony wer

ture lives to the will of the Great King (now revealed in a character even more gracious than before), was held out the promise of remov

d earnestly home to each young heart the truths I sought to teach; and, wit

separated, and each employe

endeavoured to point the

r-cat skin and the cases he was to contrive from it. Jack assisted with the arrow-making, and inserting a sharp sp

is as sticky as anythi

ask for a

Better look for some re

se. But Jack, my boy, I do not like to hear you ridicule your little brother's idea. Some of the mos

he same moment two small birds fell dead at our feet, and looking up, we beheld Ernest among the bran

to me. One was a kind of thrush, the other a small dove called the ortola

in numbers to our trees; and by waiting until we could procure them in large quantities, we might provide ourselves with v

next demanded a quiver, and I had to invent that also, to complete his equipment. It was easily done by stripping a piece of bark from a small tree, fitting a flat side and a bottom to

summoned to dinner, and all r

by proposing to decide on suitable names for t

in inhabited countries: instead of saying, for instance, "the little island at the mouth of our bay, where we found the dead shark", "the large stream near our tent, across

Bay,' sa

ack, `in memory of the old fel

at, in token of gratitude for our e

ral approbation, and wa

name for our leafy castle could be decided. But finally it was entitled Falconhurst; and we then rapidly named the few remaining points: Prospect Hill, the eminence we first ascended; Cape Disappointme

of making a cuirass for Turk, out of the porcupine skin. After thoroughly cleansing the inside, we cut and fitted it round the body of the patient

uld easily put to flight the fiercest animal he might encounter, while protected by armour at once defensive and offensive.

nt walk among the sweet glades near our abode, we closed our Sabbath day w

and my three elder sons each carrying a gun and game-bag, while little Franz was equipped with his bow and quiver full of arrows. A most curious

in which to get butter from Tentholm; we were preceded by the dogs Turk armed most effectually with h

d touching him with one paw, discovered that such a hide would make anything but an agreeable seat; the grimace he made was most comical, and ch

ompany us; for some time he kept beside the children, following first one and then another as they explored the wood on e

llowing the course of the stream. The boys

d towards me, followed by his brothers. In his hand he held a plant,

atoes, father,

, `acres and acr

and leaf, and the light clear-green bulbous roots, `you have i

aid Jack, `come and feast your

out before us, was a great tract of gr

cult,' remarked Jack, `not to ha

ng, `but I doubt if you would have d

with hands and knife, a number of plants, and filled his game-bag with the roots. The monkey followed his example, and scratching away with his paws most cleverly, soon had a heap bes

and taste our new acquisition; but this I overruled, a

ank the Giver of all thes

e, O Lord, for all thy goodness and mercy; a

st to say to father and mother: "Thank you for all you do," and not to show tha

y all that was necessary, he should have added, "Give m

t fell from the rocks above in a beautiful, sparkling, splashing

nt flowers and graceful creepers; the prickly cactus, shooting up amidst them; aloe, jasmine and sweet-scented vanilla; the Indian pea and, above all, the regal pineapple*, loaded the breath of the evening breeze with their rich perfume.

eems to assume that pineappl

t on my sons, and showing Knips what they wanted

hrubs and bushes. Among these I presently noticed one

d leaves and beautiful red flower? That is the karatas. The filaments of the leaves make capital thread, while the leaves th

d here, how would you have made a fir

, `I would rub two pieces of wo

tain it would be night before you accomplished the feat. But see here,' and I broke a dry twig from the karatas, and peeling o

nt. I then drew some of the threads from

e other prickly plants, except to annoy one? He

for most of its nourishment is derived from the air. Its juice is us

empted to gather some of the fruit, but in vain; the sharp thorns defied

quickly twisted it from its branch and split it open with a knife, still holding it upon the skew

imed, presently, `are these little red insects? They cling all ov

fig, and I examin

it is worth its weight in gold to European traders, it is of little use to us, I am afraid, unless a

gain. Now let us find something more useful to us.' And they thereupon plie

of these trees; and I, who have never seen any of them before, and know them merely by descri

d the butter cask from which my wife filled her pot. Fritz saw after the ammunition, and Jack and Ernest ran down to the beach to capture the geese and ducks. This they fo

it he threw into the water, and the hungry ducks instantly made a gra

il. The birds we fastened to our game-bags, and carefully closing the door of our tent, started homewards by the sea-shore. After a cheerful and pleasant walk, we once more reached our woodland abode. I

