The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
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The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
Children's literature
I slept some hours, but perpetually disturbed with dreams of the
place I had left, and the dangers I had escaped. However, upon
waking, I found myself much recovered. It was now about eight
o'clock at night, and the captain ordered supper immediately,
thinking I had already fasted too long. He entertained me with
great kindness, observing me not to look wildly or talk
inconsistently; and when we were left alone, desired I would give
him a relation of my travels; and by what accident I came to be
set adrift in that monstrous wooden chest. He said that about
twelve o'clock at noon, as he was looking through his glass, he
spied it at a distance, and thought it was a sail, which he had a
mind to make, being not much out of his course, in hopes of buying
some biscuit, his own beginning to fall short. That upon coming
nearer, and finding his error, he sent out his long-boat, to
discover what it was; that his men came back in fright, swearing
they had seen a swimming house. That he laughed at their folly,
and went himself in the boat, ordering his men to take a strong
cable along with them. That the weather being calm, he rowed round
me several times, observed my windows and wire lattices that
defended them. That he discovered two staples upon one side, which
was all of boards, without any passage for light. He then
commanded his men to row up to that side, and fastening a cable to
one of the staples, ordered them to tow my chest, as they called
it, toward the ship. When it was there he gave directions to
fasten another cable to the ring fixed in the cover, and to raise
up my chest with pulleys, which all the sailors were not able to
do above two or three feet. He said they saw my stick and
handkerchief thrust out of the hole, and concluded that some
unhappy man must be shut up in the cavity. I asked whether he or
the crew had seen any prodigious birds in the air about the time
he first discovered me? To which he answered, that discoursing
this matter with the sailors while I was asleep, one of them said
he had observed three eagles flying toward the north, but remarked
nothing of their being larger than the usual size; which I suppose
must be imputed to the great height they were at; and he could not
guess the reason of my question. I then asked the captain how far
he reckoned we might be from land? He said, by the best
computation he could make, we were at least a hundred leagues. I
assured him that he must be mistaken by almost half, for I had not
left the country whence I came above two hours before I dropped
into the sea. Whereupon he began again to think that my brain was
disturbed, of which he gave me a hint, and advised me to go to bed
in a cabin he had provided. I assured him I was well refreshed
with his good entertainment and company, and as much in my senses
as ever I was in my life. He then grew serious, and desired to ask
me freely whether I were not troubled in my mind by the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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