Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss (portable ebook reader .txt) 📕

away in perfect order, their plumage

continually changing, as they flew, from beautiful rose to pure white,

as alternately their snowy wings and rosy breasts were visible.

 

One of those which fell was perfectly dead, but the other appeared only

slightly wounded in the wing, for it made off across the swampy ground.

I attempted to follow, but soon found that progress was impossible on

the marsh; Juno, however, chased the bird and, seizing it, speedily

brought it to my feet. Fritz and Ernest were delighted at the sight of

our prize.

 

`What a handsome bird!’ exclaimed they. `Is it much hurt? Let us tame

it and let it run about with the fowls.’

 

`Its plumage is much more brilliant than that of the dead one,’

remarked Fritz.

 

`Yes,’ said Ernest, `this is a full-grown bird, while yours is

younger; it is some years before they reach perfection. See what long

active legs it has, like those of a stork, while with its great webbed

feet it can swim faster than a goose. Earth, air, or water is all the

same to the flamingo, it is equally at home in any one of the three.’

 

`Well,’ said Fritz, `let us take the dead one to mother and get her to

introduce it to the other element and see what it will make of that; if

it is young and tender, as you say, it should make a delicious roast.’

 

Fritz and Ernest then carried the birds and bamboos to the tree, while

I proceeded to cut my reeds. I chose those which had flowered, knowing

that they were harder, and having cut a sufficient quantity of these, I

selected one or two of the tallest canes I could find to assist me in

measuring the height of the tree. I then bound them together and

returned to my family.

 

`Do you mean to keep this great hungry bird Fritz has brought?’ said my

wife. `It is another mouth to feed, remember, and provisions are still

scarce.’

 

`Luckily,’ I replied, `the flamingo will not eat grain like our

poultry, but will be quite satisfied with insects, fish, and little

crabs, which it will pick up for itself. Pray reassure yourself,

therefore, and let me see to the poor bird’s wound.’

 

So saying, I procured some wine and butter and anointing the wing,

which though hurt was not broken, I bound it up, and then took the bird

to the stream where I fastened it by a long cord to a stake and left it

to shift for itself. In a few days the wound was healed, and the bird,

subdued by kind treatment, became rapidly tame.

 

While I was thus employed my sons were endeavouring to ascertain the

height of the lowest branch of the tree from the ground. They had

fastened together the long reeds I had brought with them, and were

trying to measure the distance, but in vain; they soon found that were

the rods ten times their length they could not touch the branch.

 

`Hello, my boys,’ I said, when I discovered what they were about,

`that is not the way to set to work. Geometry will simplify the

operation considerably; with its help the altitude of the highest

mountains are ascertained; we may, therefore, easily find the height of

that branch.’

 

So saying, I measured out a certain distance from the base of the tree

and marked the spot, and then by means of a rod, whose length I knew,

and imaginary lines, I calculated the angle subtended by the trunk of

the tree from the ground to the root of the branch. This done, I was

able to discover the height required, and, to the astonishment of the

younger children, announced that we should henceforth live thirty feet

above the ground. This I wanted to know, that I might construct a

ladder of the necessary length.

 

Telling Fritz to collect all our cord, and the others to roll all the

twine into a ball, I sat down and taking the reeds, speedily

manufactured half a dozen arrows and feathered them from the dead

flamingo. I then took a strong bamboo, bent it and strung it so as to

form a bow. When the boys saw what I had done they were delighted, and

begged to have the pleasure of firing the first shot.

 

`No, no!’ said I, `I did not make this for mere pleasure, nor is it

even intended as a weapon, the arrows are pointless. Elizabeth,’ I

continued to my wife, `can you supply me with a ball of stout thread

from your wonderful bag?’

 

`Certainly,’ replied she, `I think that a ball of thread was the first

thing to enter the bag,’ and diving her hand deep in, she drew out the

very thing I wanted.

 

`Now, boys,’ I said, `I am going to fire the first shot,’ and I

fastened one end of the thread to one of my arrows and aimed at a

large branch above me. The arrow flew upwards and bore the thread over

the branch and fell at our feet. Thus was the first step in our

undertaking accomplished. Now for the rope ladder!

 

Fritz had obtained two coils of cord each about forty feet in length;

these we stretched on the ground side by side; then Fritz cut the

bamboos into pieces of two feet for the steps of the ladder, and as he

handed them to me, I passed them through knots which I had prepared in

the ropes, while Jack fixed each end with a nail driven through the

wood. When the ladder was finished, I carried over the bough a rope by

which it might be hauled up. This done, I fixed the lower end of the

ladder firmly to the ground by means of stakes, and all was ready for

an ascent. The boys who had been watching me with intense interest were

each eager to be first.

