The Swiss Family Robinson, Told in Words of One Syllable

by Johann David Wyss

  CHAPTER XIV.

  As Fritz and Ernest were now men, they were of course free to go wherethey chose, and to come back when their will led them home. Thus, fromtime to time they took long trips, and went far from Rock House. Theyhad fine boats and strong steeds, and of these they made such good usethat there was scarce a spot for leagues round that was not well knownto them.

  At one time, Fritz had been so long from home that we had a dread lesthe should have lost his way, or fallen a prey to wild beasts. When hecame back he told us a long tale of what he had seen and where he hadbeen, and how he had brought with him birds, beasts, moths, and suchstrange things as he thought Ernest would like to see. When he had done,he drew me out into our grounds and said he had a strange thing to tellme. It seems that he found a piece of white cloth tied to the foot of abird which he had struck down with a stick, on which were these words:"Save a poor soul, who is on the rock from which you may see the smokerise."

  He thought that this rock could not be far off, and that he ought to setoff at once in search of it.

  "I have a thought," said he; "I will tie a piece of cloth, like that Ifound, to the leg of the bird, and on it I will write, 'Have faith inGod: help is near.' If the bird goes back to the place from whence itcame, our brief note may reach the eye of the lone one in the rock. Atany rate, it can do no harm, and may do some good."

  He at once took the bird, which was an AL-BA-TROSS, tied the strip ofcloth to its foot, and let it go.

  "And now," said he, "tell me what you think of this. If we should, finda new friend, what a source of joy it will be. Will you join me in thesearch?"

  "To be sure I will," said I; "and so shall the rest; but we will not yettell them of this."

  They were all glad to take a trip in the large boat, but they could notmake out why we went in such haste.

  "The fact is," said Jack, "Fritz has found some queer thing on the coastthat he can't bring home, and wants us to see it. But I dare say weshall know what it all means in good time."

  Fritz was our guide, and went first in his bark boat, or CA-NOE. In thishe could go round the rocks and shoals that girt the coast, which wouldnot have been safe for the large boat. He went up all the small creekswe met with on the way, and kept a sharp look-out for the smoke by whichhe would know the rock we came out to find.

  I must tell you that once when he came to these parts with Ernest he metwith a TI-GER, and would have lost his life had it not been for his petEa-gle. The brave bird, to save Fritz from the beast, made a swoop downon its head. Fritz thus got off with a scratch or two, but the poor birdwas struck dead by a blow from the paw of its foe. This was a sad lossto Fritz, for his pet had been a kind friend, and would go with him atall times when he went far from home.

  There was scarce a spot we came to that did not bring to the mind ofone of us some such tale as this, so that we were full of talk while theboat bore us on.

  We had been out some days, but could find no trace of what we went insearch. I rose from my berth at dawn, and went on deck with Fritz. Itold him that as we had no clue to the place, we must now give up thesearch. He did not seem to like this, but no more was said. That day wespent on shore, and came back to our boat to sleep at night. Next day wewere to change our course, and trace our way back, for the wind now blewfrom the sea.

  When I went on deck next day I found a short note from Fritz, in whichhe told me that he could not give up the search, but had gone some wayup the coast in his small boat. "Let me beg of you," he wrote, "to liein wait for me here till I come back."

  When he had been gone two days, I felt that I ought to tell my wife thecause of our trip, as it might ease her mind, and she now had some fearlest her son should not be safe. She heard me to the end, and then saidthat she was sure he would not fail, but soon bring back good news.

  As we were all on the look-out for Fritz, we saw his boat a long wayoff.

  "There is no one with him in the boat," said I to my wife; "that doesnot say much for our hopes."

  "Oh, where have you been?" said the boys, all at once, as he came onboard. But they scarce got a word from him. He then drew me on one side,and said, with a smile of joy, "What do you think is the news I bring?"

  "Let me hear it," said I.

  "Then I have found what I went forth to seek, and our search has notbeen in vain."

  "And who is it that you have found?"

