The Swiss Family Robinson, In Words of One Syllable

Front matter

The Tub-Raft, leaving the Ship.

THE

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Chapter 1

CHAPTER I.

When one has a good tale to tell, he should try to be brief, and not say more than he can help ere he makes a fair start; so I shall not say a word of what took place on board the ship till we had been six days in a storm. The bark had gone far out of her true course, and no one on board knew where we were. The masts lay in splints on the deck, the sails were torn, a leak in the side of the ship let more in than the crew could pump out, and each one felt that ere long he would find a grave in the deep sea, which rose and fell in great white waves of foam, and sent its spray from side to side of what was now but a mere hulk.

Most of those on board sought the best means that they could think of to save their own lives; but some knelt down to pray that God would quell the storm and still the waves, for they felt that none but He could help them now.

"Come, boys," said I to my four sons, who were with me, and were struck dumb with fear, "God can save us if it please Him so

to do; but, if this is to be our last hour, let us bow to His will—we shall at least all go down side by side."

My dear wife could not hide the tears that fell down her cheeks as I thus spoke to my sons, but she was calm, and knelt down to pray, while the boys clung round her as if they thought she could help them.

Just then we heard a cry of "Land! land!" felt a shock, and were thrown down upon the deck. It was clear that we had struck on a rock, for we heard a loud cry from one of the men,"We are lost! Launch the boat; try for your lives!" These words went, as it were, through my heart like a knife; but, as I felt that I ought to cheer my sons, I said to them, "Now is the time to show that we are brave; we still have life, the land is near, and we know that God helps those who trust in him. Keep up your hearts, then, while I go and see if there be not some hope yet left for us."

I went at once on deck, and was met by a wave that threw me down, and wet me through to the skin. When I got up, and went to the side of the ship, I found that all the boats had been let down, and that the last of the crew had just left it. I cried out for the men to come back and take us with them, but it was in vain, for the sound of my voice did not reach them through the roar of the waves.

I then thought that our last chance was gone. Still, as I felt that the ship did not sink, I went to the stern, and found, to my joy, that she was held up by a piece of rock on each side, and made fast like a wedge. At the same time I saw some trace of land, which lay to the south, and this made me go back with some hope that we had still a faint chance, though how to get from the ship I could not tell.

As soon as I got downstairs I took my wife by the hand, and said, "Be of good cheer, we are at least safe for some time, and if the wind should veer round, we may yet reach the land that lies but a short way off."

I said this to calm the fears of my wife and sons, and it did so far more than I had a right to hope.

"Let us now take some food," said my wife. "We are sure to need it, for this will no doubt be a night to try our strength."

We still heard the roar of the sea, and now and then the planks would creak as if they were torn up from the deck, so that we had still good cause to fear that we might go down.

My wife got some food for her boys, which we were glad to see them eat, poor as it was; but we could not share their meal. Three out of the four were put to bed in their berths, and soon went to sleep; but Fritz, who was our first child, would not leave us. He said, like a good son, that he wold try to be of some use, and think what could be done. "If we could but find some cook," said Fritz to me in a low tone, "we might make floats. You and I will not need them, for we can swim, but the rest will want some such means to keep them up, and then we can help them to reach the land."

"A good thought," said I. "Let us try in the night to find what things there are in the ship that we can thus make use of."

We soon found some casks and ropes, and with these we made a kind of float for each of the three boys, and then my wife made one for her own use. This done, we got some knives, string, and such things as we could make fast to our belts. We did not fail to look for and find a flint and steel, and the box in which the burnt rags were kept, for these were at that time in use as the means to strike a light.

Fritz, who was now well nigh worn out, laid down on his bed, and slept like the rest. As for me and my poor wife, we kept watch, each in fear lest the next wave should lift the ship off the rock and break it up. We spent part of the night in thought as to our plans for the next day, and sought God to bless the means we had in view to save our lives.

I need not tell you how glad we were when we saw the first gleam of light shine through the chink of the door that shut us in from the cold night air. At dawn the wind did not blow so strong, the sky was clear of clouds, and we saw the sun rise, and with it rose our hopes. I soon had my wife and sons on deck. The boys did not know till then that all the men had left the ship, and that there was no one but us on board.

"Where are the men?" said they. "How can we steer the ship?"

"My dear boys," said I, "He who has kept us safe till now will still aid us, if we do not give way to fear. Let all hands set to work, and leave the rest to God."