 

`Jack shall have the honour,’ said I, `as he is the lightest, so up

with you, my boy, and do not break your neck.’

 

Jack, who was as active as a monkey, sprang up the ladder and quickly

gained the top.

 

`Three cheers for the nest!’ he exclaimed, waving his cap.

 

`Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah for our jolly nest! What a grand house we will

have up here; come along, Fritz!’

 

His brother was soon by his side, and with a hammer and nails secured

the ladder yet more securely. I followed with an axe, and took a survey

of the tree. It was admirably suited to our purpose; the branches were

very strong and so closely interwoven that no beams would be required

to form a flooring, but when some of the boughs were lopped and cleared

away, a few planks would be quite sufficient.

 

I now called for a pulley, which my wife fastened to the cord hanging

beside the ladder, I hauled it up, and finding the boys rather in my

way, told them to go down while I proceeded to fasten the pulley to a

stout branch above me, that we might be able to haul up the beams we

should require the next day. I then made other preparations that there

might be no delay on the morrow, and a bright moon having arisen, I by

its light continued working until I was quite worn out, and then at

length descended.

 

I reached the ground, but to my surprise found that the two boys were

not there. They had not been seen. A moment afterwards, however, all

anxiety was dispelled, for amongst the topmost boughs I heard their

young voices raised in the evening hymn.

 

Instead of descending, they had, while I was busy, climbed upwards, and

had been sitting in silent admiration of the moonlight scene, high

above me. They now joined us, and my wife showed me the results of her

labour. She had made two complete sets of harness. I congratulated her

upon her success, and we then sat down to supper.

 

On a cloth spread out upon the grass were arranged a roast shoulder of

porcupine, a delicious bowl of soup made from a piece of the same

animal, cheese, butter, and biscuits, forming a most tempting repast.

Having done this ample justice, we collected our cattle, and the

pigeons and fowls having retired to roost on the neighbouring trees,

and on the steps of our ladder, we made up a glorious fire to keep off

any prowling wild beasts, and ourselves lay down.

 

The children, in spite of the novelty of the hammocks, were quickly

asleep. In vain I tried to follow their example; a thousand anxious

thoughts presented themselves, and as quickly as I dispelled them

others rose in their place. The night wore on, and I was still awake;

the fire burned low, and I rose and replenished it with dry fuel. Then

again I climbed into my hammock, and towards morning fell asleep.

 

Early next morning we were astir, and dispersed to our various

occupations. My wife milked the goats and cow, while we gave the

animals their food, after which we went down to the beach, to collect

more wood for our building operations.

 

To the larger beams we harnessed the cow and ass, while we ourselves

dragged up the remainder. Fritz and I then ascended the tree, and

finished the preparations I had begun the night before; all useless

boughs we lopped off, leaving a few about six feet from the floor, from

which we might sling our hammocks, and others still higher, to support

a temporary roof of sailcloth.

 

My wife made fast the planks to a rope passed through the block I had

fixed to the bough above us, and by this means Fritz and I hauled them

up. These we arranged side by side on the foundation of boughs, so as

to form a smooth solid floor, and round this platform built a bulwark

of planks, and then throwing the sailcloth over the higher branches, we

drew it down and firmly nailed it. Our house was thus enclosed on three

sides, for behind the great trunk protected us, while the front was

left open to admit the fresh sea breeze which blew directly in.

 

We then hauled up our hammocks and bedding and slung them from the

branches we had left for that purpose. A few hours of daylight still

remaining, we cleared the floor from leaves and chips, and then

descended to fashion a table and a few benches from the remainder of

the wood. After working like slaves all day, Fritz and I flung

ourselves on the grass, while my wife arranged supper on the table we

had made.

 

`Come,’ said she at length, `come and taste flamingo stew, and tell me

how you like it. Ernest assured me that it would be much better stewed

than roasted, and I have been following his directions.’

 

Laughing at the idea of Ernest turning scientific cook we sat down. The

fowls gathered round us to pick up the crumbs, and the tame flamingo

joined them, while Master Knips skipped about from one to the other,

chattering and mimicking our gestures continually.

 

To my wife’s joy, the sow appeared shortly after, and was presented

with all the milk that remained from the day’s stock that she might be

persuaded to return every night.

 

`For,’ said my wife, `this surplus milk is really of no use to us, as

it will be sour before the morning in this hot climate.’

 

`You are quite right,’ I replied, `but we must contrive to make it of

use. The next time Fritz and I return to the wreck we will bring off a

churn amongst the