The family Robinson Crusoe

by Johann David Wyss

Early the next morning, though it was scarcely light enough to distinguish the coast, I was already on the deck of the vessel, endeavouring to have a sight of the beloved inhabitants of the tent through a spying-glass. Fritz speedily prepared a good substantial breakfast of biscuit and ham; but before we sat down to this refreshment, we recollected that in the captain’s cabin we had seen a telescope of a much superior size and power, and we hastily conveyed it upon the deck. While this was doing, the brightness of the day had succeeded to the imperfect light of an earlier hour. I eagerly fixed my eye to the glass, and discovered my wife coming out of the tent and looking attentively towards the vessel, and we at the same moment perceived the motion of the flag upon the shore. A load of care and solicitude was thus taken from my heart; for now I had obtained the certainty that the beloved beings I had left were all in good health, and had escaped the dangers of the night. Fritz, said I to my boy, I thought this morning that it would be impossible for me to remain another moment on board the vessel, without returning to see what was passing in the island; but now that I have had a sight of your mother, and an assurance of their being well and safe, my compassion is awakened for the poor creatures on board, who are in so wretched a condition, and every hour in danger of destruction: a great object of my anxiety now, is to endeavour to save the lives of some of them at least, and to take them with us to the shore.

Would it be impossible to construct a raft, to get them all upon it, and in this way afford them a conveyance? said Fritz.

But recollect, my boy, what a difficulty we should find in completing such a raft, and that a greater still would be to induce a cow, an ass, and a sow, either to get upon a raft, or, when there, to remain motionless and quiet. The sheep and goats one might perhaps find means to remove, they being of a more accommodating temper; but for the larger animals, I am quite at a loss how to proceed. Do you consider of it, and tell me what thoughts occur to your young and active imagination.

My advice, father, is, to tie a long rope round the sow’s neck, and throw her without ceremony into the sea: her immense weight will be sure to sustain her above water; and we can easily get hold of the other end of the rope and draw her after the boat.

Your idea is excellent, my boy: but unfortunately it cannot be applied to any of the animals except the pig; and I confess, she is the one I care the least about preserving.

Then here is another idea, father: let us tie a swimming-jacket round the body of each animal, and contrive to throw them into the water; you will see that they will swim like fish, and we can draw them after us in the same manner.

Right, very right, my boy; your invention is admirable: let us therefore not lose a moment in making the experiment.

We accordingly hastened to the execution of our design: we fixed on a jacket to one of the lambs, and threw it into the sea; and full of fear, of hope, and anxious curiosity, I followed the poor animal with my eyes. He sunk at first under water, and I thought he was drowned; but he soon re-appeared, shaking the water from his head, and in a few seconds we perceived that he had learned completely the art of swimming. After another interval, we observed that he appeared fatigued, gave up his efforts, and suffered himself without resistance to be borne along by the course of the water, which conducted and sustained him to our complete satisfaction. Victory! exclaimed I, hugging my boy with delight: these useful animals are all our own; let us not lose a moment in adopting the same measures with those that remain, but take care not to lose our little lamb. Fritz now would have jumped eagerly into the water to follow the poor creature, who was still floating safely on the surface; but I stopped him till I had seen him tie on one of the swimming-jackets, and then I suffered him to go. He took with him a rope, first making a slip knot in it, and, soon overtaking the lamb, threw it round his neck, and thus drew him to our boat; and then, to his great content, drew him out of the water.

We then went and looked out four small casks, such as had been used for keeping the fresh water for the vessel. I first emptied them of their contents, and then carefully closed them again; next I bound them together with a large piece of sail-cloth, the two ends of which I nailed to each. I strengthened this with a second piece of sail-cloth, and this machine I destined to support the cow and the ass, two casks to each, the animal being placed in the middle with a cask on either side. The weight of the animal pressed down the sail-cloth, and would have brought the casks into close contact on each side, but that I took care to insert a wisp of hay or straw, to prevent injurious friction or pressure. I added a thong of leather, stretching from the casks across the breast and haunches of the animal, to make the whole secure; and thus, in less than an hour, both my cow and my ass were equipped for swimming.

It was next the turn of the smaller animals: of these, it was the sow who gave us the most trouble; we were first obliged to put her on a muzzle to prevent her biting; and this being done, we tied a large piece of cork under her body. The sheep and goats were more docile, and we had soon accoutred them for the expedition. And now we had succeeded in assembling our whole company on the deck, in readiness for the voyage: we tied a cord to either the horns or the neck of each animal, and to the other end of the cord a piece of wood similar to the mode used for marking nets, that it might be easy for us to take hold of the ropes, and so draw the animal to us if it should be necessary. We struck away some more of the shattered pieces of wood from the side of the vessel, which only served to encumber the cleft by which we had entered, and were again to pass to put out to sea, when we should have completed our last work of throwing the animals into it. We began our experiment with the ass, by conducting him as near as possible to the brink of the vessel, and then suddenly shoving him off. He fell into the water, and for a moment disappeared; but we soon saw him rise, and in the action of swimming between his two barrels, with a grace which really merited our commendation.