At these words we all went to work with a will. My wife went to feed the live stock; Fritz set off in search of arms, and the means to make use of them; and Ernest made his way to the tool chest. Jack ran to pick up what he could find, but as he got to one of the doors he gave it a push, and two huge dogs sprang out and leapt at him. He thought at first they would bite him, but he soon found that they meant him no harm, and one of them let him get on his back and ride up to me as I came from the hold of the ship. I could not keep back a smile, but I told him that it was not safe thus to play with dogs which had not been fed for so long a time.

When the boys had done their search, and the spoil was brought on deck, we thought we had found all that we should need. "As for me," said my wife, "I have brought good news, for I find we have still on board a cow, an ass, two goats, six sheep, a ram, a pig, and a sow, and I have found food for them all."

"All that you bring will be of use," said I; "but I fear that Jack's dogs will do us more harm than good."

"Not at all," said Jack, in his pert way, for they can help use to hunt when we get to land."

"Well said, Jack. And now let us see what we can do that will aid us to get there."

We then took the casks that we had found, and as both Ernest and I could use the saw, we soon cut them in half. With these tubs, which were bound round with strong hoops, we made a kind of raft, thought it was no slight task. The tubs, in fact, were a fleet of eight small round boats, made so fast to some planks that no one of them could float from the rest. When we had done this, we sat down to a good meal, which we ate with great zest, for we now felt that we had done our best to earn it.

The next thing to be done was to launch the raft. This we at length did, and when the boys saw it slide down the side of the ship and float on the sea, they gave a loud shout, and each one tried who should be the first to get on it. I made it fast to the ship, and there left it.

It was late ere our work was thus far brought to an end; and, as we had to spend at least one night more on the wreck, I told the boys to get a good night's rest, so that they might be fresh for the toils of the next day.

I then told my wife to change her dress for that of one of the crew which she had found, as her skirts would have got in her way when she had to climb. She did not at first like this, but did so as soon as she saw the truth of what I told her. At last, when all was done, we went to bed, and slept as sound as if we had been on land.

Chapter 2

CHAPTER II.

We were all up at the break of day, and knelt down to thank God that He had kept us from harm through the night.

"My dear boys," said I, "we have now, with the help of God, to try our best to reach the shore. We must, ere we go, give the poor beasts on board both food and drink to last them for some days. I hope we may yet find means to come back and take them on shore with us."

We then put all the things on the raft, and ten live hens and two cocks were put in one of the tubs. Some ducks and geese we let go, in the hope that they would swim to the shore; and a pair of doves were set free, as they could fly to the land.

There was a place in the raft for each of us. In the first tub sat my wife; in the next Frank, who was eight years old; in the third Fritz, not quite twice the age of Frank; in the fourth were the fowls, and some old sails that would make us a tent; the fifth was full of good things in the way of food; in the sixth stood Jack, a bold lad, ten years old; in the next Ernest, twelve years of age, well taught, but too fond of self, and less fond of work than the rest; while I sat in the eighth, to guide the raft that was to save all that was dear to me in the world.

As soon as the dogs (Bill and Jack by name) saw us push off from the ship they leapt in the sea, swam near the raft, and kept well up with us.

The sea was calm; so that we felt quite safe. We made good use of the oars, and the raft bore its freight straight to the land; but as we drew near to the shore the sight of the bare rocks led us to think that we might still be in need of food and drink when that which we had was gone. We could see that casks, chests, spars, and splints from the masts of the wreck lay on the shore.

As we got near, the coast lost its bare look, and we were glad to see that there was no lack of trees. We soon found a bay, to which the ducks and geese had found their way, and here we saw a place where we could land, which we were not slow to do.

As soon as we had made the raft fast with a strong rope, we took out all our wealth, and made a tent with the old sail-cloth we had brought with us, and stuck a pole in the ground to keep it up. This done, I sent the boys to get some moss and dry grass to make our beds with. With the flint and steel we soon set fire to some dry twigs, and my wife made a pot of soup with what she had brought from the ship.

Fritz, who had charge of the guns, chose one, and took a stroll by the side of a stream, while Jack went in search of shell fish, which he thought he might find on the rocks. My share of the work was to save two large casks which were near the shore. Whilst I was up to my knees in the sea I heard a shrill cry, which I knew to come from Jack. I got out at once, took up an axe, and ran to his help. I found him with his legs in a rock pool, where a large crab held him by his toes. It soon made off as I came near; but I struck at it with the axe, and brought it out of the pool. Jack then took it up, though it gave him a pinch or two ere he found out how to hold it, and ran off in high glee to show his dear Ma what he had caught.

When I got back to the tent, I found that Ernest had brought us news that he had seen salt in the chinks of the rocks, and that shell fish were not scarce.

"Then why have you not brought some with you?" said I.

"To get at them," said he, "I should have had to wet my feet."

