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

hunger might have made Turk dangerous to ourselves. We

did not think it necessary to wait until he had dined, so we

prepared to resume our march, conversing as we walked.

 

“Let me remind you,” I said, “in our situation, it would be

dangerous to teach the dogs not to attack and kill, if they can,

whatever unknown animals they meet. You will see that he will

soon regard your little monkey as a member of our family. But

we must not discourage him from his fancy for attacking wild

beasts. Heaven has bestowed the dog on man to be his safeguard

and ally, and the horse the same. A man on horseback, accompanied

by a troop of well-trained dogs, need not fear any species of

wild beasts, not even the lion nor the hyaena.”

 

Thoughtfully, Fritz replied, “I feel fortunate that we are in the

posession of two such creatures; but what a pity that the horses

on board died during our voyage, and left us with only an ass.”

 

“Let us take care how we treat even our ass with disdain,” I told

him. “I wish we had him safe on land. Fortunately he is large and

strong. We may train him to do us the same services as are

performed by the horse; and it is not improbable that he will

improve under our care, given the excellent pasture we will find

in this climate.”

 

The tiny ape seated itself in the coolest way imaginable on

Fritz’s shoulder, I helped to carry his canes, and we were

on some distance before Turk overtook us, looking uncommonly w

ell pleased, and licking his chops as though recalling the

memory of his feast.

 

He took no notice of the monkey, but it was very uneasy at

sight of him, and scrambled down into Fritz’s arms, which was

so inconvenient to him that he devised a plan to relieve himself

of his burden.

 

Calling Turk, and seriously enjoining obedience, he seated the

monkey on his back, securing it there with a cord, and then

putting a second string round the dog’s neck that he might lead

him, he put a loop of the knot into the comical rider’s hand,

saying gravely, `Having slain the parent, Mr. Turk, you will

please to carry the son.’

 

At first this arrangement mightily displeased them both, but by

and by they yielded to it quietly; the monkey especially amused

us by riding along with the air of a person perfectly at his ease.

 

`We look just like a couple of mountebanks on their way to a fair

with animals to exhibit,’ said I. `What an outcry the children

will make when we appear!’

 

My son inquired to what species of the monkey tribe I thought

his protege belonged, which led to a good deal of talk on the

subject, and conversation beguiling the way, we found ourselves

ere long on the rocky margin of the stream and close to the rest

of our party.

 

Juno was the first to be aware of our approach, and gave notice

of it by loud barking, to which Turk replied with such hearty

goodwill, that his little rider, terrified at the noise his

steed was making, slipped from under the cord and fled to his

refuge on Fritz’s shoulder, where he regained his composure and

settled himself comfortably.

 

Turk, who by this time knew where he was, finding himself free,

dashed forward to rejoin his friend, and announce our coming. One

after another our dear ones came running to the opposite bank,

testifying in various ways their delight at our return, and

hastening up on their side of the river, as we on ours, to the

ford at which we had crossed in the morning. We were quickly on

the other side, and, full of joy and affection, our happy party

was once more united.

 

The boys suddenly perceiving the little animal which was clinging

close to their brother, in alarm at the tumult of voices, shouted

in ecstasy:

 

`A monkey! A monkey! Oh, how splendid! Where did Fritz find him?

What may we give him to eat? Oh, what a bundle of sticks! Look at

those curious great nuts father has got!’

 

We could neither check this confused torrent of questions, nor

get in a word in answer to them.

 

At length when the excitement subsided a little, I was able to

say a few words with a chance of being listened to. `I am truly

thankful to see you all safe and well, and, thank God, our

expedition has been very satisfactory, except that we have

entirely failed to discover any trace of our shipmates.’

 

`If it be the will of God,’ said my wife, `to leave us alone on

this solitary place, let us be content, and rejoice that we are

all together in safety. I have been uneasy since you left, and

imagined a thousand evils that might beset you. The day appeared

an age, but now that I see you once more safe and well, I know

how foolish my fears must seem.

 

`Now we want to hear all your adventures, and let us relieve you

of your burdens,’ added she, taking my game-bag.

 

Jack shouldered my gun, Ernest took the cocoanuts, and little

Franz carried the gourds, Fritz distributed the sugarcanes amongst

his brothers, and handing Ernest his gun replaced the monkey on

Turk’s hack. Ernest soon found the burden with which Fritz had

laden him too heavy to his taste. His mother, perceiving this,

offered to relieve him of part of the load. He willingly gave up

the cocoanuts, but no sooner had he done so than his elder brother

exclaimed:

 

`Hullo, Ernest, you surely do not know what you are parting with;

did you really intend to hand over those good cocoanuts without

so much as tasting them?’

