Swiss Family Robinson

st was over, we went regularly to work with the bird-lime. 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. Seeing

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

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

embling captive, and gently cleaned 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; a

ood of sweet acorns, provided merely with

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

s, who fluttered helplessly through the branches, dazzled and bewildered, and many f

the quantities of pigeons that soon lay on the ground. The sacks were speedily quite full. We tu

tion to Woodlands was arranged, that measures might there be taken to prevent a repetition of the monkey invasion. I hoped, could I but catch the mischievous

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

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

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

time 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,

and 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

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

became besmeared with our bird-lime on head, paws, back or breas

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

nd 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 branche

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

y sharing their feelings, hastened to turn their thoughts to active employment in removing and burying the

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

thing settled and comfortable, so that we returned without fur

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

rocky 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

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

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

end the event, and I waved a wand with mock solemnity, while I muttered a s

, they came timidly out on `the verandah', as little Franz expressed it; then, as though suddenly startled, the whole party took wing, with th

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

ermination and resolve about it, th

ining birds, we could not forget this disappointment, and

middle of next day; when most of us were hard at work insi

He is come!

there? What

n, to be sure!

d Ernest. `You want

?' cried I. `I fully believe

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

cord and close the panel!' shouted t

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

difficulty than the others in finding a mate as distinguished in rank and beauty as himself. However, we

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 wou

planted in our orchard. For some time no event of particular note occurred, until at

ne of his own particul

that he might surprise us with s

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

as happened to you?

wickerwork, because I wanted to weave some baskets and hen-coops, and I saw such beauties a li

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

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 toge

d 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 r

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

efully, 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 shar

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

of musical instrument; mother

his dictum about

lled by the amusement and interest with which the children watc

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

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

ood, and the comfort of having it close at hand so great, that my wife declared she was as well pleased w

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

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

in the horizon, and passing storms of wind, with thunder, lightning,

vy groundswells drove masses of water

ll nature joined in sounding forth the solem

the month of June, and we had twe

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

t very often to see that all was in or

cave a comfortable appearance, which became

I called in Jack's assistance, and we got a very tall, strong bamboo, which would reach right up to t

the roof so as to fix a pulley, by means of which, when he descended, I drew up a large ship's lant

. Jack and his mother took in hand the sitting-room and kitchen, while Fritz and I, as better able for heavy work, arranged the workshops. The c

e-place, bellows, and anvil, complete, all which we had

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

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 levelling the ground to form a terrace

, when unpacked and arranged, proved to be a most valuable colle

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

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

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

German and French. The two elder boys were

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

to learn Spanish `because it

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

ery considerably lightened, and everyone

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 foun

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

than ever. Thunder roared, lightning blazed, torrents rushed towards the sea, which came in ragin

epose, her smiling aspect of peaceful beauty; and soon all traces of the ravages of

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

ng delighted to resume our old habit of starting in pursuit of adventure. The boat was accordingly got in readiness; it required some

landing-place on the further side. The boys hurried by the nearest way to the beach where lay the monster of the deep, w

ly half-way to the great fish, and as

s and coral branches we are finding! How doe

housands of shellfish have been detached from their rocks and dashed in all direction

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 giv

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

y use?' demande

s, and made into beads for necklaces et cetera. As such, it is greatly prized by savages, and were we

our library, and make them the beginning of a Museum of Natura

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

he calcereous 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

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

are at the landing-pl

pull since you began to tel

notice that the wind had changed, Jack?

ly 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 capricio

lantern which burnt day and night in the recesses of the cave; therefore all available casks and barrels were pressed into the service; many,

on board, and we set forth, the labour of the oar being gre

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

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

ne-third of the length of the entire hulk, 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 can never swallow a pr

e is so curious,' I replied, `that I mus

drowned if too long detained below the surface of the water); this animal, then, frequents those parts of the ocean best supp

ures, the whale engulfs them by millions in his enormous jaws, and continues

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

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

column of mixed vapor and water is thrown from the

and let me see if you can face the work of climbing

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

tting out slabs of blubber, while his mother and Fr

f birds of prey; they flew around us in ever narrowing circles, and becoming bolder as their voracity was excited by the near view

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

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

lly palatable, but I valued it only on accou

uld to reach home and cleanse our persons from the unpleasant

for our proposed work was even more horrible than that of the prece

erior, to obtain various portions of the intestines, thinking that it would

ich were vigorously carried on during the whole of the day; then, satisfied that we could do so with a cl

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

bring away that brute's entrai

ssity, the mother of all the more valuable inventions, has taught the inhabitants of those countries, Greenlanders, Esquimaux and

ent, of our unpleasant materials, the further prepara

hes, and supper, cheered us a