"Well, my boy, if you are sure you saw them, I will ask you to go back for some. We must each do some work for the good of all; and as for your feet, the sun will dry them as you walk back."

He went, and soon found the salt, left by the sea on the rocks, which the sun had made quite dry. There was some sand with it, and this I said would spoil our soup; but my wife did not take long to find a way to cure that. She had been to a fresh stream with a large jug; from this I saw her pour some on the salt, strain it through a cloth, and let it drip in a cup, so that all the sand was left on the cloth.

When the soup was made hot we had each a taste, and all said that it was good.

"Be not in too great hast," said my wife, "we must wait for Fritz; but if he were here, I do not see how we are to take our soup, for we have no plates nor spoons; we can't lift this huge pot to our mouths and sup from it."

"If we had but some large nuts," said Ernest,"we might cut them in half, and they would make great bowls."

"Quite true," said I; "but as there are none, we may as well wish for delf bowls and real spoons at once."

"Now I have it," quoth Ernest. "Let us use the shells I saw on the shore."

Off ran Jack to the shore, with Ernest at his heels, and back they both came with large and small shells for us all.

Just then Fritz came in, with a look of gloom on his face, which I could see was a sham.

"You do not mean to tell me you have come back with nought?" said I, as he put out his hands as if to prove that such was the case. But Jack, who had been round him, cried out, "No, no! he's got a pig!—such a fine one. Tell us where you found it."

Fritz now brought forth his prize. When I saw it, I knew, from what I had read, that it was not a pig, but a swift beast, known in these parts, that lives on fruit and nuts, and hides in the earth. I felt it right to tell my son that he should not try to make us think that he had not brought any thing back. Though a jest, it was still a lie, and to act a lie was just as wrong as to tell one. Fritz now saw the truth of this, and said so. He then told us how that he had been to the banks of the stream.

"I like the place much more than I do this spot," said he. "The shore lies low, and there are planks, casks, chests, and all sorts of things, that the sea has thrown up. Why not leave this place at once, and go there?"

"There is a time for all things," said I. "We must at least rest here for one night. But did you see no trace of the men who left the ship?"

"None, on land or sea," said he; "but I saw some strange hogs on the shore, that have feet like hares."

We all sat down to take our soup with the shell spoons. Ernest took from his coat a large shell, which he had hid till now, put it in the soup, and then set it down to cool.

"You do not show want of thought," said I to him. "But I am not glad to see that you think so of yourself, and do so much for your own ease, when all the rest do so much for yours. Now, that shell full of soup you must give to our two dogs. We can all dip our small shells in the pot, and you must do as we do; but as we have nought else that the poor dogs can eat out of, that shell shall be theirs."

I knew he felt hurt at this, but he gave it to the dogs at once, and they soon made quick work of their share of the soup. The sun was low when our meal came to an end. The fowls came round us to pick up the stray crumbs we had let fall, and my wife took out her bag of grain and fed the cocks and hens that we had brought with us, and sent them to roost on the top of our tent. The ducks and geese left us to

The young Ape brought Home on Turk's back.

find some place of rest near the stream, and the dogs lay down at the door of the tent.

We took care to load our fire-arms, in case we might need them in the night; sang a hymn of praise to God, and then left our fate in his hands.

Chapter 3

CHAPTER III.

As soon as I heard the cock crow, and say by the light that it was the break of day, got out of bed and spoke to my wife as to what we should do next.

"First," said I, "Fritz and I will make a tour of the coast, and try to find some of the men who left the ship, for if they are here, they may be in want."

"But," said Fritz, who heard me from his bed, "why should we search for those who left us to die on the wreck?"

"Well, I will tell you," said I. "First, we should do to them as we would wish them to do to us, not as they have done; next, we know that they took no food with them, and we should not leave them to starve; and last, it may be that they can help us, though now they stand more in need of our aid."

The boys were soon up, and we all sat down to a good meal. That done, Fritz and I got our guns. I put a pair of small arms in his belt, gave him a game bag, and told him to take an axe. I took some food for us both, and a full flask, out of which we could drink if we should stray far from a stream. Fritz was now in haste to be off, but Ernest said that there was one thing still left to do ere we could start.

"And what is that?" said Fritz.

"We have yet to pray to God," said Ernest.

"That is right, my dear boy," said I. "We are all too apt to think less than we ought of what God tells us to do, and you know that he tells us to pray to Him day by day."

When we took our leave, my wife and the three boys were in tears. The dog Bill we left to guard the tent, but Turk went with us, and ran by our side.