 

`What? ho! Are they really cocoanuts?’ cried Ernest, `I thought

they were bowls! Do let me take them again, mother, do let me

look at them.’

 

`No, thank you,’ replied my wife with a smile. `I have no wish to

see you again overburdened.’

 

`Oh but I have only to throw away these sticks, which are of no

use, and then I can easily carry them.’

 

`Worse and worse,’ said Fritz, `I have a particular regard for

those heavy useless sticks. Did you ever hear of sugarcanes?’

 

The words were scarcely out of his mouth when Ernest began to

suck vigorously at the end of the cane with no better result,

however, than Fritz had obtained as we were on the march.

 

`Here,’ said Fritz, `let me show you the trick of it,’ and he

speedily set all the youngsters to work extracting the luscious

juice.

 

My wife, as a prudent housekeeper who made much use of sugar,

was no less delighted than the children with this discovery; the

sight of the dishes also pleased her greatly, for she longed to

see us eat once more like civilized beings.

 

We went into the kitchen and there found preparations for a truly

sumptuous meal. Two forked sticks were planted in the ground on

either side of the fire, on these rested a rod from which hung

several tempting-looking fish, opposite them hung a goose from a

similar contrivance, slowly roasting while the gravy dropped into

a large shell placed beneath it. Franz gave the spit another turn,

assuring me he had been helping all day to keep the meal from

burning. In the centre sat the great pot from which issued the

smell of a most delicious soup. To crown this splendid array,

stood an open hogshead full of Dutch cheeses.

 

All this was very pleasant to two hungry travellers, but I was

about to beg my wife to spare the poultry until our stock should

have increased, when she, perceiving my thought, quickly relieved

my anxiety. `This is not one of our geese,’ she said, `but a wild

bird Ernest killed.’

 

`Yes,’ said Ernest, `it is a penguin, I think, it let me get quite

close, so that I knocked it on the head with a stick. Here are its

head and feet which I preserved to show you; the bill is, you see,

narrow and curved downwards, and the feet are webbed. It had funny

little bits of useless wings, and its eyes looked so solemnly and

sedately at me, that I was almost ashamed to kill it. It seemed

quite destitute of any intelligence, so that I was able to kill

it with a single blow from my stick. Do you not think it must

have been a penguin?’

 

`I have little doubt on the matter, my boy,’ and I was about to

make a few remarks on the habits of this bird, when my wife

interrupted me and begged us to come to dinner and continue our

natural history conversation at some future time. Fritz now

suddenly recollected his delicious wine, and producing his

flask, begged his mother to taste it.

 

`Try it first yourself,’ said I; Fritz did so, and I instantly saw

by his countenance that the liquor had passed through the first

stage of fermentation and had become vinegar.

 

`Never mind, my boy,’ said my prudent wife, when she learned the

cause of his wry faces, `we have wine already but no vinegar; I

am really pleased at the transformation. Mixed with the fat

which has fallen from our bird with roasting, it will make a

most delicious sauce which will be as good a relish as a salad.’

 

And so it proved, as a corrective of the wild and fishy flavor

of the penguin, as well as improving the taste of the fish. We

did full justice to the appetizing meal prepared for us, our

gourds coming for the first time into use, and having done it

full justice, I produced the cocoanuts by way of dessert.

 

`Here is better food for your little friend,’ said I to Fritz,

who had been vainly endeavouring to persuade the monkey to taste

dainty morsels of the food we had been eating. `The poor little

animal has been accustomed to nothing but its mother’s milk; fetch

me a saw, one of you.’

 

I then, after extracting the milk of the nuts from their natural

holes, carefully cut the shells in half, thus providing several

more useful basins. The monkey was perfectly satisfied with the

milk, and eagerly sucked the corner of a handkerchief dipped in it.

 

The sun was now rapidly sinking behind the horizon, and the poultry

retiring for the night warned us that we must follow their example.

Having offered up our prayers, we lay down on our beds, the monkey

crouched down between Jack and Fritz, and we were all soon fast

asleep.

 

We did not, however, long enjoy this repose; a loud barking from

our dogs, who were on guard outside the tent, awakened us, and

the fluttering and cackling of our poultry warned us that a foe

was approaching. Fritz and I sprang up, and seizing our guns

rushed out. There we found a desperate combat going on, our

gallant dogs, surrounded by a dozen or more large jackals,

were fighting bravely, four of their opponents lay dead, but

the others were in no way deterred by the fate of their comrades.

 

Fritz and I, however, sent bullets through the heads of a couple

more, and the rest galloped off. Turk and Juno did not intend

that they should escape so cheaply, and pursuing them, they

caught, killed, and devoured another of the animals, regardless

of their near relationship. Fritz wished to save one of the jackals

that he might be able to show it to his brothers in the morning;

dragging therefore the one