Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wiss, Chapter three.
At break of day, I was waked by the crowing
of the cock. I summoned my wife to counsel to
consider on the business of the day. We agreed that
our first duty was to seek for our shipmates and
(00:21):
to examine the country beyond the river. Before we came
to any decisive resolution, my wife saw we could not
all go on this expedition, and courageously agreed to remain
with her three youngest sons, while Fritz, as the eldest
and boldest, should accompany me. I begged her to prepare
breakfast immediately, which she warned me would be scanty, as
(00:43):
no soup was provided. I asked for Jack's lobster, but
it was not to be found. Whilst my wife made
the fire and put on the pot, I called the children,
and asking Jack for the lobster. He brought it from
a crevice in the rock where he had hidden it
from the dogs. He said, who did not despise anything eatable?
I am glad to see you profit by the misfortunes
(01:05):
of others, said I, And now you give up that
large claw that caught your leg and which I promised
you to Fritz as a provision for his journey. All
were anxious to go on this journey and leaped a
round me like little kids. But I told them we
could not all go. They must remain with their mother,
with Flora for a protector. Fritz and I would take
(01:28):
Turk with him and a loaded gun. I thought we
should inspire respect. I then ordered Fritz to tie up
Flora and get the guns ready. Fritz blushed and tried
in vain to straighten his crooked gun. I let him
go on for some time, and then allowed him to
take another, for I saw he was penitent. The dogs, too,
(01:50):
snarled and would not let him approach them. He wept
and begged some biscuit from his mother, declaring he would
give up his own breakfast to make his peace with
the dogs. He fed them, caressed them, and seemed to
ask pardon. The dog is always grateful. Flora soon licked
his hands. Turk was more unrelenting, appearing to distrust him.
(02:13):
Give him a claw, the lobster, said Jack, for I
make you a present of the hole for your journey.
Don't be too uneasy about them, said Ernest. They will
certainly meet with cocoanuts as Robinson did. Very different food
to your wretched lobster. Think of an almond as big
as my head with a large cupful of rich milk. Pray, brother,
(02:34):
bring me one if you find any, said Francis. We
began our preparation. We each took a game bag and
a hatchet. I gave Fritz a pair of pistols in
addition to his gun, equipped myself in the same way,
and took care to carry biscuit in a flask of
fresh water. The lobster proved so hard at breakfast that
the boys did not object to our carrying off the remainder.
(02:57):
And though the flesh is coarse, it is very new tricius.
I proposed before we departed to have prayers, and my
thoughtless Jack began to imitate the sound of church bells
ding dong to prayers prayers, ding dong. I was really
angry and reproved him severely for jesting about sacred things. Then,
(03:19):
kneeling down, I prayed God's blessing on our undertaking and
his pardon for us all, especially for him who had
now so grievously sinned. Poor Jack came and kneeled by me,
weeping and begging for forgiveness from me and from God.
I embraced him and enjoined him and his brothers to
obey their mother. I then loaded the guns I left
(03:41):
with them, and charged my wife to keep near the
boat their best refuge. We took leave of our friends
with many tears, as we did not know what dangers
might to sail us in an unknown region. But the
murmur of the river which we were now approaching, drowned
the sound of their sobs, and we bet our thoughts
on our journey. The bank of the river was so
(04:05):
steep that we could only reach the bed at one
little opening near the sea, where we had procured our water.
But here the opposite side was guarded by a ridge
of lofty, perpendicular rocks. We were obliged to ascend the
river to a place where it fell over some rocks,
some fragments of which, having fallen, made a sort of
(04:26):
stepping stones, which enabled us to cross with some hazard.
