AN AMERICANROBINSON CRUSOE FOR AMERICAN BOYSAND GIRLS THE ADAPTATION, WITH ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS BY SAMUEL B. ALLISON, Ph. D. CONTENTS I Robinson with His Parents II Robinson as an Apprentice III Robinson's Departure IV Robinson Far from Home V The Shipwreck VI Robinson Saved VII The First Night on Land VIII Robinson on an Island IX Robinson's Shelter X Robinson Makes a Hat XI Robinson's Calendar XII Robinson Makes a Hunting Bag XIII Robinson Explores the Island XIV Robinson as a Hunter XV Robinson's Shoes and Parasol XVI Getting Fire XVII Robinson Makes Some Furniture XVIII Robinson Becomes a Shepherd XIX Robinson Builds a Home for His Goats XX Robinson Gets Ready for Winter XXI How Robinson Lays up a Store of Food XXII Robinson's Diary XXIII Robinson is Sick XXIV Robinson's Bower XXV Robinson Again Explores His Island XXVI Robinson and His Birds XXVII Robinson Gets Fire XXVIII Robinson Makes Baskets XXIX Robinson Becomes a Farmer XXX Robinson as Potter XXXI Robinson as Baker XXXII Robinson as Fisherman XXXIII Robinson Builds a Boat XXXIV Robinson as a Sailor XXXV A Discovery XXXVI The Landing of the Savages XXXVII Robinson as TeacherXXXVIII Another Shipwreck XXXIX Saving Things from the Ship XL The Return of the Savages XLI Deliverance at Last XLII Robinson at Home PREFATORY NOTE "An American Robinson Crusoe" is the outcome of many years ofexperience with the story in the early grades of elementary schools. It was written to be used as a content in giving a knowledge of thebeginning and development of human progress. The aim is not just tofurnish an interesting narrative, but one that is true to the courseof human development and the scientific and geographical facts of theisland on which Robinson is supposed to have lived. The excuse for departing so widely from the original story is to befound in the use which was desired to be made of it. The story herepresented is simply the free adaptation of the original narrative tothe demand for a specific kind of content in a form which would beinteresting to the children. The teacher is and should be justified in using with entire freedomany material accessible for the ends of instruction. The text as here given has been published with an introduction andsuggestive treatments as a Teacher's Manual for Primary Grades--"TheTeacher's Robinson Crusoe. " Explicit directions and ample suggestionsare made for the use of the story as material for instruction in allthe language arts, drawing, social history, and the manual arts. Published by the Educational Publishing Company. AN AMERICANROBINSON CRUSOE I ROBINSON WITH HIS PARENTS There once lived in the city of New York, a boy by the name ofRobinson Crusoe. He had a pleasant home. His father and mother werekind to him and sent him to school. They hoped that he would studyhard and grow up to be a wise and useful man, but he loved rather torun idle about the street than to go to school. He was fond of playingalong the River Hudson, for he there saw the great ships come and go. They were as big as houses. He watched them load and unload theircargoes and hundreds of people get off and on. His father had toldhim that the ships came from far distant lands, where lived many largeanimals and black men. His father told him too, that in these farawaycountries the nuts on the trees grew to be as large as one's head andthat the trees were as high as church steeples. When Robinson saw the ships put out to sea, he would watch them tillthey would disappear below the horizon far out in the ocean, andthink, "Oh, if I could only go with them far away to see those strangecountries!" Thus he would linger along the great river and wish hemight find an opportunity of making a voyage. Often it would be darkbefore he would get home. When he came into the house his mother wouldmeet him and say in a gentle voice, "Why, Robinson, how late you arein getting home! You have been to the river again. " [Illustration: ROBINSON WATCHING THE SHIPS] Then Robinson would hang his head and feel deeply ashamed, and whenhis father, who was a merchant, came home from the store, his motherwould tell him that Robinson had again been truant. This would grieve his father deeply and he would go to the boy'sbedside and talk earnestly with him. "Why do you do so?" he would say. "How often have I told you to go to school every day?" This would fora time win Robinson back to school, but by the next week it had beenforgotten and he would again be loitering along the river in spiteof his father's remonstrances. II ROBINSON AS AN APPRENTICE In this way one year after another slipped by. Robinson was not morediligent. He was now almost sixteen years old and had not learnedanything. Then came his birthday. In the afternoon his father calledhim into his room. Robinson opened the door softly. There sat hisfather with a sad face. He looked up and said, "Well, Robinson, allyour schoolmates have long been busy trying to learn something, sothat they may be able to earn their own living. Paul will be a baker, Robert a butcher, Martin is learning to be a carpenter, Herman atailor, Otto a blacksmith, Fritz is going to high school, because heis going to be a teacher. Now, you are still doing nothing. This willnot do. From this time on I wish you to think of becoming a merchant. In the morning you will go with me to the store and begin work. Ifyou are attentive and skillful, when the time comes you can take upmy business and carry it on. But if you remain careless and continueto idle about, no one will ever want you and you must starve becauseyou will never be able to earn a living. " So the next morning Robinson went to the store and began work. Hewrapped up sugar and coffee, he weighed out rice and beans. He soldmeal and salt, and when the dray wagon pulled up at the store, loadedwith new goods, he sprang out quickly and helped to unload it. Hecarried in sacks of flour and chests of tea, and rolled in barrelsof coffee and molasses. He also worked some at the desk. He lookedinto the account books and saw in neat writing, "Goods received" and"Goods sold. " He noticed how his father wrote letters and reckonedup his accounts. He even took his pen in hand and put the addresseson the letters and packages as well as he could. But soon he was back in his careless habits. He was no longerattentive to business. He wrapped up salt instead of sugar. He putfalse weights on the scales. He gave some too much and others toolittle. His hands, only, were in the business, his mind was far awayon the ocean with the ships. When he helped unload the wagons, hewould often let the chests and casks drop, so that they were brokenand their contents would run out on the ground. For he was alwaysthinking, "Where have these casks come from and how beautiful it mustbe there!" And many times packages came back because Robinson hadwritten the name of the place or the country wrong. For when he waswriting the address, he was always thinking, "You will be laid upona wagon and will then go into the ship. " One day he had to write aletter to a man far over the sea. He could stand it no longer. Hisfather had gone out. He threw down the pen, picked up his hat and ranout to the Hudson to see the ships, and from that time on he spentmore time loitering along the river than he did in the store. III ROBINSON'S DEPARTURE Robinson's father soon noticed that his son was no longer attendingto his work, and one morning sent for him to come to his office. WhenRobinson came in his father arose from his chair and looked him longand earnestly in the face. Then he said, "I am very sorry, Robinson, that you seem determined to continue your evil ways. If you do notdo better you will grow up to be a beggar or worse. " Robinson casthis eyes down and said, "I do not want to be a merchant, I would rathersail in a ship around the world. " His father answered, "If you do notknow anything you cannot be of use on a ship, and no one will wantyou. In a strange land you cannot live without working. If you runaway from your parents you will come to be sorry for it. " Robinsonwept, for he saw that his father was right, and he promised to obey. After two or three weeks, Robinson went to his mother and said, "Mother, won't you go to father and tell him that if he will only letme take one voyage and it proves to be unpleasant, I will come backto the store and work hard?" But the mother cried. With tears in hereyes, she said: "Robinson, your brothers are both dead. You are theonly child left to us and if you go away, we shall be entirely alone. How easy it would be to be drowned in the sea, or torn to pieces bywild animals away there in a foreign country. Both your father andmyself are getting along in years and who will take care of us whenwe are sick? Do not cause us the grief we must suffer if you go awayso far amid so many dangers. I cannot bear to have you speak of itagain. " Robinson did not speak of it again, but he did not forget it. He wasnineteen years old. It was one day in August that Robinson stood atthe wharf looking longingly after the departing ships. As he stoodthere, someone touched him on the shoulder. It was a ship captain'sson. He pointed to a long ship and said, "My father sails to-day inthat ship for Africa and takes me with him. " "Oh, if I could only go with you!" cried Robinson. "Do come along, " cried his comrade. "But I have no money, " said Robinson. "That doesn't make any difference, " returned the captain's son. "Wewill take you anyway. " Robinson, without thinking for a moment, gave his friend his hand andpromised to go with him. So without saying "Good-bye" to his parents, Robinson went immediatelyon board the ship with his friend. This happened on the 10th ofAugust. [Illustration: ROBINSON AND THE CAPTAIN'S SON] [Illustration] IV ROBINSON FAR FROM HOME ROBINSON'S VOYAGE Once on board, Robinson watched the preparations for departure. Atcommand the sailors clambered up into the rigging and loosened thesails. Then the captain from his bridge called out, "Hoist theanchor!" Then the great iron hooks that held the ship fast were liftedup, a cannon sounded a final farewell. Robinson stood on the deck. He saw the great city shimmer in the sunshine before him. Very fastnow the land was being left behind. It was not long until all thatcould be seen of his native city was the tops of the highest towers. Then all faded from sight. Behind, in front, right and left, he sawnothing but waters. He became a little afraid. At noon there arose a strong wind and theship rocked to and fro. He became dizzy and had to hold fast tosomething. The masts and rigging began to dance. It seemed to him asif all was turning around. Suddenly he fell full length on the deckand it was impossible for him to get up. He was seasick. He wailedand cried, but no one heard him, no one helped him. Then he thoughtof his home, his parents whom he had so ungratefully left. He had been on the water about two weeks when one day as he lay inhis room, Robinson heard people over his head running about and crying, "A storm is coming!" The ship's sides trembled and creaked. The shipwas tossed like a nutshell. Now it rolled to the right, now to theleft. And Robinson was thrown from one side to the other. Every momenthe expected the ship to sink. He turned pale and trembled with fear. "Ah, if I were only at home with my parents, safe on the land, " hesaid. "If I ever get safe out of this, I will go home as quickly asI can and stay with my dear parents!" The storm raged the whole dayand the whole night. But on the next morning the wind went down andthe sea was calm. By evening the sky was clear and Robinson was againcheerful. He ran about the ship. He looked at the glittering starsand was contented and happy. V THE SHIPWRECK Several weeks went by. Robinson had long ago forgotten his resolutionsto return home. It was very hot. The glowing sun beat down upon theship. The wide surface of the sea glistened. No breeze stirred. Thesails hung loose on the top of the mast. But far away on the shorecould be seen a black bank of clouds. All at once the ship was thrown violently to one side by a fierce gustof wind. Robinson threw himself on the deck. The sea began to riseand fall. The waves were as high as mountains. Now the ship was bornealoft to the skies, and now it would seem that it must be overwhelmedin the sea. When it sank down between the great waves of water, Robinson thought it would never again rise. The waves beat violentlyon the ship's side. Robinson went down the steps into his little room, but he came back full of anxiety. He believed every minute he wouldmeet death in the waves. The night at last came on. The lightningflashed. The storm howled. The ship trembled. The water roared. Sothe night wore on. The storm raged for six days. Then on the seventhday it was somewhat abated. But the hope was soon dashed. The stormhad abated but to get new strength. Suddenly it bore down with frightfulpower on the doomed vessel, struck it, and shot it like an arrowthrough the water. Then Robinson felt a fearful crash. The shipgroaned as if it would fall into a thousand pieces. It had struck arock and there held fast. At the same moment the sailors raised thecry, "The ship has sprung a leak!" The water surged into the ship. All called for help. Each one thought only of himself. There was onlyone boat. The others had all been torn away. It was soon let down intothe sea. All sprang in. For a moment the sailors forgot the waves, but all at once a wave, mountains high, struck the boat and swallowedit up. Robinson shut his eyes. The water roared in his ears. He sankinto the sea. VI ROBINSON SAVED Robinson was borne down far, far into the ocean. He attempted to workhimself up, so that he could see light and breathe the air. But againand again the waves carried him down. Finally a wave threw him up andhe saw, for a moment, the light of day and got a breath of air, butthe next instant he was deep under the water. Then another wave borehim on its crest. He breathed a deep breath and at the same time sawland not far away. He bent all his strength toward reaching the land. He got almost to it, when a wave caught him and hurled him on ajutting rock. With all his strength he seized the rock with both handsand held on. Presently he worked himself up a little and at last got a foothold. But, scarcely had he done so, when his strength left him and he fellon the ground as one dead. But he soon revived. He opened his eyesand looked around. He saw above him the blue sky, and under him thesolid brown earth, and before him the gray angry sea. He felt to seeif he still breathed. The storm had destroyed the ship. The waves hadoverwhelmed the boat. The water wished to draw him into the deep. Therocks seemed to want to hurl him back, but storm and wave and rockhad accomplished nothing. There was One who was stronger than they. Then Robinson sank on his knees and folded his hands. Tears came tohis eyes. He breathed hard. At last he said, "Dear Father in Heaven, I live. Thou hast saved me. I thank Thee. " VII THE FIRST NIGHT ON LAND "Where are my companions?" That was his first thought. He began tocall and halloo: "Where are you?" "Come here!" But no one answered. Then he wished to see if anyone lived on the land, and he cried, "Isthere no one here? Hello!" but all remained still. All at once he drew himself together and shrank back. He heard a bushrustle and the thought came like a flash, "That is a wild animal thatwill pounce upon me and tear my flesh with his teeth and claws. Howshall I save myself? Where shall I fly for safety? Where shall I turn?I have nothing but my clothes and my life saved from the water. Allthat I had the waves have swallowed up. " And then hunger and thirst began to trouble him. He had eaten nothingthe whole day and the salt water had made him sick. In the meantime the night had come on. Robinson was very tired. Everything was new and strange. He did not know which way to move. He was in the greatest terror. He expected to hear the roar of wild beasts from every secluded spot. Lions and tigers and dreadful serpents filled his thoughts. He mustfind shelter from them. But where should he pass the night? Not ahouse, a hut or a cave was to be seen. He stood a long time hesitatingand did not know what to do. Finally he thought, "I will do as thebirds do and get into a tree. " He very soon found a tree which hadsuch thick branches that it would hold him up. Robinson climbed up into the tree, made himself as comfortable aspossible, said his prayers, and as he was thoroughly exhausted, hesoon fell asleep. When he awoke the sun was high in the sky. At firsthe could not remember where he was. Then the truth burst upon him. He tried to move. He was stiff and sore. His flesh was bruised frombeing thrown against the rocks and beaten by the waves. He was dreadfully thirsty. His mouth and throat were dry and parchedfrom the salt water. His tongue was thick and swollen. He said, "Imust find some water to drink or I shall die!" It was hard work to get down from the tree. His limbs and back achedfrom sitting in the tree all night At last he slipped down and fellon the ground. He clasped his hands in prayer and thanked God for keepinghim through the night. [Illustration] Then he got up and tried to walk. He was so weak he could not stand. He threw himself down on the ground and began to sob and cry, "O Lord, do not let me die! Do not let me die!" As he lay there he heard aqueer sound. He listened. It sounded like water running over rocks. He tried to get to the place from which the sound came. He tried towalk. When he fell he crawled on his hands and knees. At last the soundwas close by. He dragged himself up on the rocks. Yes, there was aspring of clear, cool, sparkling water bubbling up and trickling overthe stones. Robinson was so thirsty he put his face into the waterand drank and drank. Then he sat down, and after a while he drank again and again. After Robinson had satisfied his thirst and rested awhile, he feltmuch better. He said, "I must try to walk and see whether I can findsomething to eat. " He found many kinds of fruits and berries allaround him, but he was afraid to eat them, as they were strange tohim and he feared they might be poisonous. As he was walking along, all at once he spied a tall plant in thedistance which had a familiar look. It looked like corn. He said tohimself, "I wonder if it can be corn. " At last he came near enoughto recognize it. Yes, it was corn. It did not look exactly like thecorn that he saw at home, but still he knew it would be safe to eatit. He broke off an ear and eagerly ate the kernels raw. Oh, how goodit was! Robinson could not remember anything that tasted half so good. He ate as much as he wanted and then filled his pockets with ears ofcorn for his supper. Then he went back to the spring to get anotherdrink. [Illustration] VIII ROBINSON ON AN ISLAND After his hunger and thirst were satisfied, Robinson thought he wouldtry to find another dwelling place. "My legs are stiff and sore fromsitting so uncomfortably last night, and there is so much danger offalling, " he said. "I will climb