The Swiss Family Robinson: A Translation from the Original German

THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON A Translation from the Original German BY JOHANN RUDOLF WYSS

CHAPTER I. Storm-tossed—Wrecked—Deserted—Supper—We make swimming-belts for the children—An anxious night—The gale moderates—We examine our cargo—Jack introduces two new acquaintances—How shall we get on shore?—Jack's plan—We adopt it—The use of a lever—Our tug-boat completed—Another night on the wreck—We collect the cargo—And embark—Jack's friends will not be left behind—Steer for the shore—Once more on land—We erect a tent—Glue soup—Jack makes the acquaintance of a lobster—Ernest shirks the water—Oysters and salt—How shall we eat our soup?—Ernest solves the difficulty—Fritz returns—The sucking pig—How to open an oyster and how to eat it—The dogs devour the agouti—Fritz's anger—Our first night in the new country.

CHAPTER II. A morning consultation—Breakfast—Away on an expedition—Over the stream and through the grass—An unexpected reinforcement—Search in vain for our comrades—Rest by a stream—Fritz finds a "round bird's nest"—Natural history of a cocoanut—Calabash trees—The use of gourds—How to make a bottle—A lovely but lonely scene—Sugar-canes—Monkeys of use—Cocoanut milk turned to champagne—Turk kills an unfortunate mother monkey—Carry the orphan home—Display our treasures—A sumptuous supper—Ernest's penguin—Champagne turned to vinegar—A fight with jackals—A curious sentinel—A visit to the wreck—We rig our craft—Stow a cargo—Sleep on board—Floats for our herd—We embark—Encounter a shark—Land—Relate our adventures.

CHAPTER III. The mother relates her adventures—Proposes that we should build a nest—How Jack treated the jackal skin—How the boys were surprised by a bustard—How they found the mangrove tree—How the dogs caught the crabs—We discuss the possibility of making a house in the tree—To bed once more—We start for the wreck—The shark again—Return to land—Franz's crawfish—Bridge building—We pack up—A family removing in patriarchal style—A prickly enemy—Jack shoots it—We reach our new home—Fritz rids our poultry of an enemy—Little Franz finds the figs—Dinner—We prepare materials for our nest—Flamingoes—Roast and tame—The use of trigonometry—A cord carried over the bough—The rope ladder made—We mount our tree—Sleep under the roots—The building of the nest—Retire to roost for the first time.

CHAPTER IV. A day of rest—A parable for the young people—Quiet recreation—Geographical nomenclature—The margay and porcupine skins made of use—An expedition to Tentholm—Potatoes, potatoes—Tropical vegetation—The use of the karatas—Jack's greediness and its punishment—Ernest discovers cochineal—Arrive at Tentholm—The poultry rebellious—Return to Falconhurst—Ernest roused out early—We collect wood for a sledge—Master Knips turns thief—Franz's plan for the saving of ammunition—Ernest and I take the sledge to Tentholm—Ernest's laziness exemplified—He catches a salmon—We start for home—Kill a kangaroo—And cook it.

CHAPTER V. Jack and Ernest disappear—Fritz and I start for the wreck—The boys ambuscade—We form a raft—Ransack the vessel—Again embark—A turtle in sight—Fritz harpoons it—The turtle acts as "Steam Tug"—Safe ashore—Return home—Jack's clay field—A fresh discovery—The mother's cellar—A trip to the wreck—The pinnace—Jack's raid on the Lilliputians—A secret revealed—A new method of grinding flour—Wholesome or poisonous?—Bread-making in earnest.

CHAPTER VI. Now for the pinnace—Repeated visits to the wreck—The pinnace built—How shall we cut her out—The difficulty solved—We fit her out—Fire a salute—The mother's surprise—We visit Falconhurst—Attend to our fruit trees—Athletics—The lasso—An excursion—A bustard captured—Ernest discovers a magician—Jack fights him—The Liane Rouge—We turn carvers—Ernest's alarm—The old sow again—We discover a sleeping beauty—Return with it to the camp—Knips pronounces our apples "good"—Return to Falconhurst.

CHAPTER VII. Fritz and I return to the Calabash Wood—Fritz shoots a ruffed grouse—We come across waxberry bushes—Sociable grosbeaks—Fritz captures a parrot—A lecture on ants—Caoutchouc trees—The sago-palm and the edible worms—Return with sugar-canes to Falconhurst—Candle-making—How to make butter without a churn—Plant trees and adorn Tentholm—Last visit to the wreck—The first ducklings on the island—Falconhurst again—An excursion—We pitch our tent—Fritz and Jack ascend the cocoanut trees—Ernest brings us a delicacy—Loss of Grizzle—Jack and I go in pursuit—Giant bamboos—Encounter with buffaloes—The buffalo calf—Find a jackal's lair—Reach our camp—What happened in our absence—Fritz's pet—Sago manufacture—Meet with our sow and her family again—How Ernest tamed the eagle.

CHAPTER VIII. Prop our young trees—A lecture on grafting—A new idea broached—Why should we not build stairs within the trunk of our tree?—Jack finds one objection—I make a beehive, and we drive the bees from the tree—Stair-making—Additions to our family of domestic animals—The education of the "pets"—Shoemaking—We lead water from the stream to Falconhurst—A strange animal approaches—Our old ass and his companion—The onager captured—Provisioning our winter quarters—Capture of ruffed grouse—We discover flax—The rainy season.

CHAPTER IX. Spring again—We begin to hew a cave—Jack makes a discovery—We drive the foul air from the cavern—The mother and her boys join us—We explore the cave—Fit it up as our winter quarters—The herring-bank—We catch seals—Fishing on a grand scale—Isinglass and caviare—We visit our plantations—An expedition to establish a colony—The building of "Woodlands"—Jack and Fritz return to Falconhurst for provisions—Ernest and I explore—A "beast with a bill"—We build a canoe—Franz undertakes the education of Grumble—We continue our work at the cave—Carpet making—Thanksgiving-day—A startling salute—Athletics and shooting—Prize giving—Manufacture of birdlime—Fritz and Jack ride off for caoutchouc—Shoot a crane and badger—Find "Woodlands" turned upside down by monkeys—Discover ginseng.