Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss (microsoft ebook reader TXT) 📖

his hands behind his back, and

a look of disappointment upon his countenance.

 

`Unsuccessful!’ said he.

 

`Really!’ I replied. `Never mind, my boy, better luck next time.’

 

`Oh, Fritz!’ exclaimed his brothers who had looked behind him. `

A sucking-pig, a little sucking-pig. Where did you get it? How

did you shoot it? Do let us see it!’

 

Fritz then with sparkling eyes exhibited his prize.

 

`I am glad to see the result of your prowess, my boy,’ said I;

`but I cannot approve of deceit, even as a joke; stick to the

truth in jest and earnest.’

 

Fritz then told us how he had been to the other side of the stream.

`So different from this,’ he said, `it is really a beautiful

country, and the shore, which runs down to the sea in a gentle

slope, is covered with 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, and what a pity it would be

to lose her. Let us get her on shore, and we will move over the

stream, where she will have good pasturage, and we shall be in

the shade instead of on this desert, and, father, I do wish—’

 

`Stop, stop, my boy!’ cried I. `All will be done in good time.

Tomorrow and the day after will bring work of their own. And tell

me, did you see no traces of our shipmates?’

 

`Not a sign of them, either on land or sea, living or dead,’ he

replied.

 

`But the sucking-pig,’ said Jack, `where did you get it?’

 

`It was one of several,’ said Fritz, `which I found on the shore;

along with some very curious little animals that hopped rather

than walked, and every now and then would squat down on their hind

legs and rub their snouts with their forepaws. Had not I been

afraid of losing all, I would have tried to catch one alive,

they seemed so tame. But this was more easily taken.’

 

Meanwhile, Ernest had been carefully examining the animal

in question.

 

`This is no pig,’ he said, `and except for its bristly skin,

does not look like one. See, its teeth are not like those of a

pig, but rather those of a squirrel. In fact,’ he continued,

looking at Fritz, `your sucking-pig is an agouti.’

 

`Dear me,’ said Fritz, `listen to the great professor lecturing!

He is going to prove that a pig is not a pig!’

 

`You need not be so quick to laugh at your brother,’ said I, in

my turn, `he is quite right. I, too, know the agouti by descriptions

and pictures, and there is little doubt that this is a specimen.

The little animal makes 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 the natives where

it lives, especially when the animal has been feeding near the

sea on plants impregnanted with salt. But, Ernest, the agouti

not only looks something like a pig, but most decidedly grunts

like a porker.’

 

While we were thus talking, Jack had been vainly endeavouring to

I, placing an oyster on the fire; it immediately opened.

 

`Now,’ I continued, `who will try this delicacy?’ All at first

hesitated to partake of them, so unattractive did they appear.

Jack, however, tightly closing his eyes and making a face as

though about to take medicine, gulped one down. We followed his

example, one after the other, each doing so rather to provide

himself with a spoon than with any hope of cultivating a taste

for oysters.

 

Our spoons were now ready, and gathering round the pot we dipped

them in, not, however, without sundry scalded fingers. Ernest

then drew from his pocket the large shell he had procured for

his own use, and scooping up a good quantity of soup he put it

down to cool, smiling at his own foresight.

 

`Prudence should be exercised for others, not just for oneself,’

I remarked. `Are you so much better than your brothers? Your cool

soup will do capitally for the dogs, my boy; take it to them, and

then come and eat like the rest of us.’

 

Ernest winced at this, but silently taking up his shell he placed

it on the ground before the hungry dogs, who lapped up its contents

in a moment; he then returned, and after waiting for the soup to

cool some more, we all went merrily on with our dinner.

 

While we were thus busily employed, we suddenly discovered that

our dogs, not satisfied with their mouthful of soup, had espied

the agouti, and were rapidly devouring it. The boys all began to

yell, 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 w

as bent. The poor beasts ran off howling, followed by a shower of

stones from Fritz, who shouted and yelled at them so fiercely,

that if I had not interfered, it was probable he would have

killed them.

 

I followed him, and as soon as he would listen to me, represented

to him how despicable as well as wicked was such an outbreak of

temper. `For,’ said I, `you have hurt, if not actually wounded,

the dogs; you have distressed and frightened your mother, and

you have spoiled your gun, which would have been so useful.’

 

Though Fritz’s passion was easily aroused it never lasted long,

and speedily recovering himself, immediately he entreated his

mother’s pardon, and expressed his sorrow for his fault.

 

By this time the sun was sinking beneath the horizon, and the

poultry, which had been straying to some little distance, gathered

round us, and began to pick up the crumbs of biscuit which had

fallen during our repast. My wife hereupon drew from her mysterious

bag some handfuls of oats, peas, and other grain, and with them

began to feed the poultry.

 

She at the same time showed me several other seeds of various

vegetables. `That was indeed thoughtful,’ said I, `but pray be

careful of what will be of such value to us; we can bring plenty

of damaged biscuits from the wreck, which though of no use as

food for us, will suit the fowls very well indeed.’

 

The pigeons now flew up to crevices in the rocks, the fowls

perched themselves on our tent pole, and the ducks and geese

waddled off cackling and quacking 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 for his many

mercies to us, we commended ourselves to his protecting care,

and as the last ray of light departed, closed our tent and lay

down to rest.

 

The children remarked the suddenness of nightfall, for indeed

there had been little or no twilight. This convinced me that we

must be not far from the equator, for 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

perpendicularly they strike the earth the longer do they continue

their undiminished force, until when the sun sinks, they totally

disappear, thus producing sudden darkness.