yonder hill and look around and seeon which side the houses are. I will find me a stick to help me onmy way. " He broke a stick from a dry bush and climbed up the steep sides ofthe hill. After a half hour's climb he was on top. What a sight methis eyes! There were no houses, no huts to be seen, no smoke arosefrom the forest, no field could be seen. Nothing but trees and bush, sand and rock. "I am then upon an island alone, without food, without shelter, without weapons! What will become of me?" he cried. "I am a prisoner. The island is my prison, the waves are the guards which will not allowme to get away. Will no ship ever come to set me free?" He stretched his gaze out to the sea till his eyes ached, but he sawno ship. Robinson came down and seated himself on a stone and considered whathe should do. It was not yet noon, yet he feared greatly the nextnight. "I must find me a better bed, " was his first clear thought. [Illustration] IX ROBINSON'S SHELTER Robinson saw at a little distance what seemed to be a cleft or anopening in a huge rock. "If I could only get inside and find room tostay over night. The rock would protect me from rain, from the windand wild animals better than a tree. " He long sought in vain for a place wide enough to allow him to getinto the opening in the rock. He was about to give up, when he seizedhold of a branch of a thorn tree growing on the side of the rock. Helooked closer and saw that it grew out of the cleft in the rock. Hesaw, too, that at this point the opening was wider and that he hadonly to remove the tree in order to get in. "The hole shall be mydwelling, " he said. "I must get the thorn tree out so that I can haveroom. " That was easily said. He had neither axe nor saw, nor knife nor spade. How could he do it? He had nothing but his hands. He tried to pullit out by the roots, but in vain. He wasn't strong enough. "I must dig it out, " said Robinson. He scratched with his nails, but the earth was too hard. What shouldhe do? He sought a stick with a fork in it and dug in the earth, butit was slow work. Then he found a clamshell. He did better with it, but it was hard work, and Robinson was not used to hard work. Thesweat ran down his face and he had often to stop and rest in theshade. The sun burned so hot and the rock so reflected the heat thathe was all but overcome. But he worked on. When evening came, he wouldsleep in the tree and next morning he would go at it again. On thethird day the roots were all laid bare. But the roots were fast in the clefts of the rock and he could notloosen it, try ever so hard. What would he not have given for an axe, or at least a knife. And yet he had never thought of their value whenat home. He attempted to cut one root through with his clam-shell, but the shell crumbled and would not cut the hard wood. He stood for a long time thinking, not knowing what next to do. Hemade up his mind that he must have something harder than the shellto cut with. Then he tried a stone with a sharp edge, but soon foundhe needed another one, however. He found one. Then he set the sharpone on the wood and struck it with the heavy one. In this way he slowlycut the roots in two. On the fifth day there was yet left one big root, bigger than any ofthe others. Robinson got up early in the morning. He worked the wholeday. Finally it gave a crack and it, too, was broken. Robinson had only now to remove the loose earth inside the cleft. Hefound the opening could be made large and roomy. It was choked up withdirt. He dug out enough to allow him room enough to make a place tolie down. "In the future, " he thought, "I will take out all the dirtand then I shall be comfortable. " It was then dark and the moon shone bright in the heavens. Robinsongathered a heap of dry grass and made himself a safe bed. But as helay there he saw the moonbeams shining into his cave. He sprang up. "How easy, " he thought, "for wild animals to creep in here upon me. " He crawled out and looked around. Not far from the cave he saw a largeflat stone. With great trouble he rolled it to the opening of hiscave, but before this the morning began to dawn. He went inside theshelter, seized the stone with both hands and rolled it into theopening till it almost closed it. "I have now a closed home. I canagain stretch my legs. Wind and rain cannot get at me, nor wildanimals. " X ROBINSON MAKES A HAT Refreshed and with renewed strength, Robinson awoke late the nextmorning, but he had a bad headache. The day before the hot tropic sunhad beat down on his bare head, as he worked at his cave. He was sobusy that he forgot to go into the shade from time to time in orderto shield himself from the scorching sunshine. He felt a new need. "I must make me a hat, " said Robinson to himself. "But how?" He hadno straw, no thread and no needle. He looked around for a long time, but found nothing. The sun mounted even higher in the heavens, andshone hotter and hotter. He went to seek shelter at last in the deepshade of a nearby tall plant. As he stood there he examined the plant more carefully. "Out of theseleaves, " he said, "I might make a hat. " He climbed up the short stemof the plant and saw that it had not only leaves as long as himself, but between the leaves were big bunches of long, thin fruit, as thickas three fingers and similar in shape to a cucumber. He plucked the leaves and fruit and was about to eat some of the fruitwhen he heard near him a light stir as of some animal. He rolled theleaves and fruit together and hastened back to the cave. [Illustration: THE BANANA TREE] The bananas, for that is what the fruit proved to be, were sweet andrefreshing. After he had eaten enough he set immediately about makinghis hat. He broke off a couple of reeds. He bent one into a hoop. Butthe hoop would not hold without thread. Sometimes it was too largeand sometimes too small. But it must fit his head. He pulled up grassand bound its ends together, but the grass stalks were not strong enough. He hunted until he found a tree whose inner bark was soft and cameout in long fibres. He bound his reed with this. This, too, made thehoop soft so that it did not hurt his head. When the hoop was ready and fitted to his head he found the bananaleaves could not be used. Their veins ran straight out from themidrib. This made them easily torn, and besides, they were too large. They were not the best shape. He saw that leaves about a foot longwith broad and tapering points would be best. He saw too, that if theleaves had their veins running parallel with the midrib they wouldbe stronger. He made search and at length found leaves that seemedmade for his purpose. They were thick and leathery and tapered frombase to apex like a triangle. He now proceeded with his hat-making. He would take a leaf and layit on the ground with the base toward him. Then he laid the hoop onthe base of the leaf, wrapped it around the hoop and fastened it withthorns. He did the same with the other leaves. The thorns were hispins. At last he pinned the tips of the leaves together at the topand the hat was ready. It looked just like a big cone, but it keptout the heat of the sun. Robinson now had corn and bananas and when he was thirsty he dranka handful of water from the spring. He had been now nine days on theisland. Every day he looked out on the sea until his eyes ached tosee if he might discover a ship. He could not understand why no ship came his way. "Who knows how longI must wait here?" said he sorrowfully. Then the thought came to him:"You will not be able to keep track of the days unless you write itdown. " XI ROBINSON'S CALENDAR The matter of keeping track of time puzzled Robinson very much. Itwas getting more difficult every day to keep it in his memory. He mustwrite down the days as they slip by, but where and how? He had neitherpen, ink, nor paper. Should he mark every day with a colored stoneon the smooth side of the huge rock wall within whose clefts he haddug out his cave? But the rain would wash off the record and then hewould lose all his bearings. Then he thought of the beach, but therethe wind and waves would soon also erase it. He thought a long time. "I must find something, " he said to himselfon which to keep a record. "I must also know when Sunday is. I mustrest one day in the week. Yes, I must find something, " he said, "onwhich to write. " And finally he found it. He chose two trees standingnear each other and then sought for a small sharp stone, which he couldmake still sharper by striking it on another. When he had got thispen ready he cut into the bark of one tree: _Shipwreck, Sunday, 10th of September, 1875. _ He made seven cuts in a row for the seven days in the week. The firstcut was longer than the others. This was to represent the Sunday. Atsundown every day he made a new cut in the bark. The other tree he called the month tree. On its stem he was to cuta mark every time his week tree told him a month had passed. But hemust be careful, for the months were not of equal length. But he rememberedthat his teacher had once said in school that the months could becounted on the knuckles and hollows of the hand, in such a way thatthe long and short months could be found easily and he could tell inthis way the number of days in each. Robinson worked at enlarging his shelter a little every day. He wassorely at loss to find something in which to carry the dirt away fromthe entrance, or enough so that it would not choke up the opening. A large clam shell was all he could think of at present. He would carrythe dirt to the entrance and some distance away, and then throw it. Fortunately the ground sloped away rapidly, so that he needed a kindof platform before his door. He was careful to open the cleft at some distance above the largeopening. For the air was damp and impure in the shelter. But with theopening made high above, fresh air was constantly passing into, andimpure air out of, his cave. Light, too, was admitted in this way. XII ROBINSON MAKES A HUNTING BAG Several days passed with Robinson's hat-making and his calendar-makingand his watching the sea. Every day his corn and bananas became moredistasteful to him. And he planned a longer journey about the islandto see if something new to eat could be found. But he considered that if he went a distance from his cave and foundsomething it would really be of little use to him. "I could eat myfill, " he said, "but that is all. And by the time I get back to mycave I will again be hungry. I must find something in which I cangather and carry food. " He found nothing. "The people in New York, " he said, "have baskets, or pockets, or bagsmade of coarse cloth. Of them all, I could most easily make the net, perhaps, of vines. But the little things would fall out of the net. I will see whether I can make a net of small meshes. " But he soon saw that the vines did not give a smooth surface. Hethought for a long while. In his garden at home his father hadsometimes bound up the young trees with the soft inner bark of others. He wondered if he could use this. He stripped away the outer bark fromthe tree, which before had yielded him a fibre for his hat, and pulledoff the long, smooth pieces of the inner bark. He twisted themtogether. Then he thought how he could weave the strands together. He looked at his shirt. A piece was torn off and unravelled. He couldsee the threads go up and down. He saw that some threads go from leftto right (woof), others lengthwise (the warp). From his study of the woven cloth, Robinson saw he must have a firmerthread than the strips of bark gave alone. He separated his bark intolong, thin strips. These he twisted into strands or yarn by rollingbetween his hands, or on a smooth surface. As he twisted it he woundit on a stick. It was slow, hard work. Of all his work, the makingof yarn or thread gave him the most trouble. He learned to twist itby knotting the thread around the spindle or bobbin on which he woundit and twirling this in the air. He remembered sadly the old spinningwheel we had seen at his grandmother's house. His next care was something to hold the threads while he wove themin and out. He had never seen a loom. After long study Robinson set two posts in the ground and these hebound with seventy-two strands horizontally under each other. Thenhe tied in the top at the left another thread and wove it in and outthrough the seventy-two threads. So he tied seventy-two verticalstrands and wove them in and out. Thus he had a net three times aslong as his foot and as wide as long. He tied the four cornerstogether. He made a woven handle for it and put it on his shoulderlike a sack, saying gleefully, "This shall be my hunting bag. " [Illustration: ROBINSON'S LOOM] XIII ROBINSON EXPLORES THE ISLAND After Robinson made his hunting bag he was anxious to set off on hisjourney of exploring the island. So he arose very early next morning. "Before it is hot, " thought he, "I will be quite a distance on myjourney. " He ate a couple of bananas, scooped up a few handfuls ofwater from the spring, stuck a few ears of corn in his hunting bag, took his stick in his hand and went forth. As he left his cave thethought struck him: "What if I could not find my cave again? How canI manage so that I can come back to it? I will go away in one directionand return the same way; but suppose I were to lose the way?" Then he noticed his shadow pointing like a great finger from the seatoward the land. He could direct himself by that. He kept his shadowin front of him. He had noticed, too, that the wind always blew northof the point where the sun rose. This helped him. But sometimes thewind died down. He had to climb over many rocks and pierce many thickets. At each stephe saw a rich growth of plants, stems, leaves, flowers, but nothingto eat, no fruits, or nuts. At length he came to a tree as high asa small church steeple. [Illustration: COCOANUT PALM TREE] Then he thought of what his father had once said about the trees instrange countries. "Many are as tall as a church steeple and the nutsare as big as one's head. " He looked again. Yes, there they hung amongthe leaves, concealed high above in the crown! But _so_ high, itwas well that Robinson had learned to climb while on board the ship. He quickly laid down his hunting bag and clambered up the smooth stemof the high tree, a palm. He picked off a nut and threw it down andthen several more, and climbed down again. But the nuts were very hard. How should he open them? He had broughtalong his sharp stone with which he had stripped off the inner bark. With this he forced off the thick outer shell. But now came the hardnut within, and how hard it was! Striking it was of no use. Then he threw a great stone on the nut. The shell was crushed and asnow-white kernel lay before him. It tasted like almond. Withastonishment Robinson saw in the middle of the nut a large empty spacewhich must have been filled with fluid as the inside was wet. Hewished that he had the juice to drink, for he was very thirsty. Withthis in view, he examined another and riper nut, and the outside cameoff more easily. But how could he break it and at the same time savethe juice? He studied the hull of the cocoanut on all sides. At theends were three little hollows. He attempted first to bore in withhis fingers, but he could not. "Hold!" he cried. "Maybe I can cut themthere with the point of my stone knife. " This was done without troubleand out of the hole flowed the sweet, white juice. Robinson put a couple of nuts in his hunting bag, and also the shellsfrom the broken nuts. "Now, " he thought, "I shall no longer have todrink from my hand. " With this thought he went on his way. As Robinson came to a rock in his path, out jumped what Robinson tookto be a rabbit. He ran after him to catch him, but the rabbit was muchthe swifter. So Robinson hastened home, but before he reached it thestars were shining with their lustrous light. Tired Robinson stretchedhis limbs on his bed of grass and leaves and slept soundly. XIV ROBINSON AS A HUNTER All the time Robinson was confined to the cave he kept thinking aboutthe rabbit he had seen and how he might catch one. Finally, hedetermined to make a spear. He broke down a thin, young sapling, stripped off its branches and in one end fastened a sharp stone. Hethen went to bed, for he wanted to be up early for his first huntingtrip on the morrow. With his hunting sack and spear, Robinson began to creep very, verycautiously through the underbrush. But he did not go far before hesaw a lot of rabbits feeding peacefully on the soft leaves and grass. He drew back and threw his spear with all his might. But the speardid not reach the rabbits. It fell far short and the rabbits sprangup and ran quickly away. He tried it several times with the same result. Then Robinson, discouraged, turned back home and ate his corn, bananas, and cocoanuts without meat. In the meantime he found a new kind offood. He discovered a nest of eggs. How good they tasted to him! But his longing for meat was still very great. "I will try to makea bow and arrow, " he said. No sooner said than done. He bent a longpiece of tough, young wood and stretched between the ends a cordtwisted out of the fiber taken from the cocoanut shell. He then soughtfor a piece of wood for arrows. He split the ends with his flint knifeand fastened in splinters of stone. At the other end he fastened onsome feathers found on the ground. The arrows flew through the airwith great swiftness. "They will go far enough, " thought Robinson, "if I could only hit anything. " He practised shooting. He stuck his stone knife in a tree and shotat it the whole day long. At first he could not hit it at all. Thearrows flew far from the mark. After a while he could hit the tree, but not the knife. Then as he practised, his arm grew ever surer, untilat last he could hit the knife at almost every attempt. After a fewdays he again went rabbit hunting. He thought that the rabbit did notoffer a mark so high as his knife, so he stuck a stone in the groundand practised shooting at that. He gradually increased the distanceuntil he could hit the mark at twenty or thirty yards. The next morning Robinson took his bow and arrows and went out tohunt. He aimed at a rabbit, shot, and it fell, pierced by the arrow. His very first shot was successful. He hastened up and took the dead rabbit on his shoulder, carried itto his cave and skinned it. Then he cut off a nice, large piece ofmeat and was going to roast it, but alas, he had no fire! XV ROBINSON'S SHOES AND PARASOL The next morning Robinson could not get up. His feet were swollen andsore in consequence of walking without shoes over thorns and stones. He must remain the whole day in his cave. Before him, in the sun, his walking stick stuck in the ground. Hethought how he had been troubled yesterday to find his way and aboutthe shadow. He had now time to study it. He watched it the whole daythrough. In the morning it pointed toward the land. In the eveningtoward the sea. This comes from the daily movement of the sun. Hedetermined to study the matter more carefully. Robinson got up and with great effort walked to the spring. There hecooled his burning