The family Robinson Crusoe

by Johann David Wyss

Ernest.—Besides the squirrels, I recollect only the mice, the marmots, the hares, the beavers, the porcupines, and the jumpers.

Father.—The jumpers! That word furnishes the necessary clue; the animal is completely formed like the gerboa or jumping hare, except that it is twice the size of those of which I have read a description...... Wait a moment, an idea strikes me. I will lay a wager that our animal is one of the large jumpers, called kangaroo; it belongs properly to the genus Didelphis or Philander; because the female, who never bears more than one young one, carries it in a kind of purse placed between her hind legs. To the best of my knowledge, this animal has never been seen but on the coast of New Holland, where it was first observed by the celebrated navigator Captain Cook. You may then be highly flattered with your adventure, in killing an animal at once so rare and so remarkable.

Ernest.—You had very nearly, however, deprived me of the honour. How happened it, father, that you missed him? you, who are so much better a shot than I! I confess I should have been much mortified in your place.

Father.—I, on the contrary, rejoice in the circumstance.

Ernest.—Well, that is droll enough; and I cannot understand how any one can rejoice at having missed an animal in firing. Will you explain it to me?

Father.—I rejoice, because I love my son better than myself, and take a more lively interest in his pleasure, and in any little cause of exultation he may have, than if the occasion were more immediately connected with myself.—Ernest, affected by my remark, ran to embrace me. How truly I recognise in this assurance the kind temper of my ever indulgent father! cried he.—Your gratitude but increases my satisfaction, added I, embracing him in my turn; but now let us see if we shall be able to drag the animal to the sledge. Ernest requested that I would rather assist him to carry it, as he was afraid of spoiling its beautiful mouse-coloured skin, by dragging it on the ground. I therefore tied the fore legs of the kangaroo together; and by means of two canes, we with considerable trouble contrived to carry it to the sledge, upon which it was securely fastened.

Ponto, who first discovered the kangaroo, had lost the scent, and was scampering about in the tall grass, no doubt with the hope of recovering his prey. We called him to us, and loaded him with caresses and applauses: but he seemed indifferent to our most flattering addresses; he kept close to the kangaroo, and licked its wound, which was still bleeding. Having now nothing more to detain us, we continued our road towards Falcon’s Stream. As we walked along, we conversed on the subject of natural history, and on the necessity of studying it in our youth, that we might learn to class plants and animals according to their characteristic marks; and we observed, that to such a knowledge as this it was owing, that we had recognised the kangaroo. Ernest entreated me to tell him all I knew about the animal. It is, said I, a most singular kind of creature; and having hitherto been little observed, it furnishes but few particulars for narration. Its fore legs, as you see, have scarcely the third part of the length of the hind ones, and the most it can do, is to make them serve the purpose of walking; but the hind legs enable it to make prodigious jumps, the same as in the flea and the grasshopper. The food of the kangaroo consists of herbs and roots, which they dig up very skilfully with their fore legs. They place themselves upon their hind legs, which are doubled under them, as if on a chair, and by this means are able to look above even the tall kinds of grass; they rest too upon their tail, which is exceedingly strong, and is also of great use to them in jumping, by assisting the spring from the ground. It is said that the kangaroo, if deprived of its tail, would scarcely be able to jump at all.

We at length arrived happily, though somewhat late, at Falcon’s Stream, having heard from a great distance the kind welcome of the salutations of our family. Our companions all ran to meet us: but it was now, on seeing the ludicrous style of the dress of the three boys, our turn for immoderate fits of laughter: one had on a sailor’s shirt, which trained round him like the robe of a spectre; another was buried in a pair of pantaloons, which were fastened round his neck and reached to the ground; and the third had a long waistcoat which came down to the instep, and gave him the exact form of a travelling portmanteau. They all tried to jump about; but finding this impossible from the length of their garments, they next resolved to carry off the whole with an air, by strutting slowly to and fro in the manner of a great personage in a theatre. After some hearty laughing, I inquired of my wife what could be the cause of this masquerade, and whether she had assisted them in attempting to act a comedy for our amusement. She disclosed the mystery by informing me, that her three boys had also been into the water, to bathe, and that while they were thus engaged, she had washed all their clothes; but as they had not dried so soon as she expected, her little rioters had become impatient, and had fallen on the chest of sailor’s clothes, and each had taken from it what article he pleased. I preferred, said she, that you should see them in this odd sort of a disguise rather than quite naked, like little savages; in which opinion, I assured her that I heartily joined.

It was now our turn to give an account of our journey: in proportion as we advanced in our narrative, we presented, one after another, casks, bulrushes, salt, fish, and lastly, with infinite triumph, our beautiful kangaroo. In a trice it was surrounded, examined, and admired by all, and such a variety of questions asked, that Ernest and I scarcely knew which to answer first. Fritz was the only one who was a little silent. I saw plainly by his countenance, what was passing in his mind. He was jealous of the good fortune of his brother Ernest; but I also saw, that he was struggling manfully against the ascendancy of so mean a passion, and was resolving to conquer it. In a short time, he had succeeded so completely, that he joined frankly and unaffectedly in our conversation and merriment, and I am persuaded, no one but myself perceived what was passing in his mind. He came near the kangaroo, and examined it with great attention; then turning to his brother, he observed to him in a kind tone, that he had had good luck, and that he must be a good shot to have killed the kangaroo with so little difficulty. But, father, said he, when you go again to Tent House, or on any other excursion, will it not be my turn to go with you? For here at Falcon’s Stream there is nothing new to amuse us; a few thrushes, and some pigeons; this is all we have from day to day, and I find it very tiresome.

I will promise you with all my heart what you desire, my dear boy, said I, for you have valiantly combated the ill humour and the jealousy which assailed your temper, on witnessing your brother’s success with the kangaroo. I therefore promise, that you shall accompany me in my very next excursion, which will probably take place at no greater distance of time than tomorrow; and it will be another journey to the vessel. But in the mean time, let me observe to you, my dear Fritz, that you ought to be more flattered with the high opinion I must entertain of your prudence and judgement, in leaving you here, in charge of your mother and your brothers, than with the applause due to the event of killing a kangaroo. You have accomplished an important duty, in keeping near them all the time, and not suffering yourself to be allured by such amusements as presented themselves to your fancy; and this conduct has increased my affection and respect for you. Some praise is also due to Ernest, for the moderation with which he has felt his triumph, in so extraordinary an occurrence; for he has not even told you of my humiliating failure in attempting to shoot the kangaroo. To triumph over our passions, and to have on all occasions a perfect government of our temper, is an acquisition of infinitely more value, than the showing a certain skill in firing off a gun, and killing an innocent animal. We happen, in our situation, to be forced upon the cultivation of such arts as these; but though we may practise them as necessary for our existence, we have no reason to be proud of them.