me that it would be well to get some of it, and make a kind of sledge, so that the labour o

stretching and yawning, he got up cheerfully, pleased with the idea of an expedition while the others still slept, and we made our

he was rather sorry for himself, and grudged leaving hi

you. I intended to shoot some more of the ortolans this morning, but there will be plenty of time afte

pray?' i

hey will most likely shoot upwards at the birds and be sure to miss them,

n necessary in life, that I advise you to cultivate the power of instantly perceiving and deciding what must be done in cases of emergency. Presenc

we laid it across the broad leafy branch, and, with some help from us, the donkey dragged a very fair load o

hich I allowed them to open, while I asked my wife to excuse our `absence without leave'; and after submitting to her gentle reprimand, I explained my p

a common sailor, containing his clot

essed the mistakes they would make, but practise was making them perfect, and they seemed disposed to continue their sport, when their mother, assuring them that she could not use

younger ones readily applied themselves to making snares of the long threads drawn from the leaves of the karatas in

to suppose that a fox or wild cat had got into their midst. The cocks crowed

f some misdemeanour, went to watch him, and presently caught him in the act of eating a new-laid

ot presented us with any eggs. Hereafter she determined to impr

uilding in the tree. It was very desirable to increase our stock of these pretty birds, and I cautioned the boys against shooting

g the snares, they by no means approved of

hardship, for little Franz came to me

t some powder and shot immediately? It would be s

ghter, and I must confess I found it

e had our amusement, tell the littl

rcoal, sulphur and saltpetre, mixed cleverly together; so you see it cannot

sel, and was curved in the necessary way for my purpose. Two pieces, perfectly similar, formed the sides of my sleigh, or sledge, and I simply united these strongly b

er and her little boys had been busily plucking above two dozen of the wild birds, and were preparing

e was getting them ready for the butter-cask I was going to fetch for her on the n

ly after dinner. For her part, she resolved in our absence to have a grand wash of linen

y to be off. Fritz presented us each with a n

by Juno, cheerfully took our departure, choosing the way by t

e butter-cask, but with a powder-chest, a barrel of cheese, and a variety of other art

go in search of a good bathing-place, we discovered that our two animals had wandered q

extended into the deep water, and rose abruptly so as to form an inaccessible wall of rock and crag. Swampy ground, over

on the ground near the tent, and sleeping as sound as a top, while t

h annoyed, `Why don't you mind your business? Look

e utmost composure. `I have taken a couple of b

the same time I observed that it is wrong to waste the precious moments in sleep when duty has to be

ng salt, or whether he had lain down somewhere to finish his nap, when I heard him loudly calling: `Fat

th of the stream, and with all his might keeping hold of a rod. The line was strained to the utmo

llow water. Ernest ran in with his hatchet and killed him. It proved to be a salmon of full

ziness! Let us now carry this splendid salmon to the sledge. I will clean and pack it for t

sts to the well-laden vehicle, and replacing the

with fierce barking hunted out, right in front of us, the most singular-looking creature I ever beheld. It was taking wonderful flying

he dog was puzzled, and that the animal, having paused, was crouching among the

skin also was of a mouse-colour; it had long ears like a hare, and a tail like a tiger's. The fore-paws resembled those of a squirrel, but the

the remarkable creature before us. I could no

bout the queerest beast to be met with anywhere. I am glad I

ink what this animal can be. Examine its teeth, and let us see to what cla

eth, father-two upper, and t

ent. What rodents can

re the mouse, the marmot, the squirr

e class of animals which has a pouch or purse beneath the body, in which its young can take refuge. They were discovered in New Holland, by the gr

with the usual bright welcome. Very eager and inquisitive were the glances turned towards the sledge, for the load piled on it su

hion. Another had on a very wide pair of trousers, braced up so short that each little leg looked like the clapper in a bel

sing up in things they found while rummaging the sailor's chest, and had kept them on, that Ernest and I might see the masquerade. It certainly amused us,

rest by exhibiting each in turn; the large salmon, but mor

oble a prize had fallen to Ernest's gun, instead of his own, he treated it rather slightingly; but I could see that he was struggling

up to me. `It will be my turn to go out with you next, will it not, father?

entrusted with the care of the family, and a youth of manly

se, and part for salting. The animals were fed, and a plentiful allowance of salt made to them. Our own supper of broiled sa