feet, and gathered some large leaves, which hebound on them. He decided to remain in his cave a few days, for hehad enough food stored up to last him some length of time. He plannedhow he might make himself a pair of shoes. As soon as his feet werewell, he sought out some thick bark and put fastenings of tough, strongfiber on it. These served very well to protect his feet. But he must have some further protection from the sun. It beamed sohot that his hat was not enough. He made a parasol out of leaves likehis hat. He took a straight stick for a handle. He tied some reedstogether and bent them into a hoop. He then fastened the upper endof the stick in the center of the hoop by means of six reeds whichformed the ribs of the parasol. To keep out the sun he covered thisframework with large, broad leaves. With a cord he tied the stem endsof the leaves to the stick just above where the reeds were tied. Spread out, these broad leaves completely covered the ribs. Their tipsreached over the hoop. They were fastened together by means of small, needle-like fish-bones Robinson had found on the beach. XVI GETTING FIRE Now Robinson had heard that savages take two dry pieces of wood andrub them so long on each other that they at length begin to burn. He tried it. The sweat ran down his cheeks, but every time the woodwas about to catch fire his strength would give out, and he wasobliged to rest, and when he began again the wood was cold. "How will it be in winter, " he cried, "when it is cold, and I haveno fire?" He must try other ways of preparing meat for his table. Hemust think of some other way of getting fire. He remembered that once, when a boy at home, he had in playing with a stick made it hot by twirlingit on end on a piece of wood. "I will try this, " he thought. Hesearched for a good hard stick and a piece of wood upon which to turnor twirl it with his hands. Having found the best materials at hand, he began to twirl the stick. He made a little hollow in the block ofwood in which to turn his upright stick. There was heat but no fire. He twirled and twirled, but he could not get the wood hot enough toblaze up or ignite. He had not skill. Besides his hands were not usedto such rough treatment. Soon they blistered and this method had tobe given up. "I must have fire, " he still thought, and recalled the sparks thatflew from the stone pavements of the streets when the iron shoes ofthe horses struck them as they slipped and strained at their cruelloads. Why may I not get fire by striking together two stones? Hesought out two hard stones and with great diligence kept striking themtogether until his strength gave out, and he was obliged again toacknowledge failure. He remembered that sometimes travelers put the meat underneath thesaddle and ride on it until it is soft. He tried it with pounding. He laid some of the meat on a flat stone and pounded it. It becamequite soft and tasted very well. He then tried hanging it in the sunand finally wrapped it in leaves and buried it for a few hours in thehot sand. XVII ROBINSON MAKES SOME FURNITURE One thing troubled Robinson very much. He could not sit comfortablywhile eating. He had neither chair nor table. He wished to make them, but that was a big job. He had no saw, no hammer, no auger and nonails. Robinson could not, therefore, make a table of wood. Not far from his cave he had seen a smooth, flat stone. "Ay, " thoughthe, "perhaps I can make me a table out of stone. " He picked out thebest stone and built up four columns as high as a table and on thesehe laid his large, flat stone. It looked like a table, sure enough, but there were rough places and hollows in it. He wanted it smooth. He took clay and filled up the holes and smoothed it off. When theclay dried, the surface was smooth and hard. Robinson covered it withleaves and decked it with flowers till it was quite beautiful. When the table was done, Robinson began on a chair, He made it alsoof stone. It had no back. It looked like a bench. It was uncomfortableto sit on. Robinson covered it with moss. Then it was an easy seat. Table and chair were now ready. Robinson could not move them from onecorner to another, nor when he sat on the chair could he put his feetunder the table, and yet he thought them excellent pieces offurniture. Every day Robinson went hunting and shot a rabbit, but the meat wouldnot keep. At home they would have put it in the cellar. If only hehad a cellar! He saw near his cave a hole in the rock. He dug it outa little with his mussel shell and found that it led back under a rock. From much bending over in digging, Robinson's back, unused to severetoil, ached wretchedly. He decided to make a spade. With his flinthe bored four holes in a great, round mussel shell. They formed arectangle as long as a little finger and as wide. Through these holeshe drew cocoanut fibre and bound the shell to a handle fast andstrong. With his spade he dug a hole so deep that he could stand in itupright. Then he put in a couple of shelves made of flat stones. Inthis cellar he put his rabbit meat and his eggs. Then he laid branchesover it and finally covered the whole with leaves. XVIII ROBINSON BECOMES A SHEPHERD With his bow and arrow, Robinson went hunting every day. The rabbitssoon learned to know him and let themselves be seldom seen. As soonas they saw him, they took alarm. They became timid and shy. One dayRobinson went out as usual to shoot rabbits. He found none. But ashe came to a great rock he heard from behind a new sound, one he hadnot heard before in the island. Ba-a-a, it sounded. "A kid, " thought Robinson, "like that with which I have so oftenplayed at home. " He slipped noiselessly around the rock and behold, really there stooda kid. He tried to call it, but the kid sought safety in flight. Hehastened after it. Then he noticed that it was lame in one fore foot. It ran into some brush, where Robinson seized it by the horns and heldit fast. How Robinson rejoiced! He stroked it and fondled it. Then he thought, how could it come into this wilderness on this lonesome island? "Hasyour ship been cast upon the rocks too, and been broken to pieces?You dear thing, you shall be my comrade. " He seized the goat by thelegs, and no matter how it kicked, carried it to his cave. Then he fetched quickly a cocoanut shell full of water and washed andbathed the goat's wounded leg. A stone had rolled down from the hilland had inflicted a severe wound on its left fore leg, or perhaps ithad stepped into a crack in the rocks. Robinson tore off a piece oflinen from his shirt, dipped it in water and bound it with shreds ofthe cocoanut upon the wound. Then he pulled some grass and moss andmade a soft bed near the door of the cave. After he had given itwater, it looked at him with thankful eyes and licked his hand. Robinson could not sleep that night. He thought continually of hisgoat and got up time and again to see if it was safe. The moon shoneclear in the heavens. As Robinson sat before the goat's bed he lookeddown on his new possession as lovingly as a mother on her child. The next morning Robinson's first thought was, "I am no longer alone. I have a companion, my goat. " He sprang up and looked for it. Thereshe lay on her side, still sleeping. As he stood and considered, the thought came to him that perhaps thegoat had escaped from its keeper. There must then be some one livingon the land. He quickly put on his shoes and his hat, took hisparasol, and ran to the rock where he had found the goat. He called, he sought, he peered about to see if some shepherd werethere somewhere. He found nothing. He found no trace of man. Therewas no road, no bridge, no field, no logs, not even a chip or shavingto show that the hand of man had been there. But what was that? In the distance ran a herd of goats over the rocks. But no dog followed them and no shepherd. They ran wild on the island. They had perhaps been left there by some ship. As he came home henoticed the goat sorrowfully. The bandage had become dry. The goatmight be suffering pain. Robinson loosened the bandage, washed thewound again and bound it up anew. It was so trustful. It ran afterhim and he decided always to protect it. "I will always be your shepherd and take care of you, " he said. XIX ROBINSON BUILDS A HOME FOR HIS GOAT But the goat was a new care. Wild animals could come and kill andcarry Robinson's goat away while he slept, and if the goat gotfrightened while he was hunting it would run away. "I will have to make me a little yard in front of my cave, " he said, "for my goat to live in. " But from whence must come the tools? He hadneither hatchet nor saw. Where then were the stakes to come from? Hewent in search of something. After hunting for a long time he cameupon a kind of thistle about two feet higher than himself, having atits top a red torch-like blossom. There were a great many of them. "Good!" thought Robinson. "If I could only dig up enough of them andplant them thick around the door of my cave, I would have just thething. No one could get at me, nor at the goat, either, The thornswould keep anything from creeping through, peeping in or gettingover. " So he took his mussel-shell spade and went to work. It was prettyhard, but at length he succeeded in laying bare the roots of quitea number. But he could not drag them to his cave on account of thethorns sticking in him. He thought a long time. Finally, he soughtout two strong poles or branches which were turned up a little at oneend and like a sled runner. To these he tied twelve cross-pieces withbark. To the foremost he tied a strong rope made from cocoa fiber. He then had something that looked much like a sled on which to drawhis thistle-like brush to his cave. But for one day he had done enough. The transplanting of the thistles was hard work. His spade broke andhe had to make a new one. In the afternoon he broke his spade again. And as he made his third one, he made up his mind that it was no usetrying to dig with such a weak tool in the hard ground. It would onlybreak again. "If I only had a pick. " But he had none. He found a thick, hard, sharpstone. With it he picked up the hard earth, but had to bend almostdouble in using it. "At home, " he thought, "they have handles topicks. " The handle was put through a hole in the iron. He turned thematter over and over in his mind, how he might put a hole through thestone. But he found no means. He searched out a branch with a crotchat one end. He tied the stone to this with strong cocoa fiber andbark. [Illustration: ROBINSON'S TOOLS] How his eye glistened as he looked at the new tool! Now he began towork. He first loosened up the earth with his pick, then he dug itout with his spade and planted in a high thistle. Many days he hadto work, but finally one evening the hedge was ready. He had a rowin a semicircle in front of his cave. He counted the marks on his calendartree. The day on which he had begun to make his hedge he hadespecially marked out. He had worked fourteen days. He had completed his hedge with the exception of a small hole thatmust serve for a door. But the door must not be seen from without. As Robinson thought, it came to him that there was still place fortwo thistles on the outside. He could easily get in, but the entrancewas difficult to find from the outside. Robinson looked on his hedge from without. It was not yet thickenough. For this reason he planted small thistles between the largerones. With the digging them out and transplanting them he was a wholeweek longer. Finally, the hedge and the yard were ready. Now Robinson could restwithout fear and sleep in his cave, and could have his goat near himall the time. It delighted him greatly. It ran after him continuallylike a dog. When he came back from an absence, it bleated for joy andran to meet him as soon as he got inside the hedge. Robinson felt thathe was not entirely alone. He had now a living being near him. XX ROBINSON GETS READY FOR WINTER There was one thing that troubled Robinson greatly. "What will becomeof me when the winter comes? I will have no fire to warm me. I haveno clothing to protect me from the cold, and where shall I find foodwhen snow and ice cover all the ground and when the trees are bareand the spring is frozen? It will be cold then in my cave; what shallI do? It is cold and rainy already. I believe this is harvest timeand winter will soon be here. Winter and no stove, no winter clothing, no winter store of food and no winter dwelling. What shall I do?" He considered again the project of making fire. He again sought outtwo pieces of wood and sat down and rubbed them together. The sweatrolled down his face. When the wood began to get warm, his hand wouldbecome tired, and he would have to stop. When he began again the woodwas cold. He worked for an hour or two, then he laid the wood asideand said, "I don't believe I can do it I must do the next best thing. I can at least get warm clothing to protect me from the rain andsnow. " He looked down at his worn, thin clothing, his trousers, hisshirt, his jacket; they had become so thin and worn that they werethreadbare. "I will take the skins of the hares which I have shot and will makeme something, " he thought. He washed and cleaned them, but he neededa knife and he set about making one. He split one end of a tough pieceof wood, thrust his stone blade in it and wound it with cocoa fibre. His stone knife now had a handle. He could now cut the skins quitewell. But what should he do for needle and thread? Maybe the vineswould do. "But they are hardly strong enough, " he thought. He pulledthe sinews from the bones of the rabbit and found them hard. Maybehe could use them. He found fish skeletons on the seashore and boreda hole in the end of the small, sharp rib bones. Then he threaded hisbone needle with the rabbit sinews and attempted to sew, but it wouldnot go. His needle broke. The skin was too hard. He bored holes inthe edge of the pieces of skin and sewed through the holes. This wentvery well. He sewed the skins together with the hair side inward, made himselfa jacket, a pair of trousers, a hat, and finally covered his parasolwith rabbit skin, for the rain had already dripped through the leavesof it. All went well, only the trousers did not fit. He loosened themand puckered them to no purpose. "Anyway, " he thought, "I am now wellprotected from the cold, when it does come. " [Illustration: ROBINSON IN HIS NEW SUIT] XXI HOW ROBINSON LAYS UP A STORE OF FOOD Now for the food. Could Robinson preserve the meat? He had often heardhis mother tell about preserving meat in salt. He had even eaten saltmeat, pickled meat. But where could he get salt? One day when the wind blew hard the water was driven upon the shoreand filled a little hollow. After a few days the ground glistenedwhite as snow where the water had been. Was it snow? Robinson tookit in his hands and put it in his mouth. It was salt. The sun hadevaporated the water in the hollow--had vaporized it--and the air haddrunk it up. What was left behind? Salt. Now he could get salt as longas he needed it. He took cocoanut shells and strewed salt in them. Then he cut therabbit meat in thin strips, rubbed them with salt, and laid them oneon the other in the salt in the shells. He covered it over with alayer of salt. He put over each shell the half of a larger one andweighted it down with stones. After a period of fourteen days he foundthe meat quite red. It had pickled. But he did not stop here. He gathered and stored in his cellarcocoanuts and corn in such quantities that he would be supplied fora whole winter. It seemed best to catch a number of rabbits, builda house for them and keep them. Then he could kill one occasionallyand have fresh meat. Then it came to him that goats would be much better, for they would give milk. He determined immediately to have a herdof goats. He made a string or lasso out of cocoa fibre. Then he went out, slipped up quietly to a herd of goats and threw thelasso over one. But the lasso slipped from the horns and the goat ranaway. The next day he had better luck. He threw the lasso, drew ittight and the goat was captured. He brought it home. He rejoiced whenhe saw that it gave milk. He was happy when he got his first cocoanutshell full of sweet rich milk. His goat herd grew. He soon had fivegoats. He had no more room in his yard. He could not provide foodenough. He must let them out. He must make another hedge around hisyard so that the goats could get food and yet be kept from going away. He got stakes from the woods and gathered them before his cave. Hesharpened them and began to drive them in the earth. But it rainedmore and more each day. He was wet through as he worked. He hadfinally to stop work, for the rain was too heavy. XXII ROBINSON'S DIARY Robinson was much disturbed because he had no means of keeping arecord of things as they happened from day to day. He had hiscalendar, it is true. He would not lose track of the time. But hewished for some way to write down his thoughts and what happened. Sohe kept up keen search for anything that would serve him for thispurpose. Every time he journeyed about the island he kept careful watch forsomething that he might write upon. He thought of the leaves of thepalm tree, the white under surface of the shelf fungus. But these hefound would not do. He tried many kinds of bark and leaves. There wasa kind of tall reed or grass growing in the marshes whose rind seemedgood when dried. He examined the inner bark of many trees. He at lastfound that the inner bark of a tree which resembled our elm treeworked best. He would cut through the bark with his stone knife aroundthe tree. At about one foot from this he would cut another ring. Hethen would cut through the bark lengthwise from one circular cut tothe other. He could then peel off the section easily. While it wasyet full of sap he would separate the soft, tough, thin inner layerof the bark. This usually came off in sheets without a break. Whenthese sheets of bark were stretched and dried they could be used verynicely instead of paper. Robinson next searched for something that would serve him as ink, andthis was much easier to find than paper. He had noticed many kindsof galls of many different colors growing on trees. He did not knowwhat they were, or how they grew, but he had learned in his father'sstore that ink was often made from galls gathered from trees. "Anyway, "he thought, "I can get ink from the cuttle-fish. " He had watched thisanimal get away from its enemies by sending out a cloud of purplishfluid, in which to hide as it darted away. He had learned also thatindigo is made from the leaves of a plant. He had noticed a plantgrowing in the open places in the forest whose leaves turned blackwhen dried. Robinson gathered a quantity of gall-nuts and soaked them in water. To the black fluid thus obtained he added a little rice water to makeit flow well, and this served very well as an ink. He kept his inkin a cup made from a cocoanut shell. He was not long in getting a pen, though the lack of a good sharpknife made it hard to make a good one. In going about he had gathereda quantity of large feathers. He saved these