Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss (microsoft ebook reader TXT) đź“–
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enjoyed as possible. My wife had improvised a table of a board laid on
two casks, on this was spread a white damask tablecloth, on which were
placed knives, forks, spoons and plates for each person. A tureen of
good soup first appeared, followed by a capital omelette, then slices
of the ham; and finally some Dutch cheese, butter and biscuits, with a
bottle of the captain’s canary wine, completed the repast.
While we thus regaled ourselves, I related to my wife our adventures,
and then begged she would remember her promise and tell me all that had
happened in my absence.
`I will spare you a description,’ said my wife, `of our first day’s
occupations; truth to tell, I spent the time chiefly in anxious thought
and watching your progress and signals. I rose very early this morning,
and with the utmost joy perceiving your signal that all was right,
hastened to reply to it, and then while my sons yet slumbered, I sat
down and began to consider how our position could be improved.
`“For it is perfectly impossible,” said I to myself, “to live much
longer where we are now. The sun beats burningly the livelong day on
this bare rocky spot, our only shelter is this poor tent, beneath the
canvas of which the heat is even more oppressive than on the open
shore. Why should not I and my little boys exert ourselves as well as
my husband and Fritz? Why should not we too try to accomplish something
useful?
`“If we could but exchange this melancholy and unwholesome abode for
a pleasant shady dwelling-place, we should all improve in health and
spirits. Among those delightful woods and groves where Fritz and his
father saw so many charming things, I feel sure there must be some
little retreat where we could establish ourselves comfortably; there
must be, and I will find it.”
`By this time the boys were up, and I observed Jack very quietly and
busily occupied with his knife about the spot where Fritz’s jackal lay.
Watching his proceedings, I saw that he had cut two long narrow strips
of the animal’s skin, which he cleaned and scraped very carefully, and
then taking a handful of great nails out of his pocket, he stuck them
through the skin points outwards, after which he cut strips of canvas
sailcloth twice as broad as the thongs, doubled them, and laid them on
the raw side of the skin so as to cover the broad flat nail heads.
`At this point of the performance, Master Jack came to me with the
agreeable request that I would kindly stitch the canvas and (moist)
skin together for him. I gave him needles and thread, but could not
think of depriving him of the pleasure of doing it himself.
`However, when I saw how good-humouredly he persevered in the work with
his awkward unskilful fingers, I took pity upon him, and conquering the
disgust I felt, finished lining the skin dog-collars he had so
ingeniously contrived. After this I was called upon to complete in the
same way a fine belt of skin he had made for himself. I advised him to
think of some means by which the skin might be kept from shrinking.
`Ernest, although rather treating Jack’s manufacture with ridicule,
proposed a sensible-enough plan, which Jack forthwith put in execution.
He nailed the skin, stretched flat, on a board, and put it in the sun
to dry.
`My scheme of a journey was agreed to joyously by my young companions.
Preparations were instantly set on foot: weapons and provisions
provided: the two elder boys carrying guns, while they gave me charge
of the water flask, and a small hatchet.
`Leaving everything in as good order as we could at the tent, we
proceeded towards the stream, accompanied by the dogs. Turk, who had
accompanied you on your first expedition, seemed immediately to
understand that we wished to pursue the same route, and proudly led the
way.
`As I looked at my two young sons, each with his gun, and considered
how much the safety of the party depended on these little fellows, I
felt grateful to you, dear husband, for having acquainted them in
childhood with the use of firearms.
`Filling our water-jar, we crossed the stream, and went on to the
height from whence, as you described, a lovely prospect is obtained, at
the sight of which a pleasurable sensation of buoyant hope, to which I
had long been a stranger, awoke within my breast.
`A pretty little wood in the distance attracted my notice
particularly, and thither we directed our course. But soon finding it
impossible to force our way through the tall strong grass which grew in
dense luxuriance higher than the children’s heads, we turned towards
the open beach on our left, and following it we reached a point much
nearer the little wood, when, quitting the strand, we made towards it.
`We had not entirely escaped the tall grass, however and with the
utmost fatigue and difficulty were struggling through the reeds, when
suddenly a great rushing noise terrified us all dreadfully. A very
large and powerful bird sprang upward on the wing. Both boys attempted
to take aim, but the bird was far away before they were ready to fire.
`“Oh dear, what a pity!” exclaimed Ernest; “now if I had only had my
light gun, and if the bird had not flown quite so fast, I should have
brought him down directly!”
`“Oh yes,” said I, “no doubt you would be a capital sportsman if only
your game would always give you time to make ready comfortably.”
`“But I had no notion that anything was going to fly up just at our
feet like that,” cried he.