  "Not a man," he said, "but a girl. The dress she wears is that of a man,and she does not wish at first that her sex should be known to more thatwe can help, for she would not like to meet Ernest and the rest in thatstate, if they knew that she was a girl. And, strange to tell," saidFritz, "she has been on shore three years."

  While I went to tell the news to my wife, Fritz had gone down to hisberth to change his clothes, and I must say that he took more care tolook neat in his dress than was his wont at home.

  He was not long, and when he came on deck he bid me say no word to therest of whom he had found. He leaped like a frog in to his light craft,and led the way. We were soon on our course through the rocks andshoals, and an hour's sail, with the aid of a good breeze, brought us toa small tract of land, the trees of which hid the soil from our view.

  Here we got close in to the shore, and made our bark safe. We all gotout, and ran up the banks, led by the marks that Fritz had made in thesoil with his feet. We soon found a path that led to a clump of trees,and there saw a hut, with a fire in front, from which rose a stream ofsmoke.

  As we drew near I could see that the boys did not know what to make ofit, for they gave me a stare, as if to ask what they were to see next.They did not know how to give vent to their joy when they saw Fritz comeout of the hut with a strange youth, whose slight make, fair face, andgrace of form, did not seem to match well with the clothes that hungupon his limbs.

  It was so long since we had seen a strange face, that we were all lothto speak first. When I could gain my speech I took our new friend by thehand, and told her in words as kind as I could call to my aid, how, gladwe were to have thus found her.

  Fritz, when he bade Ernest and Jack shake bands with her, spoke of ournew friend as James, but she could not hide her sex from my wife, forher first act was to fall on her breast and weep. The boys were not slowto see through the trick, and made Fritz tell them that "James" was notthe name they should call her by.

  I could not but note that our strange mode of life had made my sonsrough, and that years of rude toil had worn off that grace and easewhich is one of the charms of well-bred youth.

  I saw that this made the girl shy of them, and that the garb she worebrought a blush to her cheek. I bade my wife take charge of her, andlead her down to the boat, while the boys and I stood a while to speakof our fair guest.

  When we got on board we sat down to hear Fritz tell how he came to findMiss Jane, for that was her real name; but he had not told half his talewhen he saw my wife and her new friend come up on deck. She still had ashy look, but as soon as she saw Fritz she held out her hand to him witha smile, and this made us feel more at our ease.

  The next day we were to go back to our home, and on the way Fritz was totell us what he knew of Miss Jane, for his tale had been cut short whenshe came on the deck with my wife. The boys did all they could to makeher feel at home with them, and by the end of the day they were the bestof friends.

  The next day we set sail at sun rise; for we had far to go, and the boyshad a strange wish to hear Fritz tell his tale.

  When the boat had made a fair start, we all sat down on the deck, withJane in our midst, while Fritz told his tale to the end.

  Jane Rose was born in IN-DI-A. She was the child of one Cap-tain Rose,whose wife died when Jane was but a babe in arms. When ten years of agehe sent her to a first class school, where she was taught all that wasfit for the child of a rich man to know. In course of time she couldride a horse with some skill, and she then grew fond of most of thefield sports of the East. As the Captain had to go from place to placewith his troops, he
thought that this kind of sport would train her forthe mode of life she would lead when she came to live with him. But thiswas not to be, for one day he told Jane that he must leave the East,and take home the troops. As it was a rule that no girl should sail ina ship with troops on board, he left her to the care of a friend who wasto leave near the same time. He thought fit that she should dress in thegarb of a young man while at sea, as there would then be no need forher to keep in her berth, and he knew that she was strong and brave, andwould like to go on deck, and see the crew at their work. It gave theCaptain pain to part with his child, but there was, no help for it.

  The ship had been some weeks at sea, when one day a storm broke overit, and the wind drove it for days out of its course. The crew did theirbest to steer clear of the rocks, but she struck on a reef and sprung aleak. The boats then put off from the wreck, but a wave broke over theone in which Jane left, and she was borne, half dead with fright, to theplace where we found her. She had been thrown high up on the beach, andthough faint and sick, got out of the reach of the waves. She did notknow if those who were in the boat with her had lost their lives, butshe had seen no trace of them since.