for the time when heshould have his paper and ink ready. Now, he cut away a quill to apoint and split it up a little way. He was now supplied with writingmaterials. "Is it not wonderful, " he thought, "how all our wants arefilled? We have only to want a thing badly enough and it comes. " Robinson began at once to write down the date for each day and themain thing he did or that happened on it. He called this his diary. He had now a better way of keeping time than on his tree calendar. He did not need it any more. You have no doubt wondered how Robinson could work in his cave, especially at night without a light. The truth is, it was a greatsource of discomfort to him. At sunset he was in total darkness inhis cave. During the day light enough streamed in from the open doorway. To be alone in total darkness is not pleasant. "If I only had fire!"he said again and again. He watched the many large beetles and fireflies flash their light inthe dark of the evening as he sat in front of his shelter. The thoughtcame to him that if he only had some way of keeping together a numberof them, they would serve very well for a candle in his cave at night. How he longed for a glass bottle such as he had so often wantonlybroken when at home! Back of his shelter there was a hill where therock layers jutted out. He had noticed here several times the thintransparent rock that he had seen in his father's store. It is calledisinglass. "I will make a living lantern, " he said aloud in his eagerness. He soon had a suitable piece pried loose. He cut a part of a cocoanutshell away and in its place he put a sheet of isinglass. That eveningat dark he gathered several handfuls of the great fire beetles andput them in his lantern. What joy their glow gave him in his cave atnight. It was almost as much comfort as a companion. But while itlighted up the deep dark of the cave and enabled him to move about, he was unable after all to write in his diary at night. Every morninghe set his captives free. In the evening he would go out and capturehis light. XXIII ROBINSON IS SICK One evening Robinson went to bed sound and well. The next morning hewas sick. Before he had only the heat of the day to complain of. To-day he was freezing. He wanted to go to work to get warm, but eventhis did not break his chill. It increased till his teeth chatteredwith the cold. "Perhaps, " thought he, "if I can sleep a little I will get better. "But he could not sleep. He was burning with fever and then shakingwith cold by turns. He felt a strong thirst, but he was so weak thathe could scarcely get the goat's milk. He had no sooner drunk the milkthan his tongue was as dry as before. He felt better after a nightof sleep, but the next day his fever and chills were worse than before. Then he bethought him of his parents. How kindly his mother had takencare of him! Now no one was near that could assist him. "Ah, " he sighed, "must I die here? Who would bury me? There is no oneto miss me. " At this the tears came to his eyes. His sickness increased with each day. Occasionally the fever wouldgo down sufficiently to allow him to get something to eat. Then itwould be worse than before. In his dire need he wanted to pray, buthe was so weak that he could only stammer, "Dear God, help me, or Ishall die!" One night he had a strange dream. He thought he saw his good oldfather standing before him calling to him. He spread out his arms andcried aloud, "Here I am, here I am!" He tried to get up, but he wasso weak that he fell back fainting. He lay there a long time, but finally came to. He felt a burningthirst, but no one reached him a drop of water. He prepared to die. He folded his hands and prayed to God that he would be merciful tohim. He prayed forgiveness from his parents. Once more he raised hishead and gazed wildly around, then he sank back and knew no more. When he again awoke he felt better. His hot fever had gone. Heattempted to walk. He had just enough strength to crawl to the tableand fetch a shell of water. When he tried to walk he had to sit downat every two or three steps. From this he recovered gradually, growing better and better, and hethanked God inwardly for his recovery. His sickness had continued fromJune 18 to July 3. XXIV ROBINSON'S BOWER Robinson's sickness set him thinking about his home. He had been soafraid of animals when he came to the island that he thought ofnothing but protection from them. He had been now a year on the islandand had seen nothing more dangerous than a goat. The fear of animalshad practically faded away. In thinking over his sickness he made uphis mind that it was caused by sleeping in his cave where the sunnever shone. The ventilation seemed good, but the walls were damp, especially in the rainy season. Then the water would trickle downthrough the cleft in spite of all he could do. He resolved to build, if possible, a little cottage, or, as he calledit, a bower, in the yard in front of his shelter. The hedge ofthistles was growing and formed a fence that an animal could not getthrough. His screen of willows on the outside of this would soon hidehim from view from the sea. He had the wall of rock and the hillbehind him. He planned out his way of building it very carefully. "It must bedone, " he said (Robinson formed the habit of talking to himself, sothat he would not forget how to talk), "without hammer, nails, orsaw. " He first sought out four posts, as large as he could well handle. There were always broken trees and branches in the forest. If hesearched long enough he could find posts just suited to his need. Hewanted four of the same thickness and height and with a fork at theend. After long searching he found what he wanted. He was careful toget those that he could drag to his shelter. He placed these in the ground, forming the corners of a square aboutten feet long. In the forks he placed poles running around about eightfeet from the ground. At about every three feet he fastened others, running in the same way, with heavy cords made of fibre. He found hisgreatest trouble with the roof. It must be sloped to shed rain. Hehad to find two more forked posts, three or four feet longer than theothers. These he placed opposite each other in the centers of twosides. Upon these he placed a ridge pole. He then laid other poleslengthwise from ridge pole to the edge of the frames. His frame was now done. His plan was now to cover this frame withstraw or grasses tied in bundles. He had seen the barns in the countrythatched in this way by the Dutch farmers in New York State. Hegathered the straw of the wild rice. It was long, straight and tough. [Illustration: ROBINSON'S BOWER] It was easily tied into flat bundles. These he bound securely on tothe frame work with cords. He began at the bottom so that the endsof the row would lap over the tops of the last one put on. In this way he built a very comfortable and rainproof bower. It waseasy to make a bed of poles covered with straw. A table and bench wereadded and shelves of poles. Robinson felt great joy over this new home. "I will not now be sickany more, " he said. "In case of danger I can get into my cave. Butat all other times I will live in my bower. " He had use still for hiscave. He could use it to store some things in. But he had to becareful about the dampness in wet weather. Robinson was getting to feel at home. He was no longer so sad. He didnot grieve so much for home. He looked upon his home with greatdelight It was secure. He had his herd of goats always in his sight. At evening he would do his milking. He found he could keep the milkfor some time in the cave. He was tempted to try making some butterfrom the good, rich cream. "But, " said Robinson, "I have neithervessels to make it in nor bread to eat it on. " He planned many things to do. "I will make a hammock some day for mybower and some vessels to use in my work, " he thought. XXV ROBINSON AGAIN EXPLORES HIS ISLAND When Robinson recovered his strength he had a strong desire to seemore of the island. At first he had been in constant fear of wildanimals, but now he thought he would like to see all there was to seein the island. On the 15th of July he started out. First he went toa brook which ran into the sea near his cave. Its water was clear andpure; along its shore lay beautiful meadows. As he came to the uppercourse of the brook the meadow gave way to forest. On the border ofthe forest he found melons and grapes. The night came on and he slept again in a tree. The next morning hewent farther and came to a clear rivulet. Here the region waswonderfully beautiful. The flowers bloomed as in a garden, and nearthe flowers stood splendid apple and orange trees. He took as muchof the fruit as he could carry and went on his way. This journeycontinued three days. The grapes which he had carried he dried in thesun and made raisins. The 10th of September came, one year had passed on the island. He wasmany hundred miles from home, alone on an island. With tears he criedout, "Ah! what are my dear parents saying? They have no doubt longgiven me up as dead. If I could only send them a message to comfortthem and let them know how much I love them!" The day was celebrated as a holiday. He thanked God that He had givenhim so many good things. Often he had lived the whole day in care andanxiety. Now he tried to be more cheerful and to meet the troublesof each day with courage. But Robinson was not yet satisfied. He longed to know more of theisland and prepared himself for a greater journey. He slung hishunting pouch over his shoulder, filled it full of food, took his bowand arrows, stuck his stone hatchet in his belt and started on hisway. He traveled over meadows, through beautiful forests in which werehundreds of birds. He was delighted as they sang and fluttered about. The journey was beautiful and pleasant to Robinson. In the forestshe often saw small wild creatures, but he shot nothing. After the firstnight he slept under a tree in the soft grass, for he had now no fearof wild animals. Along the shore he saw great groves of palms with their large nuts. He saw, too, many goats in all parts of the island. Now he was ready to take the shortest way home. He had not gone farbefore he came into a dark forest. He became confused and wanderedabout for several days. On the fourth day he came to a little pileof stones, which he had made to mark the way as he was going out. Fromthis place the way was easy to find. On this trip he was gone alreadytwo weeks. XXVI ROBINSON AND HIS BIRDS Of all the things he saw on his journey Robinson was most delightedwith the birds. They were of the most beautiful colors. The forestwas full of them. They gleamed like jewels in the deep masses of foliage. In the morning their singing filled the air with sound. Robinson had never taken much notice of the birds at home. But nowevery living thing attracted him. He loved to see them happy. He wouldwatch often by the hour and learn the habits of nesting and gettingfood of nearly every bird on the island. Robinson did not know the names of many of the birds he saw on theisland. He had to make names for them. The strangest thing he saw onhis journey was the nest of what he called the yellow-tail. This birdlives in colonies and makes its nest at the ends of the long leavesof the mountain palm. When he first saw these queer looking sacks hangingfrom the leaves he was amazed. He had never seen so strange a sight. From the end of each great leaf hung a long, closely woven nest. Robinson could not make out at first what they were. Soon, however, he saw the birds come out of the mouths of the nests. Here, one hundredfeet from the ground, they hung their nests. But they were perfectlysafe. He had not gone far from the tree in which the yellow tails had theirnests when he was suddenly startled by a voice crying, "Who, who areyou?" Robinson was greatly frightened and hid beneath the droopingbranches of a cedar tree. He feared every moment that the owner ofthe voice would make his appearance. But it kept at a distance. Everyfew minutes from the depths of the forest would come the doleful cry, "Who, who are you?" Robinson did not dare to stir from his hidingplace. He remained there over night. After the night came on he heardthe strange voice no more. The next day he renewed his journey. He saw many birds that werewholly strange to him. There was a kind of wild pigeon that built itshome in a hole in the rock. It was a most beautiful bird with long, slender, graceful feathers in its tail. He saw the frigate birdsoaring high above the island. The number and beauty of thehumming-birds amazed Robinson. They were of all colors. One had a billin the shape of a sickle. The most brilliant of them all was theruby-crested hummingbird. Near noon, while Robinson was shielding himself from the scorchingheat of the sun in a deep, shaded glen, he was startled again by thestrange voice crying, "Who, who, who are you?" He lay quite still, determined if possible to allow the voice to come, if it would, withinsight. He heard it slowly coming up the glen. Each time it repeatedthe cry it sounded nearer. At last he saw spying at him through theboughs of the tree under which he was lying a large bird with soft, silky feathers of green and chestnut. "Who, who, who are you?" saidthe bird. Robinson could not help but laugh. He had been frightenedat the cry of a bird. But the bird that interested Robinson most was the parrot. There wereseveral kinds of them. They flew among the trees with great noise andclatter and shrieking. Robinson determined if possible to secure onefor a pet. "I can teach it to talk, " he said, "and I will havesomething to talk to. "' As soon as he returned home he set aboutcatching one. He noticed that a number were in the habit of visitingan old tree near the shelter every morning. He planned to snare oneand tried several mornings, but he could not get one into the snare. He tried to hit one with his bow and arrow. He at last succeeded inhitting one and stunning it so that it fell to the ground. He ranrapidly to pick it up, but before he could get to where it lay in thebushes it had disappeared. After thinking the matter over he concluded that it would be muchbetter to get a pair of young birds and raise them. The old ones wouldbe hard to tame and difficult to teach. It was easy enough to finda nest in a hollow tree. He secured from the nest two birds just readyto fly. He made a cage for them out of willow rods. He placed the cageat the entrance of his cave and studied how he would feed them. Muchto his surprise the parent birds discovered their young ones andbrought them food and fed them through the open work of the cage. When the birds were grown they rapidly learned to talk. Robinson tookgreat delight in teaching them. He taught them to call his name andwhen he came near they would call out, "Poor old Robinson Crusoe!" These birds remained for many years with Robinson. In fact, he wasnever afterward without a parrot. They helped him to pass away verypleasantly many hours that without them would have been sad. Another bird that Robinson loved was the little house wren. This birdwas exceedingly tame and friendly. It was a very sweet and strongsinger. It loved to make its nest in or near his shelter. There itwould build and rear its young, within reach of his hands, while itsthroat was always bursting with melody. The mocking bird, too, always nested near and awakened him in themorning with its wonderful song. Robinson became a great friend and favorite of the bird inhabitantsof the island. They seemed to know him and showed no fear when nearhim. This pleased him very much. XXVII ROBINSON GETS FIRE Robinson was now pretty comfortable. He had his bower with its chairand table. He had his cave in case of danger. He had his cellar inwhich to keep his meat. He would sit in the shade near the door ofhis bower and think of the many things he should be thankful for. Butthere was one hardship that Robinson could not get used to and thatwas the eating of raw food. "How fine it would be if only I couldparch a few grains of corn in the fire! I could like live a prince, "thought he, "if I had fire. I would grind some of my corn into flourand make some corn bread or cakes and cook rice. " He did so long forroasted meat and determined again to make the attempt to get fire. Robinson was fast losing his idle, thoughtless ways of doing things. He had become a thoughtful and diligent man in the short time thathe had been on the island. Trouble and hardship had made a man of him. "I must carefully think over the whole matter of getting fire, " hesaid. He had failed twice and was now resolved to succeed. "If thelightning would only strike a tree, " he thought, "and set it on fire. " But he could not wait for such a thing to happen, and how could hekeep it when once thus obtained? It was clear he must have some wayof producing fire when he wanted it, just as they did at home? He thoughtover the ways he had tried and the one most likely to be successful. He resolved to make a further trial of the method by twirling a stickin his hands. He selected new wood that was hard and dry. He carefullysharpened a stick about eighteen inches long and, standing it uprightin a hollow in the block of wood, began to roll it between his hands. By the time Robinson's hands were well hardened, it seemed that hewas going to succeed at last. But he lacked the skill to be obtainedonly by long practice. "If I could only make it go faster, " he said. "There must be some wayof doing this. I believe I can do it. I used to make my top spin roundwith a cord; I wonder if I can use the cord here. " The only cord hehad was attached to his bow. He was going to take it off when athought struck him. He loosened the string a bit and twisted it onceabout his spindle. Then he drew the bow back and forth. The spindlewas turned at a great rate. He saw he must hold one end with his lefthand while the other rested in the hollow in the block. With hisright, he drew the bow back and forth. How eagerly he worked! He hadtwirled but a few minutes when the dust in the hollow burst into firefrom the heat produced by the rapidly twirling spindle. [Illustration: ROBINSON'S TOOLS FOR MAKING FIRE] Robinson was too overjoyed to make any use of it. He danced andcapered about like one gone mad until the fire had gone out. But thatwas of no matter now, since he could get fire when he wanted it. He hastened to make him a rude fireplace and oven of stones. Hehollowed out a place in the ground and lined and covered it with largeflat stones. On one side he built up a chimney to draw up the smokeand make the fire burn brightly. He brought wood and some dry fungusor mushroom. This he powdered and soon had fire caught in it. Hekindled in this way the wood in his stove and soon had a hot fire. The first thing he did in the way of cooking was to roast some rabbitmeat on a spit or forked stick held in his hand over the fire. NothingRobinson had ever eaten was to be compared to this. "I can do many things now, " thought Robinson. "My work will not benearly so hard. My fire will be my servant and help me make my toolsas well as cook my