We made our way with difficulty through the high grass,
withered by the sun directing our course towards the sea,
in hopes of discovering some traces of the boats or
the crew We had scarcely gone a hundred yards when
we heard a loud noise and rustling in the grass,
(04:48):
which was as tall as we were. We imagined we
were pursued by some wild beast, and I was gratified
to observe the courage of Fritz, who, instead of running
away caught, only turned round and presented its peace. What
was our joy when we discovered that the formidable enemy
was only our faithful Turk, whom we had forgotten in
(05:10):
our distress, and our friends had doubtless dispatched him after us.
I applauded my son's presence of mind. A rash act
might have deprived us of this valuable friend. We continued
our way. The sea lay to our left. On our right,
at a short distance ran the chain of rocks, which
(05:30):
were continued from our landing place in a ligne parallel
to the sea. The summits clothed with verdure and various trees.
Between the rocks and the sea, several little woods extended
even to the shore, to which we kept as close
as possible, vainly looking out on land or sea for
(05:51):
any trace of our crew. Fritz proposed to fire his
gun as a signal to them if they should be
near us. But I reminded him him that this signal
might bring the savages round us instead of our friends.
He then inquired why we should search after these persons
at all, who so unfeelingly abandoned us on the wreck. First,
(06:14):
said I, we must not return evil for evil. Besides,
they may assist us or be in need of our assistance.
Above all, remember they could save nothing but themselves. We
have got many useful things, which they have as much
right to as we. But we might be saving the
(06:34):
lives of our cattle, said he. We should do our
duty better by saving the life of a man. Answered I, Besides,
our cattle have food for some days, and the sea
is so calm there is no immediate danger. We proceeded
and entering a little wood that extended to the sea.
(06:54):
We rested in the shade near a clear stream and
took some refreshment. We were surrounded by unknown birds, more
remarkable for brilliant plumage than for the charm of their voice.
Fritz thought he saw some monkeys among the leaves, and
turk began to be restless, smelling about and barking very loud.
(07:16):
Fritz was gazing up into the trees when he fell
over a large round substance, which he brought to me.
Observing that it might be a bird's nest, I thought
it more likely to be a cocoanut. The fibrous covering
had reminded him of the description he had read of
the nests of certain birds. But on breaking the shell,
(07:36):
we found it was indeed a cocoanut, but quite decayed
and uneatable. Fritz was astonished. Where was the sweet milk
that Ernest had talked of. I told him the milk
was only in the half ripe nuts that it thickened
and hardened as the nut ripened, becoming a kernel. This
(07:56):
nut had perished from remaining above ground. It had been
in the earth, it would have vegetated and burst the shell.
I advised my son to try if he could not
find a perfect nut. After some search, we found one
and sat down to eat it, keeping our own provision
for dinner. The nut was somewhat rancid, but we enjoyed it,
(08:19):
and then continued our journey. We were some time before
we got through the wood, being frequently obliged to clear
a road for ourselves through the entangled brushwood with our hatchets.
At last, we entered the open plain again and had
a clear view before us. The forest still extended about
(08:39):
a stone's throw to our right, and Fritz, who was
always on the lookout for discoveries, observed a remarkable tree
here and there, which he approached to examine. And he
soon called me to see this wonderful tree with winds
growing on the trunk. On coming up, I was overjoyed
to find this tree, of which there were a great number.
(09:02):
It was the gourd tree, which bears fruit on the trunk.
Fritz asked if these were sponges. I told him to
bring me one and I would explain the mystery. There's one,
said he, Very like a pumpkin, only harder outside of
this shell, said I. We can make plates, dishes, basins
(09:22):
and flasks. We call it the gourd tree. Fritz leap
for joy. Now my dear mother will be able to
serve her soup properly. I asked him if he knew
why the tree bore the fruit on its trunk or
on the thick branches only. He immediately replied that the
smaller branches would not bear the weight of the fruit.
(09:43):
He asked me if this fruit was eatable harmless, I believe,
said I, but by no means delicate Its great value
to savage nations consist in the shell, which they used
to contain their food and drink, and even cook in it.
