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

>eat bread.’

 

In the interval we devoted our attention to the ostrich. But our

efforts on behalf of his education seemed all in vain. He appeared as

untameable as ever. I determined, therefore, to adopt the plan which

had subdued the refractory eagle.

 

The effect of the tobacco fumes almost alarmed me. The ostrich sank to

the ground and lay motionless. Slowly, at length, he arose, and paced

up and down between the bamboo posts. He was subdued, but to my dismay

resolutely refused all food. I feared he would die; for three days he

pined, growing weaker and weaker each day.

 

`Food he must have!’ cried I. `Food he must have!’

 

My wife determined to attempt an experiment. She prepared balls of

maize flour, mixed with butter. One of these she placed within the

bird’s beak. He swallowed it, and stretched out his long neck, looking

inquiringly for a second mouthful. A second, third, and fourth ball

followed the first. His appetite returned, and his strength came again.

 

All the wild nature of the bird had gone, and I saw with delight that

we might begin his education as soon as we chose. Rice, guavas, maize

and corn he ate readily—`washing it down’, as Jack expressed it, with

small pebbles, to the great surprise of Franz, to whom I explained that

the ostrich was merely following the instinct common to all birds; that

he required these pebbles to digest his food, just as smaller birds

require gravel.

 

After a month of careful training, our captive would trot, gallop, obey

the sound of our voice, feed from our hand; and, in fact, showed

himself perfectly docile. Now our ingenuity was taxed to the utmost.

How were we to saddle and bridle a bird? First, for a bit for his beak.

Vague ideas passed through my mind, but every one I was obliged to

reject. A plan at length occurred to me. I recollected the effect of

light and its absence upon the ostrich, how his movements were checked

by sudden darkness, and how, with the light, power returned to his

limbs.

 

I immediately constructed a leathern hood, to reach from the neck to

the beak, cutting holes in it for the eyes and ears. Over the

eyes-holes I contrived square flaps or blinkers, which were so

arranged with whalebone springs that they closed tightly of

themselves. The reins were connected with these blinkers, so that the

flaps might be raised or allowed to close at the rider’s pleasure.

 

When both blinkers were open, the ostrich would gallop straight ahead;

close his right eye and he turned to the left, close his left and he

turned to the right, shut both and he stood stock still.

 

I was justly proud of my contrivance, but, before I could really test

its utility, I was obliged to make a saddle. After several failures, I

succeeded in manufacturing one to my liking and in properly securing

it; it was something like an old-fashioned trooper’s saddle, peaked

before and behind—for my great fear was lest the boys should fall.

This curious-looking contrivance I placed upon the shoulders as near

the neck as possible, and secured it with strong girths round the wings

and across the breast, to avoid all possibility of the saddle slipping

down the bird’s sloping back.

 

I soon saw that my plan would succeed, though skill and considerable

practise was necessary in the use of my patent bridle. It was difficult

to remember that to check the courser’s speed it was necessary to

slacken rein, and that the tighter the reins were drawn, the faster he

would fly. We at length, however, all learned to manage Master

Hurricane, and the distance between Rockburg and Falconhurst was

traversed in an almost incredibly short space of time. The marvellous

speed of the bird again revived the dispute as to the ownership, and I

was obliged to interfere.

 

`Jack shall retain the ostrich,’ said I, `for it is most suited to him;

he is a lighter weight than either of you his elder brothers, and Franz

is not yet strong enough to manage such a fleet courser. But he is so

far to be considered common property, that all may practise on him

occasionally; and, in a case of necessity, anyone may mount him.’

 

Our field-work was by this time over. The land had been ploughed and

sown with wheat, barley, and maize. On the other side of Jackal River

we had planted potatoes and cassava roots, and all sorts of other seeds

had been carefully sown.

 

We had not neglected the ostrich’s eggs, and one day Fritz introduced

me with great glee to three little ostriches. But alas, the little

creatures were not destined to enjoy life for long. One died almost as

soon as it was hatched, and the others, after tottering about on their

stilt-like legs for a few days, followed its example.

 

I now found time to turn my attention to the bears’ skins, which

required preparation before they would be fit for use as leather. They

had been salted and dried, and now required tanning. I had no tan,

however. This was unfortunate; but not to be deterred from my purpose,

I determined to use a mixture of honey and water in its place.

 

The experiment proved successful. When the skins were dried they

remained flexible and free from smell, while the fur was soft and

glossy.

 

This was not the only result of the experiment, for the honey-water

which I boiled appeared so clear and tempting, that it struck me that I

might prepare from it an excellent drink. I put by some of the liquid

before making use of it as tan, and reboiled it with nutmeg and

cinnamon. The preparation, which much resembled English mead, was

pronounced delicious, and my wife begged me to brew a large supply. As

our cellar was now well stocked with provisions for the winter, and our

other preparations were completed, I was able to turn my attention to

details of lesser importance.

 

The boys had been clamouring for hats, and as my success in so many

trades had surprised me, I agreed to turn hatter for the nonce. With

the rat-skins and a solution of india-rubber, I produced a kind of

felt, which I dyed a brilliant red with cochineal, and stretching this

on a wooden block I had prepared, I passed over it a hot iron, to

smooth the nap, and by next morning had the satisfaction of presenting

to my wife a neat little red Swiss cap, to be lined and finished by her

for one of the boys.

 

My wife admired the production immensely, and lining it with silk,

added yet more to its gay appearance, by adorning it with ribbons and

ostrich feathers, and finally placed it upon the head of little Franz.

 

So delighted was everyone with the hat, that all were eager to be

similarly provided, and begged me to manufacture more. I readily

agreed to do so, as soon as they should furnish me with the necessary

materials, and advised them to make half a dozen rat-traps, that they

might secure the water rats with which the stream abounded, and whose

rich glossy fur would serve admirably for felt.

 

Every fifth animal that they brought me I told them should be mine,

that I might obtain material for a hat for myself and their mother. The

boys at once agreed to this arrangement, and began the manufacture of

the traps, which were all so made that they should kill the rats at

once, for I could not bear the idea of animals being tortured or

imprisoned.

 

While they were thus engaged I applied myself to the manufacture of

porcelain. I first cleaned the pipe-clay and talc from all foreign

substances, and made them ready to be beaten down with water into a

soft mass, and then prepared my moulds of gypsum plaster. These

preparations were at length made, and the moulds received a thin layer

of the porcelain material. When this was partly baked, I sprinkled over

it a powder of coloured glass beads which I had crushed, and which

looked very pretty in patterns upon the transparent porcelain.

 

Some of my china vessels cracked with the heat of the stove, some were

very ill-shaped; but, after many failures, I succeeded in producing a

set of white cups and saucers, a cream-jug, a sugar-basin, and half a

dozen small plates.

 

I must allow that my china was far from perfect; the shape of some of

the vessels was faulty, and none were really transparent;

nevertheless, the general appearance gave great satisfaction, and when

the plates were filled with rosy and golden fruit resting on green

leaves, and fragrant tea filled the cups, it greatly added to the

appearance of the table.