We soon got to the banks of a stream; but then had to make our way down its course through the tall, rank grass. It took us some time to reach the sea shore. There was not a boat to be seen, or any sign that the ship's crew had found the land. We left the shore, and went through a wood full of tall trees. Here Fritz struck some hard thing on the ground with his foot, which we found to be a Co-coa-nut. He gave it a blow with his axe, and broke the shell, and we both sat down to rest, and eat the nut. We drank the milk to quench our thirst, and made a fair meal of the fruit.

At the end of the wood we came to a plain which gave us a clear view of the place. Fritz, who was on the look out, ran off with Turk to some strange trees that he saw on the right.

"Do come here," he cried, "and tell me what these are."

When I got up to him, it gave me no small joy to find that it was a gourd tree.

"Try," said I, "if you can get hold of one of those queer lumps that grow on it."

With that he brought one down, and we had a look at it.

"Now, of this," said I, "we can make a plate, a dish, or a flask. It is by no means a nice kind of food, but wild men set great store by its shell, which they use to hold their food and drink."

We then set to work to make plates of the gourds, which we did in this way: I tied a string round the shell, and then made nicks all round it with a sharp knife. In these we put the string, and then gave it a tight pull, which cut it in half, and made two bowls. When we had thus made some eight or ten bowls, and some flat ones for plates, we laid them out in the sun to dry, and then went on our way.

We could see, not far off, a grove of fine palm trees, but to reach them we should have to pass through reeds and long grass, which grew so thick that we made Turk go on first and tread a path for us. I knew this was just the place to find snakes, so we each cut a cane, that we might beat them off should we meed with any. As I took hold of my staff, I felt a gum or juice ooze out of the end. I put my tongue to it, and found it of a sweet taste. This lead me to suck the reed, and I then knew that we had met with the Su-gar Cane. By this time Fritz had done the same, for I could see that he held his cane to his mouth.

"Do not suck too much of it," said I, "or it will make you ill; but let us cut some of the best and take them back with us, for those at home will prize so great a treat." This we did, and bound them in a bunch, which Fritz took on his back.

It did not take us long to reach the place where the palms grew, and then we sat down in the shade to eat the food we had brought with us. "Do you see those nuts at the top of the trees, Fritz?" said I.

"To be sure I do; but they are far too high to reach. Look, look!" he cried, "there are some Mon-keys; let me have a shot at them."

"Do not do that," I said, and held his arm; "it will do us no good to kill them, and I think I can make use of them." With that I threw some stones up at the tree where they were, thought they had got safe out of my reach. They then made a loud noise, took hold of the nuts that were near, and flung them straight at us. This was not new to me, for I had read that it is oft done by men who live in the woods, and have to get their food as best they can; but the trick made Fritz laugh, who soon had hard work to pick up the nuts that were thrown at him.

We broke some of the nuts, and put the juice of the canes in the thick white cream which forms close to the shell; and this made us a dish so sweet and nice that Fritz said it was fit for a king. Turk did not seem to like it, so we gave him some of the meat in our bag, which we could now well spare.

Fritz and I then made fast some nuts to a string, which I tied round my waist, while he took up his canes, and we both set off on our road home.

Chapter 4

CHAPTER IV.

On our way back we took up the gourd bowls and plates, which we found quite dry and hard as bone, and put them in our bags. We had scarce got through the wood, when Turk made a dart in front of us, and we saw a troop of apes rush out of his way. But he gave a leap and brought down one that could not climb so fast as the rest, for she had a young one in her arms. Turk made short work of the poor thing, for ere Fritz could call the dog off, the ape was dead. The young one, as soon as it saw Fritz, sprang on his back, put its paws in his curls, and would not let go, but made a noise as if to chide him. Fritz did not like this, for he was in fear lest it should bite him. I knew there was but small risk of that, for the poor thing was as much in dread as he was. I at length got the ape from Fritz's back, and took it up in my arms like a child. We found that it was too young to seek its own food, and, as Fritz said he should like to take it home, we put it on Turk's back. "Since you have been the cause of its grief," said I, "it is but fair that you should act the part of its dam." Turk did not at first like this, but we soon got him to bear the ape, which held so tight by the hair on the dog's neck, that it could not well fall off. Fritz then led Turk with a string, that he might not stray out of sight, or throw off his charge, which I think he would have done had we not been on the watch.

It did not take us long to reach the bank of the stream near to our home. Just as we came in sight of the tent we heard Bill bark, and saw him run off as fast as he could to meet us. This put Turk in a sad way, and made him leap up at us and try to get free; so Fritz at last took the ape from him and let him go.

I need not tell you how glad my wife and sons were to see us safe back, or with what joy the boys took the "real live ape" out of Fritz's arms. "How did you catch him?" said Ernest; "what does he live on?" said Frank; "what fun we shall have with him!" cried Jack.