  When she had strength to walk, she found some birds' eggs and shellfish, which she ate, and then went in search of some safe place whereshe could rest for the night. By good chance she had a flint and aknife; with these she set light to some dry twigs, and made a fire,which she did not once let out till the day she left. Her life was atfirst hard to bear, but she was full of hope that some day a ship wouldcome near the shore, to which she could make signs for help. The wildsports of the East in which she took part had made her strong of limb,and she had been taught to make light of such things as would vex mostof her sex.

  She built a hut to sleep in, and made snares to catch birds. Some ofthem she made use of for food, and some she let go with bits of clothtied to their legs, on which she wrote words, in the hope that theymight meet the eye of some one who could help her. This, as we knew, hadled Fritz to make his search, the end of which had brought as much joyto us as to the young friend who now sat in our midst.

  When Fritz had told us this, and much more, we came in sight of SafeBay. He then took Ernest with him in his small boat, and left us to goup the stream as fast as he could to Rock House, so as to make the placelook neat by the time we brought home our guest. The two boys--for to usthey were still boys--met us on the beach. Fritz, with a look of pride,gave his hand to Jane, and I could see a slight blush rise to her cheekas she gave him hers. He then led her up the path, on each side of whichgrew a row of young trees, and took her to a seat in our grounds. Therehe and Ernest had spread out a feast of our best food--fish, fowls, andfruit, and some of my wife's choice jam--whilst our burnt clay platemade a great show on the board, for it was set out with some taste. Wehad a wish to show Jane that, though the coast was a wild kind of place,still there were means to make life a joy to those who dwelt on it, ifthey chose to use them. As for Jane, the sight of our home, the styleof our feast, and the kind words of the boys, were things so new to her,that she knew not what to say.

  "I shall tell no more than the truth," she said, "when I say that whatyou have shown me is of far more worth than all the wealth I have seenin the East, and that I feel more joy this day than I have felt in allthe days of my life. I can use no terms less strong than these to showhow much I thank you."

  This was just the kind of speech to please the boys, for there had beenno one to praise their work till now. When the meal was done, my wifebrought out some of her best wine, and we drank to the health of ourguest in great state, and with loud cheers. We then made a tour of ourhouse and grounds, that Jane might see the whole of the place that fromthis time she was to make her home. It would take me a long time to tellwhat she thought of all she saw, or the neat things she said in praiseof our skill, as we took her from place to place. My wife's room, inwhich were kept the pots and pans to dress our food, and the plates,bowls, and cups, out of which we ate, took her some time to view; forshe had long felt the want of such things as she now saw we had made forour own use out of what we could find.

  The next day we all went to The Nest, and when the rainy season cameround, Jane knew the place quite as well as we did. My wife found inher a true friend, for she soon took a large share of the work offher hands, and did it with so much skill, and with so strong a wish toplease us, that we grew to love her as if she had been our own child.

  When the time came for us to keep in doors from the rain, the boys wouldoft lay by their work, and sit to hear Jane talk of what she had seen inthe East, and Ernest and Fritz would read to her by turns such books asshe might choose. I was glad to see that this wrought a great change inmy sons, whose mode of life had made them rough in their ways and loudin their speech--faults which we did not think of so long as there wasno one to see or hear them.

  When the spring came, the boys went in our boat to the spot where theyhad found Jane, which we now knew by the name of "Jane's Isle," andbrought back some beans, which were new to them. These we found to beCOF-FEE. Jane told us that they were by no means scarce, but that shehad not made use of them, as she knew no way to roast or grind thebeans, which she found in a green state.

  "Do you think," said my wife, "that the plant would grow here?"

  I then thought for the first time how fond she was of it. There had beensome bags on board the ship, but I had not brought them from the wreck;and my wife had once said that she would like to see the plant in ourground. Now that we knew where to get it, she told me that it was one ofthe few things that she felt the loss of. When the boys heard this, theyset out on a trip to Jane's Isle, and while there they went to the spotwhere she had dwelt for so long, and sought for what things she had leftwhen she came to live with us.