`“A good shot,” I replied, “must be prepared for surprises: neither
wild birds nor wild beasts will send you notice that they are about to
fly or to run.”
`“What sort of bird can it have been?’ inquired Jack.
`“Oh, it certainly must have been an eagle,” answered little Franz, “it
was so very big!”
`“Just as if every big bird must be an eagle!” replied Ernest, in a
tone of derision.
`“Let’s see where he was sitting, at all events!” said I.
`Jack sprang towards the place, and instantly a second bird, rather
larger than the first, rushed upward into the air, with a most
startling noise.
`The boys stood staring upwards, perfectly stupefied, while I laughed
heartily, saying, “Well, you are first-rate sportsmen, to be sure! You
certainly will keep my larder famously well supplied!”
`At this, Ernest coloured up, and looked inclined to cry, while Jack
put on a comical face, pulled off his cap, and with a low bow, called
after the fugitive, “Adieu for the present, sir! I live in hopes of
another meeting!”
`On searching the ground carefully, we discovered a rude sort of nest
made untidily of dry grass. It was empty, although we perceived broken
egg-shells at no great distance, and concluded that the young brood had
escaped among the grass, which, in fact, we could see was waving at a
little distance, as the little birds ran through it.
`“Now look here, Franz,” said Ernest, presently, “just consider how
this bird could by any possibility have been an eagle. Eagles never
build on the ground, neither can their young leave the nest and run as
soon as they are out of the egg. That is a peculiarity of the
gallinaceous tribe of birds alone, to which then these must belong. The
species, I think, is indicated by the white belly and dull red colour
of the wing coverts which I observed in these specimens, and I believe
them to be bustards, especially as I noticed in the largest the fine
moustache-like feathers over the beak, peculiar to the Great Bustard.”
`“My dear boy!” I said, “your eyes were actively employed, I must
confess, if your fingers were unready with the gun. And after all, it
is just as well, perhaps, that we have not thrown the bustard’s family
into mourning.”
`Thus chatting, we at length approached my pretty wood. Numbers of
birds fluttered and sang among the high branches, but I did not
encourage the boys in their wish to try to shoot any of the happy
little creatures. We were lost in admiration of the trees of this
grove, and I cannot describe to you how wonderful they are, nor can you
form the least idea of their enormous size without seeing them
yourself. What we had been calling a wood proved to be a group of about
a dozen trees only, and, what was strange, the roots sustained the
massive trunks exalted in the air, forming strong arches, and props and
stays all around each individual stem, which was firmly rooted in the
centre.
`I gave Jack some twine, and scrambling up one of the curious open-air
roots, he succeeded in measuring round the trunk itself, and made it
out to be about eighteen yards. I saw no sort of fruit, but the foliage
is thick and abundant, throwing delicious shade on the ground beneath,
which is carpeted with soft green herbage, and entirely free from
thorns, briars, or bushes of any kind. It is the most charming
resting-place that ever was seen, and I and the boys enjoyed our midday
meal immensely in this glorious palace of the woods, so grateful to our
senses after the glare and heat of our journey thither.
`The dogs joined us after a while. They had lingered behind on the
seashore, and I was surprised to see them lie down and go comfortably
to sleep without begging for food, as they do usually when we eat.
`The longer we remained in this enchanting place, the more did it
charm my fancy; and if we could but manage to live in some sort of
dwelling up among the branches of those grand, noble trees, I should
feel perfectly safe and happy. It seemed to me absurd to suppose we
should ever find another place half so lovely, so I determined to
search no further, but return to the beach and see if anything from the
wreck had been cast up by the waves, which we could carry away with us.
`Before starting, Jack persuaded me to sit quietly a little longer, and
finish making his belt and the spike-collars for the dogs, for you must
know that the child had actually been carrying the board on which these
were stretched all this time, so that they should get the full benefit
of the sun.
`As they were now quite dry, I completed them easily, and Jack girded
on the belt with great pride, placing his pistols in it, and marching
about in a most self-important style, while Ernest fitted the collars
on the two dogs.
`On reaching the shore, we found it strewed with many articles,
doubtless of value, but all too heavy for us to lift. We rolled some
casks, however, beyond high-water mark, and dragged a chest or two also
higher on the beach; and, while doing so, observed that our dogs were
busy among the rocks. They were carefully watching the crevices and
pools, and every now and then would pounce downwards and seize
something which they swallowed with apparent relish.
`“They are eating crabs,” said Jack. “No wonder they have not seemed
hungry lately.”
`And, sure enough, they were catching the little green crabs with
which the water abounded. These, however, did not apparently entirely
satisfy them.
`Some time afterwards, just as we were about to
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