food. I can now cook my corn and rice. " XXVIII ROBINSON MAKES BASKETS Robinson still continued anxious about his food supply when he couldno longer gather it fresh from the fields and forest. Corn had againbecome ripe. He had found in a wet, marshy place some wild rice-plantsloaded with ripened grain. As he now had fire he only had to have someway of storing up grains and he would not lack for food. He knew thatgrain stored away must be kept dry and that he must especially provideagainst dampness in his cave or in his bower. If he only had some baskets. These would be just the thing. But howwas he to get them? Robinson had never given a thought to eithermaterial or the method of making them. He, however, was graduallyacquiring skill and confidence in himself. So far he had managed tomeet all his wants. He had invented tools and made his own clothesand shelter, and, "Now, " said he to himself, "I will solve the newproblem. I must first study the materials that I have at hand. " Heremembered the splint market baskets in which his father tookvegetables home from the store. He recalled how the thin splints werewoven. "They went over and under, " he said. "That is simple enough if I hadthe splints. " He set himself diligently to work to find a plant whosebark or split branches could be used for splints. He tried to peeloff the rough outer bark of several trees in order to examine the innerlayers of soft fibrous material. He found several trees that gavepromise of furnishing abundance of long, thin strips, but the laborof removing the bark with his rude imperfect tools was so great thathe resolved that he would have to find some other kind of material. "Why need the strips be flat?" he thought. "I believe I could weavethem in the same way if I used the long, thin, tough willow rods Isaw growing by the brookside, when I was returning from my journey. " He found on trial that the weaving went very well, but that he musthave strong, thick rods or ribs running up and down to give strengthand form to his basket. He worked hard, but it was slow work. It wasthree days before his first basket was done. He made many mistakesand was obliged many times to undo what he had accomplished in orderto correct some error. And at last when he had woven the basket aslarge as he thought was suitable for his purpose, he did not know howto stop or finish the top so as to keep the basket from unraveling. At last he hit upon the plan of fastening two stout rods, one outside, the other inside, the basket. These he sewed firmly, over and over, to the basket with a kind of fibre from a plant he had discovered thatlooked almost to be what he had heard called the century plant in theparks at home. On attempting his next basket, he thought long how he might improveand save time. He must hasten, or the now almost daily rains woulddestroy his ripened wild corn and rice. "If I could use coils of that long grass I saw growing in the marshbeside the rice, " he thought, "I could make twice the progress. " Hegathered an armful, twisted it into cables about an inch thick andwove it into his frame of upright rods instead of the horizontal layerof willow canes. This answered his purpose just as well and renderedthe making of large baskets the work of a few hours. He found, however, that the willow rods or osiers were not pliant enough to workwell in fastening his coils of grass cables together. He tried severalthings and at last succeeded best when he used the long thread-likefibre of the century-like plant. He had, however, to make a stoutframework of rods. He would first coil his grass rope into this frameand then sew it together with twine or thread made from this fibre. [Illustration: ROBINSON'S BASKETS] He afterwards tried making smaller and finer baskets out of the fibrethat he had discovered, which could be easily had from thethick-leaved plant he thought he had seen at home. He first used long, tough, fine roots he had seen when digging up the tree at the mouthof his cave. Afterwards he discovered some tall, tough reeds growingnear by. He laid in a supply of these. He found that when he wantedto use them, a good soaking in water made them as pliable and toughas when first cut. The making of the baskets and storing up grains made it possible forRobinson to become a farmer and thus make himself independent. Thisthought was a great relief to him. XXIX ROBINSON BECOMES A FARMER Robinson had now been on the island long enough to know how theseasons changed. He found that there were two kinds of weather there, wet weather and dry weather. There were two wet seasons in each yearand two dry ones. During the wet seasons, which lasted nearly threemonths, Robinson had to remain pretty closely at home, and could notgather grain, for the plants were then starting from the seeds. Itripened in the dry seasons. Robinson soon found that he must have astore of corn and wild rice for food during the rainy seasons. He, however, knew nothing about planting and harvesting, nor preparingthe ground for seed. He had it all to learn with no teacher or books to instruct him. Hefound a little space near his dwelling free from trees and thoughthe would plant some corn seed here. He did not know the proper timefor planting. He thought because it was warm, seed would grow at anytime. It happened his first seed was put in at the beginning of thedry season. He watched and waited to rejoice his eyes with the brightgreen of sprouting corn, but the seed did not grow. There was no rainand the sun's heat parched the land till it was dry and hard on theupland where his corn was planted. "Very well, " thought Robinson, "I will plant it at the beginning ofthe wet season, either in March or September. " He did so; the seedquickly sprouted up. But the weeds, shrubs, and vines sprouted asquickly, and before Robinson was aware, his corn was overgrown andchoked out by a rank growth of weeds and vines. "I see, " said Robinson, "that I must thoroughly prepare the soilbefore planting my seed. " But he had no spade and no other tool thatwould stand the strain of digging among tough matted roots. But hemust succeed. He put a new handle in the stone hoe or pick he hadalready made. His mussel shell spade was worn out. He must set himselfto fashion out another. He decided to make one from the tough heavywood of a tree that grew plentifully in the forest. He was lucky enough to find a tree of this kind whose bole had beensplit lengthwise by the falling of an old rotten tree near it. Withhis stone tools and the help of fire he managed after several days'work to make a wide sharpened tool out of one of the large piecessplit off. It was a little over three feet long. He had trimmed oneend small and cut notches in the sides about one foot from the flatend. He could place his foot in the notch and thrust his wooden spadeinto the earth. With his rude tool he dug up and turned the soil ofa small space of ground several times to kill the vines and weeds. His corn quickly sprouted after this attempt and outstripped the weedsand vines which Robinson constantly had to hold in check by pullingand hoeing. He was rejoiced at his growing crop and went each morningto feast his eyes on the rapidly expanding leaves and ears. One morning as he came in sight of the little clearing he thought hesaw something disappearing in the low brush on the other side as heapproached. Alas, his labor had been in vain! A herd of wild goatshad found out the place and had utterly destroyed his crop. Robinsonsat down nearby and surveyed the ruin of his little field. "It is plain, "thought he, "I will have to fence in the field or I will never be ableto harvest my crop. I cannot watch it all the time. " He had already learned from his experience in making the fence aroundthe goat pasture that the branches of many kinds of shrubs and trees, when broken off and thrust into the ground, will send out roots andleaves and at length if planted close together in a line, will forma thick hedge which no kind of beast can get through or over. He foundout some willow trees whose branches broke easily, and soon had enoughto thrust into the ground about six inches apart around the entireedge of his little field, which contained about one eighth of an acre. After this hedge had grown so as to be a fair protection to his crophe tried planting again at the proper season. He spaded up the groundand pulled out the matted roots as best he could and with great painsand care planted his corn in straight even rows. To make them straightand each hill of corn the same distance from its neighbors, he firstmarked off the ground in squares whose sides were about three and onehalf feet long. "Now, " thought he, "I will reap the reward of my labor. " The corn grewrapidly, and toward the end of the first dry season was filling outand ripening its ears. But to Robinson's dismay a new dangerthreatened his crop against which he could not fence. He was indespair. The birds were fast eating and destroying his partiallyripened corn. He could not husk it yet. It was not ripe enough. Hethought how easy it would be to protect his field if he had a gun. But he had learned that it is useless to give time to idle dreaming. He must do something and that quick. "If I could catch some of these rascals, " he thought, "I would hangthem up on poles, dead, as a warning to the rest. " It seemed almosta hopeless task, but he went about it. It was in vain he tried to killsome of them by throwing rocks and sticks. He could not get nearenough to them. At length he laid snares and succeeded in snaringthree birds. He had learned to weave a pliable, strong thong out ofcocoa and other fibre that he was now acquainted with. The birds thuscaught he fastened on broken branches of trees which he stuck intothe earth in different parts of his field. The birds heeded the warningand visited his corn field no more that season. At the end of the season he gathered or husked his corn and after itwas thoroughly dry he shelled it from the cob with his hands. He usedhis baskets in which to carry his husked ears from the field to hiscave and in which to store it when shelled. He found that the earswere larger and better filled and plumper than when the plants grewwild. He selected the largest and best filled ears for his seed thenext time. In this way his new crop of corn was always better in kindand yielded more than the old one. At first he grew two crops a year, but by experimenting he found outabout how much he needed for his own use and planted once a yearenough to give him a liberal supply. He observed that the wild rice grew in swampy lands, so that he didnot make the mistake of trying to raise it upon the upland where thecorn grew best. He saw at once that the planting of rice on low, marshy or wet land was beyond his present strength and tools. "Sometime in the future, " he thought, "I may try it. " Robinson also found wild grapes in abundance. These he dried byhanging them on the branches of trees. He thus had a store of raisinsfor each rainy season. XXX ROBINSON AS POTTER Robinson was now anxious to cook his food, to boil his rice andvegetables and bake bread, but he could do nothing without cookingvessels. He had tried to use cocoanut shells, but these were too smalland there was no way to keep them from falling over and spilling thecontents. He determined to try to make some clay vessels. He knewwhere he could get a kind of clay that had the appearance of makinggood ware. It was fine grained and without lumps or pebbles. He wasmuch perplexed to mould the clay into right shapes. He tried takinga lump and shaping it into a vessel with his hands. He tried many times, but each time the clay broke and he was forced to try some other way. He recalled how he had made his basket out of strands of twisted grassand wondered whether he could not make his pots in the same way. He spun the clay out into a long rope and began to coil it around asmall basket forming the layers together with his hands. This waseasy, but he did not see clearly how he was going to get the basketout from the inside of the pot. He found he could copy in this wayany form he wished, but he finally hit upon the plan of making a formof wicker work and coiling the clay rope inside it, for he saw thatwhether he succeeded or not in getting the clay free from the baskethe could use the pot, and besides if the pot would stand the fire thebasket would burn off. To dry the pots Robinson stood them in the suna few days. When they were dry he tried to cook some soup in one ofthem. He filled it with water and put it on his stove or oven, buthow sadly had he deceived himself. In a short time the water soakedinto the clay and soon the pot had fallen to pieces. "How foolish I am!" said Robinson to himself; "the pots have to befired before they can be used. " He set about this at once. He foundtwo stones of equal size, placed them near each other and laid a thirdacross these. He then placed three large pots upon them and made ahot fire under them. No sooner had the flame shot up than one of thepots cracked in two. "I probably made the fire too hot at first, " thoughtRobinson. He drew out some of the coals and wood, but afterwards graduallyincreased the fire again. He could not, however, get the pots hotenough to turn red He brought the dryest and hardest wood, but couldnot succeed in getting them hot enough to turn red. At length he wastired out and was compelled to give it up. When the pots were coolhe tried to boil water in one. It was no better than the sun driedone. He saw that he must provide some way to get the pots much hotterthan he could in the open air He resolved to make an oven of stoneslarge enough to take in the wood as well as the pots. It must be aboveground so that there might be plenty of draught for the fire. Withgreat labor, he pried up and carried together flat stones enough tomake an oven about four feet high with a chimney at one side. He hadput in the center a stone table on which he could place three quitelarge pots. He left an opening in one side that could be partiallyclosed by a large, flat stone. He worked eagerly and at the end of the second day he was ready tofire his oven. He first carried together a good quantity of dry wood, then he put in his pots and laid the wood around them. In a short timehe had a very hot fire. He kept this up all day and until late atnight. The next morning he went to his oven and found his pots were abeautiful red. He drew out the fire and allowed them to cool slowly. Then he filled one with water and set it over the fire to heat it. Before many minutes the water was boiling and Robinson had anotherreason to be thankful. He wept for joy. His patient labors had broughttheir rewards. No prince could feel as happy as Robinson now. He hadovercome all difficulties. Starting with nothing but his hands, hewas now able to supply all his wants. "If I only had a companion now, "he thought, "I would have nothing further to wish as long as I stayon the island. " [Illustration: SOME OF ROBINSON'S DISHES] XXXI ROBINSON AS BAKER Now that Robinson had fire, he determined to try to make bread. Hehad seen the servants at home make bread many times, but he had notobserved closely and knew next to nothing about the way bread is made. He knew he must in some way grind the corn into flour, but how couldhe do this? He had no mill nor any tools with which to crush the corn. He first tried to find a stone large and hard enough out of which hemight hollow a vessel or kind of mortar. He thought he could put thecorn into this mortar and grind it by means of another stone orpestle. It was with great difficulty that he could get a stone ofsuitable size and form. After several days' trial he at last got onecut out from some layers of rock near the shore. He made a hollowplace in it. Then he took a smaller oblong shaped rock for his pestle. He took great pride in these new tools. "I shall soon be astone-cutter, " he said to himself, "as well as a farmer and potter. "But his stone mortar was a failure. The rock was too soft. Every timehe thrust the pestle down, it loosened small pieces of the stonevessel. These mixed with the ground corn or flour and made it unfitto eat. There was no way to separate the sand from the crushed grain. He resolved then to try to make a mortar and pestle of hard wood. Nowthat he had fire, he could do this, though it cost him many a hardday's work. He found not far away a log of very hard wood. By buildinga fire at the right distance from one end he was able to separate apiece of the log. He rolled this to his cave and made a good-sizedhollow in it by burning. This pestle was not so difficult to make. He took a limb or branch of an ironwood tree, burned it in two at theplace to make it the right length. By burning also he rounded one endand then he was ready for the grinding. After cleaning his mortar andpestle carefully he placed some corn in the hollow and soon had somefine yellow meal or flour without any grit or sand in it. His next care was to separate the coarse outer husk or covering ofthe kernel from the finer parts that make the meal. He had no sieve. His net was too coarse. It let both bran and meal go through. "I mustmake a net or cloth fine enough to sift or bolt my flour, " said he. Such was now his skill in spinning and weaving that this was not hardto do. He had soon woven in his loom a piece of fine netting whichallowed the meal to shake through, but held back the coarse bran orouter husk of the kernel. Out of the dry corn that he had stored uphe now made quite a quantity of flour. This he kept tightly coveredin a large earthen pot or jar that he had made for this purpose. "Imust keep all my food clean and protect it from the ants and otherinsects as well as dust and damp, " he thought. His preparations were now nearly made. He had already his stove offlat stones. On this he could set his pots to boil water, cook rice, and meat, but it would not do for baking a loaf of bread of anythickness. He must have an oven or enclosed place into which he couldput the loaf to bake it. By the use of flat stones he soon rebuilthis stove so as to have an oven that did fine service. Now it was mixingthe dough that claimed his attention. He had of course no yeast tomake raised or light bread. He poured goats' milk on the flour andkneaded it into a thick dough. He did not forget to add salt. Heplaced his loaf in a shallow earthen pan he had made for this purpose. After the fire had heated the stones of his oven through, he put inhis loaf and soon was enjoying a meal of corn bread and meat stew. Robinson soon tried to make cocoa from the beans of the cocoa palmthat grew in the island. This with good rich goats' milk in it hethought the best drink in the world. He often thought of making sugarfrom the sugar cane plant he had discovered in the island. But thelabor of squeezing out the juice was too great. He could think of noway to do this without the help of horses or oxen. XXXII ROBINSON AS FISHERMAN Robinson was now eager to use his fire and cooking vessels. He hadnoticed with hungry eyes fine large fish in the creek near his cave. But he had never taken the