  All these were brought to Rock, House, and I may tell you that Fritz setgreat store by them. There were all sorts of odd clothes, which she hadmade of the skin of the sea calf; fish lines wrought out of the hair ofher head; pins made from the bones of fish; a lamp made out of a shell,with a wick of the threads which she had drawn from her hose. There werethe shells she used to cook her food in; a hat made from the breast of alarge bird, the tail of which she had spread out so as to shade her neckfrom the sun; belts, shoes, and odd things of a like kind.

  My wife, who had now a friend of her own sex to talk with, did not feeldull when the boys left us for a time, so they had leave to roam wheretheir wish led them, and to stay as long as they chose. In the courseof time they knew the whole of the isle on which we dwelt. Ernest drewa map of it to scale, so that we could trace their course from placeto place with ease. When they went for a long trip they took some doveswith them, and these birds brought us notes tied to their wings fromtime to time, so that we knew where they were, and could point out thespot on the map.

  I will not dwell on what took place now for some time, for I find thateach year was very much like the last. We had our fields to sow, ourcrops to reap, our beasts to feed and train; and these cares kept ourhands at work, and our minds free from the least thought of our lonemode of life.

  I turn to my log as I write this, and on each page my eye falls on something that brings back to my mind the glad time we spent at Rock House.

  CHAPTER XV.

  IN the spring time of the year, when the rain was past, Fritz and Jackset off on a trip in their boat to Shark Isle. The day was fine, the skyclear, and there was no wind, yet the waves rose and fell as in a storm.

  "See!" cried Jack, "here comes a shoal of whales. They will eat us up."

  "There is no fear of that," said Fritz; "whales will do us no harm, ifwe do not touch them." This proved to be the case. Though any one ofthem might have broken up the boat with a stroke of its tail, they didnot touch it, but swam by in a line, two by two, like a file of troops.

  On Shark Isle, near the shore, we had thrown up a mound, and built afort, on which were set two of the ship's guns. These the boys made arule to fire off, with a view to let us know that the
y were safe, andto try if the guns were still fit for use. This time they found theircharge quite dry, and the guns went off with a loud bang.

  They had just put a plug in the hole of one of the guns, to keep out thewet, when they heard a sound roll through the air.

  "Did you bear that?" said Jack. "I am sure that noise must have comefrom some ship at sea. Let us fire once more."

  But Fritz thought they ought to go home at once and tell me what theyhad heard. They both ran to the boat with all speed, and put out theirstrength to reach home ere the sun went down.

  The day was fine, and as the rain had kept us in doors for two months,we were glad to go down on the beach for a change. All at once I sawthe boys come up the stream in their boat, at a great speed, and the waythey used their sculls led me to think that all was not right.

  "What have you seen, that should thus put two brave youths to flight?"said I.

  Then they told me what had brought them back so soon. I had heard thesound of the two guns which they had fired off, but no more. I toldthem I thought their ears must be at fault, and that the sounds theyhad heard were no more than those of their own guns, which the hills hadsent back through the air. This view of the case did not at all pleasethem, as by this time they well knew what sounds their guns made.

  "It will be a strange thing," said I, "if the hope to which I have solong clung should at last come to be a fact; but we must have a carethat we do not hail a ship the crew of which may rob and kill us for thesake of our wealth. I feel that we have as much cause to dread a foe aswe have grounds of hope that we may meet with friends."

  Our first course was to make the cave quite safe, and then to mountguard where we could see a ship if one should come near the coast. Thatnight the rain came down in a flood, and a storm broke over us, and wewere thus kept in doors for two days and two nights.

  On the third day I set out with Jack to Shark Isle, with a view to seekfor the strange ship which he said he knew must be in some place notfar from the coast. I went to the top of a high rock, but though my eyeswept the sea for miles round, I could see no signs of a sail. I thenmade Jack fire three more shots, to try if they would give the samesound as the two boys had heard. You may judge how I felt, when I heardone! two! three! boom through the air.

