The family Robinson Crusoe

by Johann David Wyss

Oh! brother Fritz, pray do bring me some, said the little Francis.

We now prepared for our departure: we took each a bag for game, and a hatchet; I put a pair of pistols in the leather band round Fritz’s waist in addition to the gun, and provided myself with the same articles, not forgetting a stock of biscuit and a flask of fresh river water. My wife now called us to breakfast, when all attacked the lobster; but its flesh proved so hard, that there was a great deal left when our meal was finished, and we packed it for our journey without further regret from any one. The sea-lobster is an animal of considerable size, and its flesh much more nutritious, but much less delicate, than the common lobster.

Fritz urged me to set out before the excessive heat came on. With all my heart, said I, but we have forgotten one thing of importance. What is that? asked Fritz looking round him; I see nothing else to do but to take our leave of my mother and my brothers. I know what it is, said Ernest, we have not said our prayers this morning.

That is the very thing, my dear boy, said I. We are too apt to forget God, the parent of all, for the cares of this world; and yet never had we so much need of his support and protection as in our present situation, and particularly at the moment of undertaking a journey to an unknown soil.

Upon this, our little pickle Jack began to imitate the sound of church-bells, and to cry Bome! bome! bidi bome, bidiman, bome, To prayers, to prayers, bome, bome.—Thoughtless boy! cried I with a look of displeasure, will you then never learn that there is a sacredness in devotion, that, in a well disposed mind, banishes for the time every thought of levity or amusement? Recollect yourself, and let this be the last time you force from me a reproof on a subject of so grave a nature.

In about an hour we had completed all that was necessary to be done previous to our departure, and were ready to set out. I had loaded the guns we left behind, and I now enjoined my wife to keep by day as near the boat as possible, which in case of danger was the best and most speedy means of escape. My next concern was to shorten the moment of separation, judging by my own heart of the emotion of my dear wife; for it was impossible we could mutually be without the most painful apprehension, as to what new misfortune might occur on either side during the interval. We all melted into tears;—I seized this instant for drawing Fritz away, and in a few moments the sobs and often repeated adieus of those we left behind, were drowned in the noise of the waves which we were approaching on our way, and which now turned our thoughts upon ourselves and the immediate object of our journey.

The river we were about to pass, was on each side so steep as to be inaccessible, except by one narrow slip near the mouth, on one side, and from whence we had already drawn our supply of fresh water: but there was no means of effecting a passage across from this place, the opposite shore being an unbroken line of sharp, high, perpendicular rocks. We therefore walked on, following the course of the river till we arrived at an assemblage of rocks at which the stream formed a cascade: a few paces beyond, we observed some large fragments of rock which had fallen into the bed of the river; by stepping upon these, and making now and then some hazardous leaps, we at length contrived to reach to the other side. We had proceeded a short way along the rock we ascended in landing, forcing ourselves a passage through overgrown grass mixed with plants, and rendered more capable of resistance by being half dried up by the sun. Perceiving however, that walking on this kind of surface, joined to the heat, would soon exhaust our strength, we looked for a path by which we might descend and proceed along the river, in which direction we hoped to meet with fewer obstacles, and perhaps might discover traces of the boats and of our ship companions.

When we had walked about a hundred paces, we heard a loud noise behind us as if we were pursued, and perceived a rustling motion in the grass, which was almost as tall as ourselves. I confess I was a good deal alarmed, thinking that it was probably occasioned by some frightful serpent, a tiger, or other ferocious animal, which might instantly devour us. But I was well satisfied with the courage of Fritz, who, instead of being frightened and running away, stood still and firm to face the danger; the only motion he made being that of seeing that his piece was fit to be discharged, and turning himself to front the spot from whence the noise proceeded. Our alarm however was of short duration; for what was our joy on seeing rush out, not an enemy, but our faithful Turk whom in the distress of the parting scene we had quite forgotten, and whom no doubt our anxious relatives had sent on to us! We received the poor fellow with lively joy, and did not fail to commend both the bravery and discretion of my son, in not yielding to even a rational alarm, and for waiting till he was sure of the object before he resolved to fire: had he done otherwise, he might have destroyed a creature formed to afford us various kinds of aid, and to contribute by the kindness of his temper to the pleasures of our domestic scene. Observe, my dear boy, said I, to what dangers the tumult of the passions exposes us: the anger which over-powered you yesterday, and the terror natural to the occasion we have this moment witnessed, if you had unfortunately given way to it, might either of them have produced for us an irretrievable misfortune.

Fritz assured me he was sensible of truth and importance of my remarks; that he would watch constantly over the defects of his temper: and then he fell to caressing the faithful and interesting animal.

Conversing on such subjects as these, we pursued our way. On our left was the sea, and on our right, at the distance of half a league, the continuation of the ridge of rocks, which extended from the place of our debarkation in a direction nearly parallel with the shore, the summit every where adorned with a fresh verdure and a great variety of trees; and the space between, partly covered with tall grass and partly with small clumps of bushes, which on one side extended to the rocks, and on the other to the sea. We were careful to proceed in a course as near the shore as possible, fixing our eyes rather upon its smooth expanse than upon the land, at every instant in hopes to see something of the boats. We did not however wholly neglect the shore, where we looked about in all directions for the objects of our search: but our endeavours were all in vain; no sign appeared of their having been near the spot.