trouble to catch any. "What is the use?"he thought. "I cannot eat them raw. " It was different now and he beganto devise ways of making a catch. How he longed for a fish-hook, suchas he had so often used when loitering along the Hudson River! "Buta fish-hook is not to be thought of, " he said to himself, "unless Ican make one of bone. " He went down to the brook and searched longfor a fish-bone that he might make use of for this purpose. He foundnothing. "I must try something else, " he thought. He remembered the nets heused to see along the Hudson and wondered if he could not make a smallone to pull through the water and thus catch the fish. He had now a better source of fibre for weaving and for spinning intolines and ropes. He had discovered this when he was trying to finda good strong thread or yarn with which to bind the coils of hisgrass-made baskets together. He obtained fibre in great abundance fromthe century-like plant. He found if he broke off the long leaves ofthis plant and allowed them to decay there remained a long, toughfibrous substance out of which strong cords could be twisted or yarnmade for weaving a coarse cloth or netting. Out of this he spun yarn thread to make a net about three or four feetby two feet. He fastened cords to four corners of this, tied them toa long pole, and was now prepared to test his plan for catching fish. The brook he found was too shallow for him to catch fish in this way. At the sight of him and his net, they scurried away to deep water. Neither could he succeed in the shallow water along the shore. "I mustwade out as far as I can, " he said to himself, "and draw the netthrough the water. " As he did this he was surprised at the many forms of sea life, newto him, that he saw. He, however, was careful and watchful. He walkedalong near the shore to a point where some, rocks showed above thesurface. As he looked ahead he saw the single eye of a giantcuttle-fish glaring at him from among the rocks. It was thrusting outits long arms towards him. He drew back quickly, but as he did so hewas terrified to hear the snap of some huge creature's jaws near him. A great shark had seen him and had thrown himself on his back to seizehim in his rows of sharp teeth, but was prevented reaching him by theshallowness of the water. Robinson was too much terrified to continue longer his attempt atfishing. He went back to his cave with only a few small ones, notworth the trouble of dressing for his dinner. The next day undismayed he tried again. He succeeded in drawing insome very beautiful large fish. Their sides shone as burnished goldand silver. "Now, " he thought, "I will have a feast. " He carried themhome, carefully cleaned and dressed them, seasoned them with his salt, and broiled them over his fire. Imagine his disappointment when theyproved unfit to eat. Their flesh was coarse and tough and ill-tasting. He saw that the catching of fish for his table was a more difficultthing than he thought it. He must not only catch fish, but catch onesthat could be eaten. He could only tell the good from the bad bytrying them. He was more fortunate in his next venture. He was going along theshore at the mouth of the creek which ran near his cave when henoticed a group of fishes, dark bluish above with silvery sides. Thelargest of them were about two feet long. They were feeding on thebottom in the brackish water at the mouth of the creek, which at itsmouth opened out into quite a little bay or inlet. They would takeup a mouthful of earth from the bottom and let it wash through theirmouths, keeping all the bits of food that happened to be in it. Whenone fish got a good place to feed the others swam around it and triedto get some of the food. Robinson watched his chance and slipped his net under a group, whileeach one was busy trying to get the best mouthful of mud. He drew upthree quite large fish, but just as he was about to lift them fromthe water, one of the cords which bound the net to the poles brokeand he saw his catch fall back into the creek and dart away in thedeepest water. But Robinson was not to be discouraged. He soon mendedhis net and at last was successful. In a short time he drew out anothercatch of two fish. These proved excellent food and were so abundant as to furnishRobinson with all the fish he wanted as long as he stayed on theisland. XXXIII ROBINSON BUILDS A BOAT Robinson had wished for a boat many times. He wished to explore theshore of his island. He wanted to go clear around it so that he mightsee it on every side. But he knew the work of making a boat would begreat, if not wholly impossible. The shaping of boards to build a boat with his rude tools was not tobe thought of. He knew how the Indians made boats out of bark oftrees. But he saw that for his purpose so light a boat would not do. He finally remembered a second Indian way of making a boat byhollowing out a large log. The forest was full of the boles of treesthat had been blown down. But they were far away from the shore. Atfirst he did not think of this very much. He had overcome so manydifficulties that he thought, "Never mind, I will get my boat towater, no matter where I make it, in some way. " So he selected a treetrunk some distance from the bank of the little creek near his caveand began work. He had first to burn out his log the proper length and hack it intoboat shape with his stone tools. This was very slow and tedious work. He had to handle the fire with great care for there was always thedanger of spoiling the shape of the slowly forming boat. Both endsmust be sharpened, but one more than the other to form the prow orforward going end. After he had shaped his boat, he began hollowingit out. This he did also by burning for the most part. He used thebranches of pitch bearing trees for this purpose. But it was so slow. He worked at his boat all the time he could spare from his regularduties in attending to his goats, his garden and his cave. He wasalways making his cave larger. Every time he made a piece of furnitureor stored away grain he must make more room in his cave by diggingaway the earth and carrying it out. He had made a large strong wickerbasket for this purpose. He had had a vague idea that when he got his boat done he would diga trench back from the bank of the creek and thus float his boat. Buthe had not thought it out clearly. "Or anyway, " he thought, "I canin some way manage to roll it to the water. " He must now actually planto put some of these ideas into effect. He first went over the groundand found that to dig a trench from the water to the boat, so thatthe water would come to the boat, he would have to dig it twenty feetdeep. "I can never do this, " he said, "with my poor tools. " He next tried his rolling plan. But he had been so anxious to havea large boat that he had overlooked everything else. Try as hard ashe might he could not stir his boat from the spot. After many trialswith the longest levers he could handle, the boat still stuck fast. It would not budge an inch. He at last gave it up. "It will lie here, "he thought, "to remind me how foolish it is to attempt to do anythingwithout first having thought it out carefully. " There was nothing to do but to choose another tree trunk. This timehe selected a much smaller one, and one that lay at the top of thelittle slope or incline from the bank of the creek. After another wearysix months of work he had his second boat ready for launching. Witha good stout lever he gave it a start, when it rolled quickly downinto the water. Robinson again wept for joy. Of all his projects thishad cost him the most work and pains and at last to see his planssuccessful filled him with delight. The next problem was how to make it go. He had no certain knowledgehow far it was around the island, but he knew it was farther than hewanted to row or paddle his boat. Yet he knew from the way the windblew that he could not always depend upon a sail to help him. He mustbecome skillful in paddling his boat. A sail too would be very helpfulat times. He imagined how pleasant it would be sitting in the boatsailing along with a gentle wind. "When the wind is favorable, " hethought, "I will only have to steer with my paddle. " So he set about weaving a sail of his sisal fibre. To do this he hadto make a much larger loom than he had yet used. His sail must be atleast four feet square. He was now so skilled in weaving that thiswas soon finished. He then made plenty of string, cord, and rope, putin a mast and was ready to sail. But he did not venture far away untilhe had spent weeks and weeks in learning to steer, sail, and paddlehis boat. XXXIV ROBINSON AS A SAILOR Ever since Robinson had finished his boat he had been eager to makea tour of his island. He had indeed made a journey by land. But thedeep forests and tangled vines made it very difficult to travel. Hisjourneys had shown him but a small part of the land. He wished to knowall about the land of which he, so far as he knew, was the solemaster. His first care was to fit up his boat with provisions. He made somelarge baskets in which to carry food and a large covered jar forwater. These he stored in the bow and the stern of his boat. Hefastened his parasol on the stern for a shelter from the sun. He bakedup a quantity of cakes or loaves of bread and packed them in hisbaskets. He had woven these so carefully that they would almost holdwater. At last all was ready. It was on the sixth day of November in thesixth year of his life on the island that Robinson hoisted his sailand set out upon this voyage of discovery. He had waited until thewind was gentle and blowing as far easterly as it does at that place. He scudded along bravely, running with the land toward the East andNorth. All went well until [Illustration] he came to a low reef or ledge of rocks running far out to sea in anorth-easterly direction. When Robinson observed this he went on shore and climbed to a highpoint to see if it was safe to venture. He was afraid of hiddencurrents, or streams of water. These might carry him away from theshore and prevent him from getting around the point. He did indeed observe that there was a current running out to sea pastthe ledge, but he thought he could by careful paddling keep his boatfrom striking the rock. If he could once get beyond the ledge, thewind would help him double or get around the point. Indeed the dangerwas that the wind would blow him on to the rocks. He waited for two days for a gentle wind. At last without sail hepushed his boat into the current and was born swiftly seaward. Hefound the current much stronger than he thought it would be. It rushedhis frail boat on past the point of the rocks and out into the sea. Try as best he might he could not change its course. He was steadilygoing out to sea. He gave himself up for lost. He reproached himselffor being so rash and foolhardy as to trust his fortunes in so fraila craft. How dear at this time seemed the island to him! The wind whichhe had depended on to help him at this point had died down so thatit was at the mercy of the current. He kept urging his boat to thewestward as much as possible, with all his strength, hoping that abreeze would finally spring up. He struggled on bravely until about noon. He had been carried out agreat distance into the sea, but not so far as to lose sight of theland. All at once he felt the breeze freshening up. It caught his sailand soon his boat was cutting across the current. He did not have togo far before he was free from it and making headway for the island, which he reached about four o'clock in the afternoon. He found himself on the northern shore of the island, but before longthe shore ran away to the southward again. He ran briskly along thewest side until he found a little bay or cove. He determined to enterthis, draw up his boat on shore and make his way back home across theisland on foot. He was almost exhausted with his great labor and wasworn out with anxiety. In the centre of the arms of the cove he found a little creek enteringthe sea. He paddled into this and found a good place to hide his boat. As soon as Robinson was again on land he fell on his knees and withtears in his eyes thanked God for his deliverance. The island whichhad seemed to him a prison now seemed the fairest and dearest placein the world. Having made his boat safe he started back toward his shelter. But hewas too tired to go far. He soon came to a little grove of treesbeneath which he laid himself down and soon was fast asleep. You can imagine with what surprise Robinson was awakened out of hissleep by a voice calling his name. "Robinson, Robinson Crusoe, " it [Illustration] said, "poor Robinson Crusoe! Where are you Robinson, where have youbeen?" He was so fast asleep that he did not at first rouse up entirely andthought he was dreaming. But the voice kept calling, "Robinson, Robinson, poor Robinson Crusoe!" He was greatly frightened and startedup. But no sooner were his eyes opened than he saw his parrot sittingon a branch of a tree. He knew at once the source of the voice. Polly had missed her master and was also exploring the island. It wasa pleasant surprise. She immediately flew to him and lit on hisshoulder. She showed in many ways how glad she was to see him and keptsaying, "Poor Robinson, poor Robinson Crusoe!" Robinson remained here over night and the next morning made his wayback to the shelter. Up to this time Robinson had never seen anydangerous animals on the island. He had grown used to life there andwent about without fear of animals. But as he was returning acrossa little opening, he saw a clump of palms in the centre of the opening, swaying about. He did not at first see what caused this, but soonthere was thrust out the head of a great serpent. Its jaws were openand its eyes were fixed on a poor terrified little rabbit. The rabbitseemed rooted to the spot. It could not stir a muscle and was sooncaught in the folds of the great snake. This sight made Robinson greatly afraid. He wanted to rush to therescue of the rabbit, but what could he do against such a foe? Heresolved in the future to keep a more careful watch and always tosleep in his bower. Robinson had enough of exploring for some time. He was contented toremain at home. He made many things he needed. He had saved all theskins of the goats he had killed for meat and all that had died fromany cause. These he made into rugs for his bed. He kept at his loomtoo, for he was anxious to weave enough of his coarse cloth to makehim a suit of clothes. He learned how to braid mats and rugs out ofhis fibre, and finally replaced his awkward hat and parasol withothers braided very skillfully from the long grasses that grew soabundantly in the marshy places. Another thing that Robinson was now able to make or weave out of hisfibre was a hammock. He had slept all this time on a bed made of poleslaid lengthwise and thickly covered with the skins of goats andrabbits. Now he could have a comfortable place to sleep. He did not stop untilhe had made two. One was for the bower and the other was for useout-of-doors. When his work was done in the evening or in the heatof the midday he would lie in it at full length under the shade ofthe trees. XXXV A DISCOVERY Robinson could not forget his boat. It seemed a companion. "It maybe the means of my escape from this place, " he thought. He took frequentjourneys across the island to where his little boat lay in the cove. He would start out in the morning and walk over to the west side ofthe island, take his boat and have a pleasant little sail. He alwaysreturned home before dark, for to tell the truth, Robinson was acoward. He was as timid as a hare. He was afraid of everything andspent many nights without sleep because of fear. It was while on one of his visits to his boat that Robinson made adiscovery that changed his whole life. It happened one day, aboutnoon, when he was going toward his boat that he, with great surprise, saw the print of a man's naked foot on the shore in the sand. He stoodlike one rooted to the ground. He could not move, so great was hissurprise and fear. He listened, looked around, but could hear and seenothing. He went up to a little hill to look further, but nothing wasin sight. There was but the one footprint. There was no doubt aboutit, there it was, foot, toes, heel and every part of a foot. Robinsontried to think how it might have gotten there, but he could not. Itwas a mystery. He was greatly afraid and started at once for hisshelter. He ran like one pursued. At every little way he would lookbehind to see if anyone was following him. Never a frightened rabbit ran to his hiding place with more terrorthan Robinson ran to his cave. He did not sleep that night for fearand remained in his shelter for three days, never venturing out. Buthis food was growing short and his goats needed to be milked. Hefinally with a thousand wild fancies forced himself to go about hisduties. But he could not get the footprint out of his mind. He spent many sadand fearful days thinking about it. "How could it have gotten there?Whose was it? Was the owner savage or not? What did he want on theisland?" were some of the questions that haunted him. "Perhaps, " he thought one day, "I just imagined I saw a footprint, or perhaps it was one of my own that I have made when going to sailmy boat. " He took courage at this and began to go about the islandagain. But he went in great fear, always looking behind him. He wasalways ready to run at the first sign of danger. He had made himselfa large, strong, new bow and plenty of arrows. He carried these ina quiver he had made from his cloth. He fashioned too a sharp-pointed, lance-like weapon which he hurled with a kind of sling. In his belthe carried some new sharpened stone knives. He had found a better kindof rock out of which to make his knives. It resembled glass and couldbe brought to a fine, keen edge. Armed thus, he began to have more confidence. He had a strong desireto see the footprint again and make up his mind about it. He wishedto measure it. In this way he could tell certainly whether it was achance print of his own foot or not. So, after a few days, he againventured across the island. Alas, on measuring the print it was muchlarger than his own! There could no longer be any doubt that itbelonged to someone else. Again great fear fell on poor Robinson. He shook with cold and fright. He resolved to make himself more secure against attack. He cut and carried willow stakes and set them in a thick hedge aroundin front of his shelter. This was outside the first and enclosed it. In a season or two these had grown to such a height as to shut outall view of his home from sight to one coming to it from the front. His flock of goats gave him many troubled thoughts. His goats werehis greatest treasure. From them he obtained without trouble his meat, his milk and butter. "What if they were discovered and killed or carried away?" He resolvedto divide his herd into three parts and secrete these in separatefenced pastures in different parts of the island. His herd of goatsnow numbered twenty-five. He made thorough search about the islandfor the most secluded and