  There was now no room for doubt that, though I could not see it, theremust be a ship near Shark's Isle. Jack heard me say this with greatglee, and cried out, "What can we now do to find it?"

  We had brought a flag with us, and I told Jack to haul this up twice tothe top of the staff, by means of which sign those who saw it would knowthat we had good news to tell them.

  I then left Jack on the fort with the guns, and told him to fire as soonas a ship hove in sight. I bent my way at once back to Rock House, totalk with my wife, Jane, and the boys, as to what steps we should nowtake. They all met me on the beach, and made me tell them the news whileI was still in the boat.

  "We know no more," said I, "than the fact that there is still a shipon the coast. You must all now keep in doors, while Fritz and I go insearch of it."

  We set off at noon, and went straight to the west part of the coast,where we thought the sound must have come from. We knew a cape therefrom which we could get a good view of the sea, and by the side of whichlay a small bay.

  When we got round the cape, great was our joy to find a fine ship inthe bay. It was not far off from us, for we could see the ENG-LISH flagfloat in the breeze from one of its masts. I seek in vain to find wordsby means of which I can set forth in print what I then felt. Both Fritzand I fell on our knees and gave thanks to God that He had thus led theship to our coast. If I had not held him back, Fritz would have goneinto the sea with a leap and swum off to the ship.

  "Stay," said I, "till we are quite sure what they are. There are bad menon the seas who put up false flags to lure ships out of their course,and then rob and kill the crew."

  We could now see all that took place on board. Two tents had been setup on the shore, in front of which was a fire; and we could see thatmen went to and fro with planks. There were two men left on guard onthe deck of the ship, and to these we made signs. When they saw us theyspoke to some one who stood near, and whom we thought had charge of theship. He then put his glass up to his eye and took a good view of usthrough it.

  We did not at first like to go too near, but kept our boat some way off.Fritz said he could see that the faces of the men were not so dark asour own.

  "If that be the case," said I, "we are safe, and we may trust theirflag."

  We both sang a Swiss song, and then I cried out at the top of my voicethese words: "Ship ahoy! good men!" But they made no sign that theyheard us. Our song, our boat, and, more than all, our dress, made themno doubt guess that we were wild men of the wood; for at last one ofthe crew on board held up knives and glass beads, which I knew the wildtribes of the New World were fond of. This made us laugh, but we wouldnot as yet draw nigh to the ship, as we thought we ought to meet our newfriends in our best trim.

  We then gave a shout and a wave of the hand, and shot off round the capeas fast as our boat would take us. We soon got back to Rock House, whereour dear ones were on the look-out for us. My wife said we had donequite right to come back, but Jane thought we should have found out whothey were.

  That night none of us slept well; our guest thought there might now bea chance for her to reach her home, and she dreamed she heard thewell-known voice of her sire call her to come to him. The boys were halfcrazed with vague hopes, and lay for hours ere they went to sleep. Mywife and I sat up late to think and talk of the use that might be madeof this chance. We felt that we were now full of years, and should notlike in our old age to leave the place where we had spent the best partof our lives; still we might do some trade with the land from which theship came, if it were but known that we were here, and we might hearnews of our dear Swiss home.

  At break of day we put on board our boat a stock of fruit and freshfood of all kinds, such as we thought the crew of the ship would like tohave, and Fritz and I set sail for the bay. We took with us all the armswe could find, so as not to be at a loss should the crew prove false totheir flag, and turn out to be a set of thieves.

  As we drew near the ship I fired a gun, and told Fritz to hoist a flaglike theirs to the top of our mast, and as we did so the crew gave aloud cheer. I then went on board, and the mate of the ship led me to hischief, who soon put me at my ease by a frank shake of the hand. I thentold him who we were, and how we came to dwell on the isle. I learnedfrom him, in turn, that he was bound for New South Wales; that he knewCaptain Rose, who had lost his child, and that he had made a search forher on the coast. He told me that a storm had thrown him off his course,and that the wind drove him on this coast, where he took care to fillhis casks from a fresh stream that ran by the side of a hill, and totake in a stock of wood.