Fritz I did not comprehend how they could cook in
the shell without burning it. I told him the shell
(10:06):
was not placed on the fire, but being filled with
cold water, and the fish or meat placed in it.
Red hot stones are by degrees introduced into the water
till it attained sufficient heat to cook the food without
injuring the vessel. We then set about making our dishes
and plates. I showed Fritz a better plan for dividing
(10:28):
the gourd than with a knife. I tied a string
tightly round the nut, struck it with the handle of
my knife till an incision was made, then tightened it
till the nut was separated into two equally sized bowls.
Fritz had spoiled his gourd by cutting it irregularly with
his knife. I advised him to try and make spoons
(10:49):
of it, as it would not do for basins. Now,
I told him I had learnt my plan from books
of travels. It is the practice of the savages, who
have no knut wives to use a sort of string
made from the bark of trees for this purpose. But
how can they make bottles? Said he? That requires some preparation,
(11:12):
replied I. They tie a bandage round the young gourd
near the stalk, so that the part at liberty expands
in a round form, and the compressed part remains narrow.
They then open the top and extract the contents by
putting in pebbles and shaking it. By this means they
have a complete bottle. We worked on. Fritz completed a
(11:35):
dish and some plates, to his great satisfaction, but we
considered that, being so frail, we could not carry them
with us. We therefore filled them with sand that the
sun might not warp them, and left them to dry
till we returned. As we went on, Fritz amused himself
with cutting spoons from the rind to the gourd, and
(11:56):
I tried to do the same with the fragments of
the cocoa nut. But I must confess my performances were
inferior to those I had seen in the museum in London,
the work of the south Sea Islanders. We laughed at
our spoons, which would have required mouths from ear to
ear to eat with them. Fritz declared that the curve
(12:16):
of the rind was the cause of that defect. If
the spoons had been smaller, they would have been flat,
and you might as well eat soup with an oyster
shell as with a shovel. While we talked, we did
not neglect looking about for our lost companions. But in vain.
At last we arrived at a place where a tongue
(12:38):
of land ran to some distance into the sea, on
which was an elevated spot favorable for observation. We attained
the summit with great labor, and saw before us a
magnificent prospect of land and water. But with all the
aid our excellent telescope gave us, we could in no
(12:58):
direction discover any trace of man. Nature only appeared in
her greatest beauty. The shore enclosed a large bay, which
terminated on the other side in a promontory. The gentle
rippling of the waves, the varied verdure of the woods,
and the multitude of novelties around us would have filled
(13:20):
us with delight, but for the painful recollection of those
who we now were compelled to believe were buried beneath
that glittering water. We did not feel less, however, the
mercy of God, who had preserved us and given us
a home with a prospect of subsistence and safety. We
(13:41):
had not yet met with any dangerous animals, nor could
we perceive any huts of savages. I remarked my son
that God seemed to have destined us to a solitary
life in this rich country, unless some vessels should reach
these shores, had his will be done, added I, it
(14:01):
must be for the best. Now, let us return to
that pretty wood to rest ourselves and eat our dinner.
Before we return, we proceeded towards a pleasant wood of
palm trees, but before reaching it had to pass through
an immense number of reeds, which greatly obstructed our road.
We were moreover fearful of treading on the deadly serpents
(14:24):
who choose such retreats. We made turk walk before us
to give notice, and I cut a long, thick cane
as a weapon of defense. I was surprised to see
a glutinous juice oozing from the end of the cut cane.
I tasted it and was convinced that we had met
with a plantation of sugar canes. I sucked more of
(14:46):
it and found myself singularly refreshed. I said nothing to Fritz,
that he might have the pleasure of making the discovery himself.
He was walking a few paces before me, and I
called to him to cut himself a cane like mine,
which he did, and soon found out the richest it contained.