best hidden spots where he could fence ina pasture. One day as he was exploring on the west side of the island to findanother open space for a goat field, he thought he spied away out tosea a boat. He looked long and anxiously and yet he was not sure thatit was a boat he saw. But how easy, thought Robinson, for the peopleof the mainland, which must be at no great distance to the westward, to come across to this side of the island in fair weather. He thoughttoo, how fortunate he was to have been cast on the east side of theisland. For there he had his shelter in the very safest part. As he was coming down from a hill where he had gone to get a betterview of the sea he made another discovery. About him everywhere atthe foot of the hill were bones of all kinds. Near by too, were charcoaland ashes. There could be no mistake, the place was visited by humanbeings. These were very likely savages. Everything showed that theycame for the purpose of feasting and not for plundering. It was verylikely that they neither sought anything on the island nor expectedit. [Illustration: WATCHING FOR SAVAGES] This thought greatly relieved Robinson. He returned home in a verythankful and composed state of mind. He had now been on the islandalmost eighteen years and had not been discovered. Yet, no doubt, theisland had been visited many times by the savages since he had beenthere. In a short time his fear of discovery wore off and he began to livejust as he did before his discovery. He took, however, greater precaution against surprise. He alwayscarried his bow and arrows, his lance and knives. He was also verycareful about making a great smoke from his fire. He burned a greatquantity of wood in a pit and made charcoal. With this material hehad a fine fire with a very little smoke. Every day also he went tothe top of the hill back of his shelter in order to discover if possiblethe approach of savages. XXXVI THE LANDING OF THE SAVAGES Another year passed by, Robinson longed more and more to get away fromthe island. Year after year he had hoped and watched in vain for apassing ship. Every day he would scan the waters that held himprisoner for the welcome sight of a sail. He had been disappointed. Now his only hope was to escape to the mainland in some way. He fearedthe savages. He had heard stories of their being cannibals. But ifthey could come to his island in their canoes against the prevailingwind, why could he not get to the mainland with it in his favor? Strange as it may be, Robinson began to wish for the return of thesavages. He hoped to watch them at a distance and find out somethingabout their customs. More especially he wished that he might captureone of them. He had two reasons for this. In the first place he wouldhave a companion. He pictured fondly how he would teach him gentlemanners and the English speech. And, too, the companion would be ableto help him. Besides this he longed above all to know more of themainland and whether it would be safe to go there. He wanted to findout in what kind of boat they made the voyage. He thought that if hehad such a person he would have someone to show him the way to reachthe land. The more he thought, the more anxious he became to see the savageson the island. He thought so much about it by day that he dreamed aboutit at night. One night he dreamed that the savages came, drew theirboats upon the shore and began to prepare their feast. As he watchedthem one of their number broke away from his fellows and came straighttoward his hiding-place. Robinson thought he rushed out, drove awaythose that followed the fleeing man and rescued him. This dream madea deep impression upon him and made him await the coming of the savageswith great hopes and eagerness. It was more than eighteen months after he had formed this plan ofcapturing one of the savages before the savages made their appearance. Robinson was surprised one morning to see no less than five canoesdrawn up on the shore at a point on his side of the island about twomiles below his shelter, to the south. The people that had come inthem were on shore and out of sight. Robinson went back to his shelterto make his plans. He made up his mind that he would be foolish toattack them. There must be twenty-five or thirty of them. He finallywent to a point where he could see farther inland and soon caughtsight of a crowd of about thirty savages. They were naked and dancingaround and around in a circle. All the while they were singing andmaking hideous noises. There was a fire in the center of the ring ofsavages. "They are cooking their feast, " thought Robinson. "Maybe Ican surprise them while they eat and rush in and seize one. " But thisseemed too great a risk to run. He had no weapons but his bow andarrows, his lance and knife. What could he do against so great anumber? But fortune favored his plans. As he gazed at them from his safedistance he saw one of their number break away from the rest and runwith utmost speed directly toward his hiding-place. At once two othersavages pursued him. They had no weapons but clubs. They ran withgreat swiftness, but the man in front was steadily gaining ground. Robinson now to tell the truth was dreadfully frightened to see thesavage run directly toward him and his shelter. He kept his place, however, and watched the race. The man running away ran along theshore and would soon come to the little creek that emptied into thesea below his home. Robinson saw that the savage would have to swimthis to escape. He ran down thither and concealed himself behind atree and waited for the fugitive to come up. As he did so, the fleeingsavage plunged in and swam across with a few strong strokes. When hewas well on the bank, Robinson presented himself and made signs tohim to come to him and he would help him. The savage was at first almostovercome with astonishment and fright, for Robinson presented a veryunusual sight. The savage at once ran to him and fell down at hisfeet. Indeed so great was his fright and distress that he placed oneof Robinson's feet upon his neck in sign that he yielded up his lifeinto his hands. Robinson raised him up and motioned for him to takethe lance and help in defence against the men, now coming up. Theyhid behind trees and waited for them to swim across the stream. Butthis they did not do. When they reached the creek, they could see nothingof their runaway. They very slowly turned and went back to theircompanions. Robinson was well content not to let them know that there was any oneon the island. He feared they might return and destroy his shelterand fields. Robinson took the savage to his shelter and gave him bread and raisinsto eat, and a cup of water to drink. He was very hungry and ategreedily. After he had eaten, Robinson made signs for him to lie downand sleep, for the Indian was nearly tired out with his long and swiftrun. He was a handsome fellow of his race. His limbs were large, straightand strong. He had a good face. His hair was long and black, hisforehead high, and his eyes bright. His skin was not black, but ofan olive color. His teeth were fine set and as white as ivory. He slept about an hour; when he awoke he came running to Robinson andagain made signs to him that he was his slave. "You saved my life, "he seemed to say, "and now I will serve you. " Robinson named him Fridayat once, for that was the day on which the great event of his escapehad taken place. Robinson's next care was to fit him out with some clothing. He hadby this time several suits made of his coarse cloth. He soon had Fridaydressed in one of the old ones, with a straw or braided hat on hishead. He did not think it safe to allow Friday to sleep with him inthe bower. He made a little tent for him inside the enclosure. Thiswas covered with goatskins and made a very good protection from bothheat and rain. Robinson took care to keep all his knives and weapons near him in thebower. But his fears that Friday might harm him were unfounded. Fridayfrom the first was faithful to his master. He was sweet and obedientin all things. He seemed to look upon Robinson with the love of achild for its father and never tired of serving him. XXXVII ROBINSON AS A TEACHER (From Robinson's Diary) "I began to consider that having now two mouths to feed instead ofone, I must provide more ground for my harvest and plant a largerquantity of corn than I used to plant. So I marked out a larger pieceof land and began to fence it in. Friday worked not only verywillingly but very hard. I told him that it was for corn to make morebread because he was now with me. He let me know that he was gratefulfor my kindness and would work much harder if I would tell him whatto do. "This was the pleasantest year of all the life I led in this place. Friday began to talk pretty well and understood the names of almostall the things that I called for and of all the places which I wishedto send him. I was careful to teach him all the things I knew. Ishowed him how to plant and harvest corn, how to gather fibre, spinyarn and to weave it into cloth. He learned these things quickly andbecame very skillful in making pots. He knew something about thisbecause at home he had seen the women make them. He ornamented themwith figures of birds and flowers. I taught him about the true God. But as for writing he could never do much with this. I had no booksand could not make him understand the importance of writing. He beganto talk a great deal to me. This delighted me very much. I began tolove him exceedingly. He was so very honest and faithful. "After I had taught him English I tried one day to find out whetherhe had any wish to return to his own country and as I talked to himabout it I saw his face light up with joy and his eye sparkle. Fromthis I had no doubt but that Friday would like to be in his own countryagain. This for a time made me sad, to think how eagerly he wouldleave me to be among his savage friends. 'Do you not wish you wereback in your own country, Friday?' I said to him one day. 'Yes, ' hesaid, 'I be much O glad to be back in my country. ' 'What would youdo there, ' said I? 'Would you turn wild again and do as the savagesdo?' He shook his head and said very gravely, 'No, no, Friday tellthem to live good. He tell them to plant corn and live like white mans. ' "One day when we were on the top of a hill on the west side of theisland, Friday suddenly began to jump and dance about in great glee. I asked him what the matter was. 'O, joy, O glad, ' he said; 'theremy country!' The air was so clear that from this place, as I had beforediscovered, land could be distinctly seen looking westward. "I asked him how far it was from our island to his country and whethertheir canoes were ever lost in coming and going. He said that therewas no danger. No canoes were ever wrecked and that it was easy toget back and forth. I asked him many things about his people and country. He told me that away to the west of his country there lived 'whitemans like you. ' I thought these must be the people of Central America, and asked him how I might come from this island and get among thesewhite men. He made me understand that I must have a large boat as bigas two canoes. "I resolved at once to begin to make a boat large enough for us topass over to the land we could see lying to the west and if possibleto go on to the white man's country Friday told me about. It took usnearly two months to make our boat and rig her out with sails, masts, rudder, and anchor. We had to weave our sails and twist our rope. Weburned out the canoe from a large fallen log. We used a great stonetied securely to the end of a strong rope for an anchor. "When we had the boat in the water, Friday showed great skill inrowing or paddling it. [Illustration: ROBINSON AND FRIDAY SAILING THE BOAT] "He had managed boats ever since he was old enough, but he did notknow how to handle a sail or rudder. He learned very quickly, however, to sail and steer the boat and soon was perfectly at home in it. "We made our boat safe by keeping it in the little cove at the mouthof the creek. I had Friday to fetch rocks and build a dock or placefor landing. But the rainy season was now coming on and we must waitfor fair weather. In the meantime I planned to lay by such quantitiesof food as we would need to take along. " XXXVIII ANOTHER SHIPWRECK One evening Robinson sat in his shelter thinking of his plans toescape to Friday's country. He was sad. For, after all, this placewas very dear to him. It was the only home he had. Had he not madeeverything with his own hands? It was doubly dear to him on thisaccount. He thought how it would grieve him to leave his goats, hisfields, and the many comforts he had here. He had been telling Friday of his home in New York. He told him ofthe great city, and of its many wonderful sights. He told him of hiscountry and people, of his flag and its history. All these thingsbrought back memories of his boyhood and he wondered what changes hadcome in his long absence. Friday, with wonderful intelligence, listened to all Robinson told him. He was delighted in hearingRobinson tell of the wonders of the great world, for he had neverknown anything about it. As they talked Robinson noticed the approachof a storm. The sky was getting black with clouds. The winds wereblowing a hurricane. The waves were coming in mountain high. Itreminded him of the eventful night now twenty-five years ago when hisship was tossed up on the shore like an egg shell and broken topieces. Suddenly there was a sound that made Robinson start from his seat withthe wildest alarm. Was it the sound of a cannon from the ocean or theterrible crash and roar of the water on the rocks of the coast? Thereit is again; it is a cannon! Some ship is in distress! This is itssignal! Robinson ran out and down to the shore with Friday at hisheels. "O master!" said Friday, "can we not help? If they only knew theisland was here and how to steer into the harbor beyond the point ofland on the south. " Robinson was so excited that he scarcely knew what he was doing. Heran up and down the shore calling wildly, but the awful roar of thesea and wind drowned his cries. Suddenly his thoughts came to him. "Quick, Friday, get some fire in a pot. We will run to the point, gather grass and wood, and make a fire there. Maybe we can guide theminto the harbor. " They soon had a great beacon light sending its welcome greeting farover the sea. The pilot of the ship saw it and steered his ship nearerand nearer. Robinson was ready to shout for joy as the ship seemedabout to make the harbor. The ship had her sails torn in shreds andher rudder broken. It was hard to steer her in such a gale. Onrounding the point, she was blown on the rocks. With a frightful crashwhich could be heard above the din of the storm she struck and heldfast. Robinson could hear the cries of the men and the orders of theofficers. They were trying to get boats ready to put off, but suchwas the confusion of the storm and the enormous waves breaking overthe deck that it could not be done quickly. Before the men could geta boat into the sea, and get into it, the ship gave a lurch to oneside as though about to sink. All the men jumped for one boat. It wasoverburdened. The wind tossed it about. The sea soon filled it andit went down and all were lost. Robinson and Friday remained on the shore all night. They watched tosee if they could not help some poor sailor that might cling to aplank and be blown on shore. They saw no one. At last they lay down, but they could not sleep. Many times theysprang up and ran about for fear that some poor fellow would needtheir help. At last morning came. The storm ceased. Robinson andFriday searched everywhere for the bodies of the sailors, but couldfind none. But the wind had blown the ship in plain view, and intoshallow waters. It was lying on the bottom with more than half itsbulk out of the water. The masts were gone. It was a sad sight. Nohuman being could be seen on it. They were now rejoiced that they had their boat ready. "Let us takeit, " said Robinson "and go out to the ship. It may be some person isstill on the unfortunate ship. " They were soon by the ship's side. They rowed around it until they saw a rope hanging down from the deck. Robinson seized this and clambered up. Friday tied the boat fast, andfollowed. Robinson opened the door leading from the deck into the shipand went down. He searched in all the cabins, and knocked at all thedoors. He called, but all was still. When he was satisfied that everyperson on board had been drowned he wept bitterly. Friday stood there with open and staring eyes. He looked and looked. He was astonished at the large ship and at the wonderful things beforehim. They were in the cabin where the passengers had been. There stoodtrunks under the benches and clothes hung on the hooks on the wall. One trunk was open. In it were telescopes through which the travelershad looked at the land. Robinson saw also paper, pens, pen-holdersand ink. Books were also near by. Robinson first took a thick book. It was the Bible, out of which his mother had so often taught him. Then they came to the sailors' cabin. There hung muskets and swordsand bags of shot and cartridges. Then they went to the work-room. Therewere saws, hammers, spades, shovels, chisels, nails, bottles, and pails, knives and forks. And something more, over which Robinson was mostglad, matches. At last they came into the store-room. There lay bagsof flour and barley, teas, lentils, beans and sugar. Then Robinsonembraced Friday in his great joy and said to him, "How rich we are!" XXXIX SAVING THINGS FROM THE SHIP After Robinson had looked through the ship he began to plan the wayto get the tools and things he most wanted on shore. He and Fridayfirst carried everything together that he wanted to take on shore. When they had done this, he found he had the following things. Robinsonstood everything together that he needed most. 1. A case of nails and screws. 2. Two iron axes and several hatchets. 3. A saw. 4. A small case of planes, tongs, augers, files, chisels, etc. 5. A third case with iron brackets, hooks, hinges, etc. 6. A case of matches. 7. A barrel of gunpowder. 8. Two muskets and a pistol. 9. Several swords. 10. A bag of cartridges. 