He was a handsome fellow of his race. His limbs were large, straight and strong. He had a good face. His hair was long and black, his forehead high, and his eyes bright. His skin was not black, but of an 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 and again 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 Friday at once, for that was the day on which the great event of his escape had taken place.
Robinson's next care was to fit him out with some clothing. He had by this time several suits made of his coarse cloth. He soon had Friday dressed in one of the old ones, with a straw or braided hat on his head. He did not think it safe to allow Friday to sleep with him in the bower. He made a little tent for him inside the enclosure. This was covered with goatskins and made a very good protection from both heat and rain.
Robinson took care to keep all his knives and weapons near him in the bower. But his fears that Friday might harm him were unfounded. Friday from the first was faithful to his master. He was sweet and obedient in all things. He seemed to look upon Robinson with the love of a child 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 of one, I must provide more ground for my harvest and plant a larger quantity of corn than I used to plant. So I marked out a larger piece of land and began to fence it in. Friday worked not only very willingly but very hard. I told him that it was for corn to make more bread because he was now with me. He let me know that he was grateful for my kindness and would work much harder if I would tell him what to 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 almost all the things that I called for and of all the places which I wished to send him. I was careful to teach him all the things I knew. I showed him how to plant and harvest corn, how to gather fibre, spin yarn and to weave it into cloth. He learned these things quickly and became very skillful in making pots. He knew something about this because at home he had seen the women make them. He ornamented them with 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 books and could not make him understand the importance of writing. He began to talk a great deal to me. This delighted me very much. I began to love him exceedingly. He was so very honest and faithful.
"After I had taught him English I tried one day to find out whether he had any wish to return to his own country and as I talked to him about it I saw his face light up with joy and his eye sparkle. From this I had no doubt but that Friday would like to be in his own country again. This for a time made me sad, to think how eagerly he would leave me to be among his savage friends. 'Do you not wish you were back in your own country, Friday?' I said to him one day. 'Yes,' he said, 'I be much O glad to be back in my country.' 'What would you do there,' said I? 'Would you turn wild again and do as the savages do?' He shook his head and said very gravely, 'No, no, Friday tell them to live good. He tell them to plant corn and live like white mans.'