  "It was then," he said, "that we first heard your guns; and when on thethird day the same sound came to our ears, we knew that there must besome one on the coast, and this led us to put up our tents and wait tillthe crew should search the land round the bay."

  I then made the crew a gift of what we had brought in our boat, and saidto Captain Stone, for that was his name: "I hope, sir, that you will nowgo with me to Rock House, the place where we live, and where you willsee Miss Rose, who will be glad to hear some news of home."

  "To be sure I will, and thank you much," said he; "and I have no doubtthat Mr. West would like to go with us." This Mr. West was on his way,with his wife and two girls, to New South Wales, where he meant to builda house and clear a piece of land.

  We all three then left the ship in our boat, and as we came in sight ofShark Isle, Jack, who was on the fort, fired his guns.

  When we came to the beach, my wife and the rest were there to meetus. Jane was half wild with joy when she heard that Captain Stone hadbrought her good news from home.

  We led them round our house and through the grounds and Mr. West tooknote of all he saw. When we came to ta
lk, I found that he had made uphis mind to stay with us. I need not say how glad I was to hear this,for he had brought out with him a large stock of farm tools, of which wehad long been in want.

  The boys were of course in high glee at all this, but I did not sharetheir joy so much as I could wish. The ship which now lay close to ourshore was the first we had seen since we came to the isle, and no onecould tell when the next might come. My wife and I did not wish toleave. I had a love for the kind of life we led, and we were both at anage when ease and rest should take the place of toil. But then our sonswere young--not yet in the prime of life--and I did not think it rightthat we should keep them from the world. Jane, I could tell, would notstay with us, nor did she hide from us the fact that her heart drew herto the dear one at home, from whom she had been kept so long. So I toldmy wife that I would ask my boys to choose what they would do--to staywith us on the isle, or leave with Captain Stone in the ship.

  Fritz and Jack said they would not leave us; Ernest spoke not a word,but I saw that he had made up his mind to go. I did not grieve at this,as I felt that our isle was too small for the scope of his mind, and didnot give him the means to learn all he could wish. I told him to speakout, when he said he should like to leave the place for a few years, andhe knew Frank had a wish to go with him.

  I thought this would give my wife pain, but she said that the boys hadmade a good choice, and that she knew Ernest and Frank would make theirway in the world.

  Captain Stone gave Jane, Ernest, and Frank leave to go with him, asthere was room in the ship now that the Wests were to stay with us.

  The ship was brought round to Safe Bay, and Fritz and Jack went on boardto fetch Mrs. West and her two girls, who were glad to find that theywere not to go back to the ship, for the storm had made them dread thesea.

  I may here say, by the way, that my wife soon found that her two sonsgrew fond of their fair friends, and gave me a hint that some day weshould see them wed, which would be a fresh source of joy to us.

  I have not much more to tell. The stores I had laid up--furs, pearls,spice, and fruits--were put on board the ship, and left to the care ofmy sons, who were to sell them. And then the time came for us to part. Ineed not say that it was a hard trial for my wife; but she bore up well,for she had made up her mind that it was all for the best, and that hersons would some day come back to see her. I felt, too, that with thehelp of our new friends, we should not miss them so much as we at firstthought, and this we found to be the case.

  As the next day my boys were to leave me, I had a long talk with them. Itold them to act well their part in the new sphere in which they were tomove, and to take as their guide the Word of God. They then knelt downfor me to bless them, and went to their beds in Rock House for the lasttime.

  I got no sleep all that night, nor did the two boys, who were to startthe next day.

  As Ernest takes this Tale with him--which I gave him leave to print,that all may know how good God has been to us--I have no time to addmore than a few words.

  The ship that is to take from us our two sons and our fair guest willsail from this coast in a few hours, and by the close of the day threewho are dear to us will have gone from our midst. I can not put downwhat I feel, or tell the grief of my poor wife.

  I add these lines while the boat waits for my sons. May God grant themhealth and strength for the trials they may have to pass through; maythey gain the love of those with whom they are now to dwell; and maythey keep free from taint the good name of the Swiss Family Robinson.

  THE END.