The Swiss Family Robinson: A Translation from the Original GermanWyss, Johann David
General
The Swiss Family Robinson: A Translation from the Original German
Wyss, Johann David
Family life -- Fiction; Islands -- Fiction; Survival -- Fiction
My intention had been simply to take the vessels round to the harbor in
Safety Bay, but the calm sea and fine weather tempted me to make another
trip to the wreck. It took up more time than I expected, so that, when
on board, we could only make a further examination of the cargo, collect
a few portable articles, and then avail ourselves of the sea-breeze
which would fail us later in the evening.
To Jack the pleasure of hunting about in the hold was novel and
charming, and very soon a tremendous rattling and clattering heralded
his approach with a wheel-barrow, in the highest spirits at his good
fortune in having found such a capital thing in which to bring home
potatoes.
He was followed by Fritz, whose news was still more important. He had
found, carefully packed and enclosed within partitions, what appeared to
be the separate parts of a pinnace, with rigging and fittings complete,
even to a couple of small brass guns. This was a great discovery, and I
hastened to see if the lad was right. Indeed he was, but my pleasure was
qualified by a sense of the arduous task it would be to put such a craft
together so as to be fit for sea. For the present we had barely time to
get something to eat and hurry into the boat, where were collected our
new acquisitions, namely, a copper boiler, iron plates, tobacco-graters,
two grindstones, a small barrel of powder, and another of flints, two
wheel-barrows, besides Jack's, which he kept under his own especial
care.
As we drew near the shore, we were surprised to see a number of little
figures ranged in a row along the water's edge, and apparently gazing
fixedly at us. They seemed to wear dark coats and white waistcoats, and
stood quite still with their arms dropping by their sides, only every
now and then one would extend them gently, as though longing to embrace
us.
"Ah! here at last come the pigmy inhabitants of the country to welcome
us!" cried I, laughing.
"Oh, father!" exclaimed Jack, "I hope they are Lilliputians! I once read
in a book about them, so there must be such people, you know, only these
look rather too large."
"You must be content to give up the Lilliputians and accept penguins, my
dear Jack," said I. "We have not before seen them in such numbers, but
Ernest knocked one down, if you remember, soon after we landed. They can
neither fly nor run."
We were gradually approaching the land as I spoke, and no sooner was the
water shallow, than out sprang Jack from his tub, and wading ashore,
took the unsuspecting birds by surprise, and with his stick laid half a
dozen, right and left, either stunned or dead at his feet. The rest
escaped into the water, dived, and disappeared.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account