He cried out in ecstasy, Oh, Papa, Papa, syrup of
(15:09):
sugar cane delicious. How delighted will dear Mamma and my
brothers be when I carry some to them. He went
on sucking pieces of canes so greedily that I checked him,
recommending moderation. He was then content to take some pieces
to regale himself as he walked home, loading himself with
a huge burden for his mother and brothers. We now
(15:33):
entered the wood of palms to eat our dinner, when
suddenly a number of monkeys, alarmed by our approach and
the barking of the dog, fled like lightning to the
tops of the trees, and then grinned frightfully at us
with loud cries of defiance. As I saw the trees
were cocoa palms, I hoped to obtain by means of
(15:54):
the monkeys, a supply of the nuts in the half
ripe state when filled with milk. I held Fritz's arm,
who was preparing to shoot at them, to his great vexation,
as he was irritated against the poor monkeys for their
derisive gestures. But I told him, though no patron of
monkeys myself, I could not allow it. We had no
(16:16):
right to kill any animal, except in defense or as
a means of supporting life. Besides, the monkeys would be
of more use to us living than dead. As I
would show him, I began to throw stones at the monkeys,
not being able, of course, to reach the place of
their retreat, and they and their anger, and in the
spirit of imitation, gathered the nuts and hurled them on
(16:40):
us in such quantities that we had some difficulty in
escaping from them. We had soon a large stock of
coco nuts. Fritz enjoyed the success of the stratagem, and
when the shower subsided, he collected as many as he wished.
We then sat down and tasted some of the milk
through the three small holes, which we opened with our knives.
(17:01):
We then divided some with our hatchets, and quenched our
thirst with a liquor which is not, however, a very
agreeable flavor. We liked best a sort of thick cream
which adheres to the shells, from which we scraped it
with our spoons, and mixing it with the juice of
the sugar cane, we produced a delicious dish. Turk had
(17:23):
the rest of the lobster, which we now despised, with
some biscuit. We then got up. I tied some nuts
together by their stems, and threw them over my shoulder.
Fritz took his bundle of canes, and we set out homewards.
End of chapter
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wiss, Chapter three.
At break of day, I was waked by the crowing
of the cock. I summoned my wife to counsel to
consider on the business of the day. We agreed that
our first duty was to seek for our shipmates and
(00:21):
to examine the country beyond the river. Before we came
to any decisive resolution, my wife saw we could not
all go on this expedition, and courageously agreed to remain
with her three youngest sons, while Fritz, as the eldest
and boldest, should accompany me. I begged her to prepare
breakfast immediately, which she warned me would be scanty, as
(00:43):
no soup was provided. I asked for Jack's lobster, but
it was not to be found. Whilst my wife made
the fire and put on the pot, I called the children,
and asking Jack for the lobster. He brought it from
a crevice in the rock where he had hidden it
from the dogs. He said, who did not despise anything eatable?
I am glad to see you profit by the misfortunes
(01:05):
of others, said I, And now you give up that
large claw that caught your leg and which I promised
you to Fritz as a provision for his journey. All
were anxious to go on this journey and leaped a
round me like little kids. But I told them we
could not all go. They must remain with their mother,
with Flora for a protector. Fritz and I would take
(01:28):
Turk with him and a loaded gun. I thought we
should inspire respect. I then ordered Fritz to tie up
Flora and get the guns ready. Fritz blushed and tried
in vain to straighten his crooked gun. I let him
go on for some time, and then allowed him to
take another, for I saw he was penitent. The dogs, too,
(01:50):
snarled and would not let him approach them. He wept
and begged some biscuit from his mother, declaring he would
give up his own breakfast to make his peace with
the dogs. He fed them, caressed them, and seemed to
ask pardon. The dog is always grateful. Flora soon licked
his hands. Turk was more unrelenting, appearing to distrust him.
(02:13):
Give him a claw, the lobster, said Jack, for I
make you a present of the hole for your journey.