11. A large sail cloth and some rope. 12. A telescope. By means of the ship's ropes, Robinson let everything down into hisboat. He himself took the Bible and then they rowed to the shore, andunloaded the boat. Everything was put into the bower where rain couldnot harm it. By the time they had this done, night was coming on andthey decided to do no more that day, but wait until the next day. "We must work fast, " said Robinson. "The first storm is likely tobreak the ship in pieces and destroy everything in it. " The next morning early they ate a hastily prepared breakfast and wereoff to the boat. Neither Robinson nor Friday stopped for their noondaylunch. "A storm is brewing, " said Robinson, "the air is calm, the skyis overcast with clouds, the heat is oppressive. We must hurry. " Withthe utmost diligence they rowed back and forth all day. They made ninetrips. They had now on shore a surprising quantity of all kinds oftools, goods and weapons. They had all kinds of ware to use in thekitchen, clothes, and food. Robinson prized a little four-wheeledwagon and a whetstone. But in looking over his stores, Robinson suddenly discovered that hehad no needles or thread. They went at once to procure these importantarticles. In looking for needles and thread, Robinson found a smalltrunk full of money and valuable stones. There were diamonds, rubies, pearls, and much gold. Robinson pushed it to one side. "What can Ido with riches on this island? I would give them all for some needlesand thread, " he said to Friday. But on second thought he took the trunkand its contents along with him to his cave. For in the trunk werealso letters and writings. "Perhaps, " he said, "these tell to whomthe valuables belong and I can return them some time. " Robinson at last found a case containing everything one could needwith which to cut and sew cloth. There were scissors, thread, needles, thimbles, tapes, and buttons. But now the wind was rising and theymust hurry. They were nearly ready for departure. They were passingthrough a part of the ship not before visited. They were surprisedto hear a sound coming from a room whose door was kept shut by a heapof stuff that had been thrown against it by the violent pitching ofthe ship in the storm. Robinson and Friday cleared away the rubbishand were surprised to find a dog almost drowned. He was so weak fromwant of food that his cries could be heard a short distance only. Robinsontook him tenderly in his arms and carried him to the boat, whileFriday carried the sewing case and the trunk. The wind was now blowing a gale. A few yards from the ship they werein great danger. Robinson grasped the rudder and made Friday standready to cut away the mast in case they found the wind too strong. With the greatest difficulty they finally made the little cove at themouth of the creek and were soon landed with their precious cargo. The next morning they eagerly searched the waters for the ship. Noteven their field glasses could reveal anything of it. Some planks, a mast, and parts of a small boat were blown on shore. All else haddisappeared. Robinson set to work at once to make a door for his bower out of thepine wood cast up by the waves. How easy the work proceeded with saws, hammers, augers, squares, planes, nails, hinges, and screws! With thewagon too, Friday could now gather his corn quickly and easily, orhaul in a great quantity of grapes to dry for raisins. Friday had never seen a gun. He did not know the use of firearms. Themuskets that Robinson had brought from the ship were a great mysteryto him. Robinson showed him their use. He showed how they could defendthemselves. He told Friday that these weapons would kill at adistance. He took some powder and touched a match to it. Friday wasgreatly frightened. Robinson then proceeded to load the gun. He [Illustration: ROBINSON SHOWING FRIDAY HOW TO SHOOT] put in some powder, a ball of lead or bullet. Then at the hammer heplaced a little cap which gave a flash when struck. This ignited thepowder. When all was in readiness Robinson bade Friday follow him. They went slowly out into the forest along the stream. Soon Robinsonespied a rabbit sitting under a clump of grass. Robinson raised hisgun, took careful aim, pressed the trigger. There was a flash and loudreport and there lay the rabbit dead. But Friday, too, was lying onthe ground. He had fainted from astonishment and fright. Robinsondropped his gun and raised the poor fellow up to a sitting position. He quickly recovered. He ran to get the rabbit. He examined itcarefully. Robinson at last pointed out the hole the bullet had madeand the mystery of the way the rabbit was killed was solved. Robinson had lived alone so long that he had learned to love everyliving creature on the island. He never harmed anything except whenhe needed food. He had lived so quietly that the birds and animalsdid not fear him. They lived near his shelter and seemed to know him. Robinson was delighted with his new tools and weapons. But theyreminded him of home. Nothing that he had seen in all the time he hadbeen on the island so turned his thoughts toward home and friends. Robinson would sit for hours thinking of the past and making plansfor the future. He was homesick. XL THE RETURN OF THE SAVAGES Robinson now renewed his plans for escaping from the island toFriday's country. They first rebuilt their boat with their new tools. They hollowed out the center till the sides were thin toward the top. They shaped her sides and keel. They made her prow sharp so that shewould cut the water easily. They made a new mast, strong and tall andshapely. They made larger and stronger sails and ropes. They made twopairs of extra oars. They made boxes and cupboards in the prow andstern for keeping their fresh water and provisions. Friday's eyessparkled with joy when it was done. He hoped he would now be able toreturn to his own island and parents. Robinson noticed his joy andasked him, "Do you want to return to your own people?" "Yes, " said Friday, "very much. " "Would you trust yourself in this boat?" "Yes, " said Friday. "Very well, " said his master, "you may have it and start home whenyou please. ". "Yes, Master, but you come too, my people will not hurtyou. " Robinson resolved to venture over to Friday's land with him. But before their preparations were complete the rainy season of ourfall set in. They resolved to wait until the weather was settled andas soon as the rainy season was over to set out. They ran their boatwell up into the creek and covered it over with a large tarpaulin madeof sail-cloth obtained from the ship. Robinson had now been on the island twenty-seven years. For the lastthree years he had lived happily with his companion Friday. Every yearin September, Robinson celebrated the day his life was saved and hewas thrown up on the island. Robinson celebrated it this year withmore than the usual thankfulness. He thought that it would be his lastanniversary on the island. One morning, Friday had gone to the beach to find a turtle. Soon hecame running back out of breath. "O Master, " he cried, "they arecoming, they are coming to take me prisoner!" He was trembling withfright. "We must take our guns and defend ourselves, " said Robinson. "But wewill not kill anyone unless they attack us. " This quieted Friday. Theyloaded four muskets and three pistols. Robinson put the pistols inhis belt, where he also fastened a sword. He gave Friday a pistol anda musket, for Friday had learned to shoot well. Besides Friday carrieda bag of powder and bullets. Robinson took his field glasses and sawtwenty-one savages with two prisoners. The prisoners were bound andlying on the ground. This was a war party celebrating a victory witha feast. They probably intended to kill their prisoners. "We must savethe lives of those men, " said Robinson. The savages this time had landed quite near Robinson's shelter, notmore than a half mile below the creek's mouth. Soon he and Fridaystarted off. Robinson commanded Friday to follow quietly and not tospeak or shoot. "We will surprise them and give them a good scare, " said Robinson. When yet a considerable distance away they could hear the savagesyelling and screaming. Some of them were dancing their war dance. Their faces and bodies were painted to make them look terrible totheir enemies. They were dancing around their prisoners with hideouscries and gestures. They could now see the prisoners plainly. One hada beard and was plainly a white man. Robinson was surprised anddetermined to save him at all risks. "Get your gun ready to fire, " he said to Friday, "and when I say theword let us run forward yelling and firing our guns over their heads. This will fill them with such fright that they will take to theirheels and boats and get away as soon as possible. In the scramble andconfusion we will rush in and rescue the prisoners. " This plan did not please Friday at all. His savage blood was up andhe wanted to kill all he could. "Let's fire on them, " he said. "Let'skill all but the prisoners. " "No, no, " said Robinson, "it's always wrong to take life unless itcannot be avoided to save one's own. Let's try my plan first. " With great reluctance Friday consented. At a signal from Robinson theyrushed forward, and when in plain sight they fired off their musketsin the air. If the ground had suddenly exploded beneath their feetthere could have been no more confusion, astonishment, and fright. A few took to their heels. Others lay as if dead. They had swoonedfrom fright. But as Robinson came up they jumped to their feet andpushed into the boats, leaving the prisoners behind. Robinson and Fridaystill rushed forward and fired their remaining loaded guns and pistolsin the air. The savages made all haste to get into their boats andpush off. Soon they were well out to sea, paddling rapidly for thewest. Robinson reloaded his arms and gave them a farewell volley, butnot a soul was killed or even wounded. This gave Robinson greatpleasure. He had accomplished his purpose without bloodshed. They could now turn to the prisoners. Robinson ran back to them andquickly cut their ropes. Robinson asked the white man who he was, butthe man was too weak to answer. Robinson gave him a piece of bread. The fear of death being removed, the white man soon grew stronger. When Friday came running back from watching the boats and saw thesavage that had been a prisoner he gave a loud yell. He threw his armsaround the man, kissed him and laughed and cried for joy. He put hishead on his breast and hugged him again and again. Robinson wasgreatly surprised and puzzled. He asked Friday what his actions meant. But so intent was Friday that he got no answer. At last Friday recovered far enough from his great joy to say withface beaming with delight, "O, Master, this man is my dear father. "They at once began a long conversation, each one told his story. Suddenly Friday jumped up and said, "How foolish I am, I have notthought to give my father anything to eat and drink. He must be nearlystarved. " And away he ran toward the shelter and was soon back withfood and water to drink. [Illustration: FRIDAY AND HIS FATHER] Robinson learned through Friday from his father that the white manwas a Spaniard, that he had been captured by the tribe that had a battlewith Friday's people. The Spaniard was one of sixteen men that hadbeen saved by Friday's people from a wrecked ship. So weak were theprisoners that they could not walk to the shelter. Robinson and Fridaymade a litter and carried them one after the other. When once there, Friday prepared some rich rice soup. The prisoners ate heartily andin a few days were strong enough to go about the island. XLI DELIVERANCE AT LAST Friday had not forgotten the plan for going to his home. He wouldoften mention it and spent hours talking about it during the longrainy season. But now that the Spaniard and Friday's father had comeinto the family, Robinson felt he must change his plans a little. Hefelt very sorry for the Spaniards left in Friday's country. They didnot have enough to eat and were sick and sad besides. He talked thematter over with the Spaniard many times. They at last planned to sendfor them. The Spaniard and Friday's father were to go. Robinson wasfor doing it at once. But the Spaniard advised delay. "How can we getfood for ourselves and fifteen others? Your small store will soon beused up, " he argued. Robinson at last saw that this difficulty mustbe overcome. There was just one thing to do, and this, to delay theirdeparture until a new crop of corn could be raised. This would takesix months. But at it they went. The four men could do much and work fast. Theycleared more ground and planted all the seed corn they could sparefrom their store. Besides this they sowed about twelve bushels ofbarley they had gotten in the ship. The care for so much crop, its harvesting and storing away, kept themvery busy for the season. Robinson not only did this, but alsoincreased his flock of goats by catching kids and putting them in hispasture. He gathered, too, all the grapes he could and dried them onthe branches of trees. At the end of the harvesting season, they made ready their boat. Theyfilled it with all the bread it could well carry. They put in raisinsand fresh water. Robinson gave the Spaniard and Friday's father eacha musket and plenty of powder and bullets. Now, all was ready. Fridaygave his father a loving farewell. He stretched out his arms towardshim as the boat moved away. The Spaniard and Robinson waved their hatsand they were off. They promised to be back in eight or nine days. Robinson and Fridaymade every preparation to receive the guests. They were to have a homenot far from Robinson's built of poles, and thatched with the longmarsh grasses, like Robinson's bower. There was no need of hiding ordefending it. It did not take long to fix it up. Eight days had now passed since the boat had left. Friday could hardlyrestrain himself longer. He watched the ocean all the time. He wouldgo to the top of the hill with the field [Illustration: ROBINSON AND FRIDAY SEE A SHIP] glasses every hour during the day to catch a first glimpse of them. On the ninth day, as Friday put up his glasses to search the watershe dropped them with a yell of surprise. He tore down the hill withthe utmost speed and rushed up to Robinson as one gone mad. "Look, look, O Master!" he cried, "a big ship; a big ship way out on the sea!"Robinson took the glasses, and sure enough, there within hailingdistance was a large ocean going vessel. Robinson was overcome withexcitement. For twenty-eight years his aching eyes had scanned the waters for thiswelcome sight. His joy was boundless. The ship looked like anAmerican. Yes, there floated the American flag! How welcome a sightto Robinson. He could not utter a word. Tears filled his eyes andstreamed down his cheeks. He would soon have news from home. He ranto the shore and shot off a gun to attract the attention of those onboard. He heard answering shots at once. Soon a boat was lowered and in it three men rowed toward the shore. It was the captain himself and two sailors. The captain was astonishedto find a man in the lonely island. Robinson told how it all had happenedand how he would like to return home. To his unspeakable delight thecaptain told him that the ship was bound for New York and would takehim along free of charge, but he must leave that day. The ship couldnot be delayed any longer. Of course Robinson would go. Friday wasbeside himself with grief. He did not want to be left behind alone. He did not know that the Spaniards would ever return. Something mighthappen to them on the sea. But before the eventful day the Spaniardslanded. They brought word that Friday's father had died after hisreturn home. Friday was thrown into a fit of grief at the news. Hewept and repeated over and over his praise of the good man. XLII ROBINSON AT HOME It was with a sad heart that Robinson made ready to leave. Everyfamiliar place seemed now doubly dear to him. He went from one toanother with tears in his eyes. Here lay his home. Here were hisfields, his crops and his goats. Everything was the work of his ownhands. He had made them all. Which should he take? He hesitated long. He must take home some of his belongings to show the people at home. And there were his parrot and the dog which had won a place inRobinson's heart. He decided to take them along. At length he gottogether his diary, his parasol, his Bible, his treasures, a suit ofclothes, his dog, and a hat. He had saved, too, his bow and arrows. These he decided to take along. Everything else he gave to his goodman Friday and the Spaniard who wished to be allowed to remain on theisland. Robinson kissed Friday tenderly. He with great effort finally torehimself away and ran to the shore where the ship's boat awaited him. But Robinson had not counted on the strength of Friday's love for him. Robinson's boat had [Illustration: ROBINSON LEAVING THE ISLAND] not yet reached the ship when Friday sprang into the water and swamafter him shouting, "Master, take me with you, I would rather die thanstay here without you. " Robinson was touched at the devotion showedby the faithful Friday, and gave orders to turn the boat back, andtake him on board. The anchor was raised. The ship started on her wayto the home Robinson had left so long ago. The wind was favorable and in seven weeks the spires and buildingsof his native city were in sight. His vessel came slowly up to thewharf where he had taken ship so many years ago. Here, too, he hadplayed and idled his time away. He remembered it all. His idlenessand playing truant came back in sad memories. Before Robinson and Fridaylanded, their good friend the captain gave them each a new suit ofclothes. Everything had changed. He scarcely knew the place. He was astonishedand confused by the din, hurry and bustle of a great city. Fridayseemed dazed by it all and clung to Robinson's side. The buildingswere so tall, the street cars, the carriages were different. Everywhere there were iron machines, casting out smoke, puffing andrunning about on iron rails. Robinson had never seen these. Robinson, however, did not stop to admire; he pushed on to a certainstreet and house where lived his parents at the time of his departure. It was with difficulty that he found the place. It was now in theheart of the city. Upon inquiry he found, after much searching, thathis father had removed his store and home to another part of the city, his mother had died of grief for her disobedient son. Robinson wassorely grieved at this. He had hoped to see her and tell her how sorryhe was that he had caused her so much anxiety and sorrow. When he had found the place where his father lived he stole quietlyup to the house and opened the door. His father, now a gray-hairedman, bent with age and sorrow, was sitting in his armchair reading. Robinson came forward, but his father did not recognize him. "Who areyou?" he said. "I am Robinson, your long-lost son. " He knelt by hisfather's side and asked forgiveness for all the trouble he had caused. His father was overcome. He could not speak. He drew Robinson withfeeble hands to his breast. "My son, I forgive you, " he said. Robinson's boyhood friends heard of his strange return. They hadthought him dead long ago. They never tired of hearing him tell hisstrange story. They pitied him in his misfortune. But Robinson toldthem that it all happened to him because he was idle and disobedientin his youth. Robinson at once relieved his father at the store. The businessthrived. His father died. He soon had a home of his own with a happyfamily. Friday, the dog, and the parrot lived in it, dearly belovedand cared for by their master the rest of their days. In the homethere is a young Robinson who loves to hear his father read from hisdiary of the wonderful things that happened on the island. Robinson tried many times to find the rightful owner of the gold andjewels, but never succeeded. At last he gave them to a school whereboys with idle habits were taught to lead useful and industriouslives.