Don't be too uneasy about them, said Ernest. They will
certainly meet with cocoanuts as Robinson did. Very different food
to your wretched lobster. Think of an almond as big
as my head with a large cupful of rich milk. Pray, brother,
(02:34):
bring me one if you find any, said Francis. We
began our preparation. We each took a game bag and
a hatchet. I gave Fritz a pair of pistols in
addition to his gun, equipped myself in the same way,
and took care to carry biscuit in a flask of
fresh water. The lobster proved so hard at breakfast that
the boys did not object to our carrying off the remainder.
(02:57):
And though the flesh is coarse, it is very new tricius.
I proposed before we departed to have prayers, and my
thoughtless Jack began to imitate the sound of church bells
ding dong to prayers prayers, ding dong. I was really
angry and reproved him severely for jesting about sacred things. Then,
(03:19):
kneeling down, I prayed God's blessing on our undertaking and
his pardon for us all, especially for him who had
now so grievously sinned. Poor Jack came and kneeled by me,
weeping and begging for forgiveness from me and from God.
I embraced him and enjoined him and his brothers to
obey their mother. I then loaded the guns I left
(03:41):
with them, and charged my wife to keep near the
boat their best refuge. We took leave of our friends
with many tears, as we did not know what dangers
might to sail us in an unknown region. But the
murmur of the river which we were now approaching, drowned
the sound of their sobs, and we bet our thoughts
on our journey. The bank of the river was so
(04:05):
steep that we could only reach the bed at one
little opening near the sea, where we had procured our water.
But here the opposite side was guarded by a ridge
of lofty, perpendicular rocks. We were obliged to ascend the
river to a place where it fell over some rocks,
some fragments of which, having fallen, made a sort of
(04:26):
stepping stones, which enabled us to cross with some hazard.
We made our way with difficulty through the high grass,
withered by the sun directing our course towards the sea,
in hopes of discovering some traces of the boats or
the crew We had scarcely gone a hundred yards when
we heard a loud noise and rustling in the grass,
(04:48):
which was as tall as we were. We imagined we
were pursued by some wild beast, and I was gratified
to observe the courage of Fritz, who, instead of running
away caught, only turned round and presented its peace. What
was our joy when we discovered that the formidable enemy
was only our faithful Turk, whom we had forgotten in
(05:10):
our distress, and our friends had doubtless dispatched him after us.
I applauded my son's presence of mind. A rash act
might have deprived us of this valuable friend. We continued
our way. The sea lay to our left. On our right,
at a short distance ran the chain of rocks, which
(05:30):
were continued from our landing place in a ligne parallel
to the sea. The summits clothed with verdure and various trees.
Between the rocks and the sea, several little woods extended
even to the shore, to which we kept as close
as possible, vainly looking out on land or sea for
(05:51):
any trace of our crew. Fritz proposed to fire his
gun as a signal to them if they should be
near us. But I reminded him him that this signal
might bring the savages round us instead of our friends.
He then inquired why we should search after these persons
at all, who so unfeelingly abandoned us on the wreck. First,
(06:14):
said I, we must not return evil for evil. Besides,
they may assist us or be in need of our assistance.
Above all, remember they could save nothing but themselves. We
have got many useful things, which they have as much
right to as we. But we might be saving the
(06:34):
lives of our cattle, said he. We should do our
duty better by saving the life of a man. Answered I, Besides,
our cattle have food for some days, and the sea
is so calm there is no immediate danger. We proceeded
and entering a little wood that extended to the sea.
(06:54):
We rested in the shade near a clear stream and
took some refreshment. We were surrounded by unknown birds, more
remarkable for brilliant plumage than for the charm of their voice.
Fritz thought he saw some monkeys among the leaves, and
turk began to be restless, smelling about and barking very loud.
(07:16):
Fritz was gazing up into the trees when he fell
over a large round substance, which he brought to me.
Observing that it might be a bird's nest, I thought
it more likely to be a cocoanut. The fibrous covering
had reminded him of the description he had read of
the nests of certain birds. But on breaking the shell,
(07:36):
we found it was indeed a cocoanut, but quite decayed
and uneatable. Fritz was astonished. Where was the sweet milk
that Ernest had talked of. I told him the milk
was only in the half ripe nuts that it thickened
and hardened as the nut ripened, becoming a kernel. This
(07:56):
nut had perished from remaining above ground. It had been
in the earth, it would have vegetated and burst the shell.
I advised my son to try if he could not
find a perfect nut. After some search, we found one
and sat down to eat it, keeping our own provision
for dinner. The nut was somewhat rancid, but we enjoyed it,
(08:19):
and then continued our journey. We were some time before
we got through the wood, being frequently obliged to clear
a road for ourselves through the entangled brushwood with our hatchets.
At last, we entered the open plain again and had
a clear view before us. The forest still extended about
(08:39):
a stone's throw to our right, and Fritz, who was
always on the lookout for discoveries, observed a remarkable tree
here and there, which he approached to examine. And he
soon called me to see this wonderful tree with winds
growing on the trunk. On coming up, I was overjoyed
to find this tree, of which there were a great number.
(09:02):
It was the gourd tree, which bears fruit on the trunk.
Fritz asked if these were sponges. I told him to
bring me one and I would explain the mystery. There's one,
said he, Very like a pumpkin, only harder outside of
this shell, said I. We can make plates, dishes, basins
(09:22):
and flasks. We call it the gourd tree. Fritz leap
for joy. Now my dear mother will be able to
serve her soup properly. I asked him if he knew
why the tree bore the fruit on its trunk or
on the thick branches only. He immediately replied that the
smaller branches would not bear the weight of the fruit.
(09:43):
He asked me if this fruit was eatable harmless, I believe,
said I, but by no means delicate Its great value
to savage nations consist in the shell, which they used
to contain their food and drink, and even cook in it.
Fritz I did not comprehend how they could cook in
the shell without burning it. I told him the shell
(10:06):
was not placed on the fire, but being filled with
cold water, and the fish or meat placed in it.
Red hot stones are by degrees introduced into the water
till it attained sufficient heat to cook the food without
injuring the vessel. We then set about making our dishes
and plates. I showed Fritz a better plan for dividing
(10:28):
the gourd than with a knife. I tied a string
tightly round the nut, struck it with the handle of
my knife till an incision was made, then tightened it
till the nut was separated into two equally sized bowls.
Fritz had spoiled his gourd by cutting it irregularly with
his knife. I advised him to try and make spoons
(10:49):
of it, as it would not do for basins. Now,
I told him I had learnt my plan from books
of travels. It is the practice of the savages, who
have no knut wives to use a sort of string
made from the bark of trees for this purpose. But
how can they make bottles? Said he? That requires some preparation,
(11:12):
replied I. They tie a bandage round the young gourd
near the stalk, so that the part at liberty expands
in a round form, and the compressed part remains narrow.
They then open the top and extract the contents by
putting in pebbles and shaking it. By this means they
have a complete bottle. We worked on. Fritz completed a
(11:35):
dish and some plates, to his great satisfaction, but we
considered that, being so frail, we could not carry them
with us. We therefore filled them with sand that the
sun might not warp them, and left them to dry
till we returned. As we went on, Fritz amused himself
with cutting spoons from the rind to the gourd, and
(11:56):
I tried to do the same with the fragments of
the cocoa nut. But I must confess my performances were
inferior to those I had seen in the museum in London,
the work of the south Sea Islanders. We laughed at
our spoons, which would have required mouths from ear to
ear to eat with them. Fritz declared that the curve
(12:16):
of the rind was the cause of that defect. If
the spoons had been smaller, they would have been flat,
and you might as well eat soup with an oyster
shell as with a shovel. While we talked, we did
not neglect looking about for our lost companions. But in vain.
At last we arrived at a place where a tongue
(12:38):
of land ran to some distance into the sea, on
which was an elevated spot favorable for observation. We attained
the summit with great labor, and saw before us a
magnificent prospect of land and water. But with all the
aid our excellent telescope gave us, we could in no
(12:58):
direction discover any trace of man. Nature only appeared in
her greatest beauty. The shore enclosed a large bay, which
terminated on the other side in a promontory. The gentle
rippling of the waves, the varied verdure of the woods,
and the multitude of novelties around us would have filled
(13:20):
us with delight, but for the painful recollection of those
who we now were compelled to believe were buried beneath
that glittering water. We did not feel less, however, the
mercy of God, who had preserved us and given us
a home with a prospect of subsistence and safety. We
(13:41):
had not yet met with any dangerous animals, nor could
we perceive any huts of savages. I remarked my son
that God seemed to have destined us to a solitary
life in this rich country, unless some vessels should reach
these shores, had his will be done, added I, it
(14:01):
must be for the best. Now, let us return to
that pretty wood to rest ourselves and eat our dinner.
Before we return, we proceeded towards a pleasant wood of
palm trees, but before reaching it had to pass through
an immense number of reeds, which greatly obstructed our road.
We were moreover fearful of treading on the deadly serpents
(14:24):
who choose such retreats. We made turk walk before us
to give notice, and I cut a long, thick cane
as a weapon of defense. I was surprised to see
a glutinous juice oozing from the end of the cut cane.
I tasted it and was convinced that we had met
with a plantation of sugar canes. I sucked more of
(14:46):
it and found myself singularly refreshed. I said nothing to Fritz,
that he might have the pleasure of making the discovery himself.
He was walking a few paces before me, and I
called to him to cut himself a cane like mine,
which he did, and soon found out the richest it contained.
He cried out in ecstasy, Oh, Papa, Papa, syrup of
(15:09):
sugar cane delicious. How delighted will dear Mamma and my
brothers be when I carry some to them. He went
on sucking pieces of canes so greedily that I checked him,
recommending moderation. He was then content to take some pieces
to regale himself as he walked home, loading himself with
a huge burden for his mother and brothers. We now
(15:33):
entered the wood of palms to eat our dinner, when
suddenly a number of monkeys, alarmed by our approach and
the barking of the dog, fled like lightning to the
tops of the trees, and then grinned frightfully at us
with loud cries of defiance. As I saw the trees
were cocoa palms, I hoped to obtain by means of
(15:54):
the monkeys, a supply of the nuts in the half
ripe state when filled with milk. I held Fritz's arm,
who was preparing to shoot at them, to his great vexation,
as he was irritated against the poor monkeys for their
derisive gestures. But I told him, though no patron of
monkeys myself, I could not allow it. We had no
(16:16):
right to kill any animal, except in defense or as
a means of supporting life. Besides, the monkeys would be
of more use to us living than dead. As I
would show him, I began to throw stones at the monkeys,
not being able, of course, to reach the place of
their retreat, and they and their anger, and in the
spirit of imitation, gathered the nuts and hurled them on
(16:40):
us in such quantities that we had some difficulty in
escaping from them. We had soon a large stock of
coco nuts. Fritz enjoyed the success of the stratagem, and
when the shower subsided, he collected as many as he wished.
We then sat down and tasted some of the milk
through the three small holes, which we opened with our knives.
(17:01):
We then divided some with our hatchets, and quenched our
thirst with a liquor which is not, however, a very
agreeable flavor. We liked best a sort of thick cream
which adheres to the shells, from which we scraped it
with our spoons, and mixing it with the juice of
the sugar cane, we produced a delicious dish. Turk had
(17:23):
the rest of the lobster, which we now despised, with
some biscuit. We then got up. I tied some nuts
together by their stems, and threw them over my shoulder.
Fritz took his bundle of canes, and we set out homewards.
End of chapter
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