The Swiss Family Robinson - Full Audiobook : Chapter 10

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
The Swiss family Robinson by Johann David Wiss, Chapter ten.
After dinner, as I found we could not ascend at present,
I suspended our hammocks under the arched roots of our tree,
and covering the whole with sailcloth. We had a shelter
from the dew and the insects. While my wife was

(00:22):
employed making harness for the cow and ass, I went
with my sons to the shore to look for wood
fit for our use. Next day we saw a great
quantity of wreck, but none fit for our purpose. Till
ernest met with a heap of bamboo canes, half buried
in sand and mud. These were exactly what I wanted.

(00:43):
I drew them out of the sand, stripped them of
their leaves, and cut them in pieces of about four
or five feet long, and my sons each made up
a bundle to carry home. I then set out to
make some slender stalks to make arrows, which I should
need in my project. We went towards a thick grove
which appeared likely to contain something for my purpose. We

(01:05):
were very cautious for fear of reptiles or other dangerous animals,
allowing flora to precede us. When we got near, she
darted furiously among the bushes. Out flew a troop of
beautiful flamingoes, and soared into the air. Fritz, always ready
fired at them. Two fell, one quite dead, the other

(01:27):
slightly wounded in the wing. Made use of its long
legs so well that it would have escaped if Flora
had not seized it and held it till I came
up to take possession. The joy of Fritz was extreme
to have this beautiful creature alive. He thought at once
of curing its wound and domesticating it with our own poultry.

(01:47):
What splendid plumage, said Ernest. And you see he is
web footed like the goose, and has long legs like
the stork. Thus he can run as fast on land
as he can swim in the water, yes, sir, and
flies quickly in the air. These birds are remarkable for
the power and strength of their wings. Few birds have

(02:07):
so many advantages. My boys occupied themselves in binding their
captive and dressing his wound, while I sought some of
the canes which had done flowering, to cut off the
hard ends to point my arrows. These are used by
the savages of the Antilles I then selected the highest
canes I could meet with to assist me in measuring

(02:29):
by a geometrical process the height of the tree. Ernest
took the canes I had the wounded flamingo, and Fritz
carried his own game. Very loud were the cries of
joy and astonishment at our approach. The boys all hoped
that Flamingo might be tamed, of which I felt no doubt,
But my wife was uneasy lest it should require more

(02:52):
food than she could spare. However, I assured her our
new guests would need no attention, as he would provide
for himself. Off at the river side, feeding on small fishes, worms,
and insects. His wounds I dressed and found they would
soon be healed. I then tied him to a stake
near the river by a cord long enough to allow

(03:13):
him to fish at his pleasure, and in fact, in
a few days he learned to know us and was
quite domesticated. Meantime, my boys had been trying to measure
the tree with the long canes I had brought, and
came laughing to report to me that I ought to
have got them ten times as long to reach even
the lowest branches. There is a simpler mode than that,

(03:35):
said I, which geometry teaches us, and by which the
highest mountains can be measured. I then showed the method
of measuring heights by triangles and imaginary lines, using canes
of different lengths and cords instead of mathematical instruments. My
result was thirty feet to the lowest branches. This experiment

(03:56):
filled the boys with wonder and desired to become acquainted
with this useful exact science, which happily I was able
to teach them fully. I now ordered Fritz to measure
our strong cord, and the little ones to collect all
the small string and wind it. I then took a
strong bamboo and made a bow of it and some

(04:18):
arrows of the slender canes, filling them with wet sand
to give them weight, and feathering them from the dead flamingo.
As soon as my work was completed, the boys crowded
round me, all begging to dry the bow and arrows.
I begged them to be patient and asked my wife
to supply me with a ball of thick, strong thread.

(04:39):
The enchanted bag did not fail us. The very ball
I wanted appeared at her summons. This, my little ones,
declared must be magic. But I explained to them that prudence, foresight,
and presence of mine in danger, such as their good
mother had displayed, produced more miracles than magic. I then

(04:59):
tied the end of the ball of thread to one
of my arrows, fixed it in my bow, and sent
it directly over one of the thickest of the lower
branches of the tree, and falling to the ground, it
drew the thread after it charmed. With this result, I
hastened to complete my ladder. Fritz had measured our ropes
and found two of forty feet each exactly what I wanted.

(05:24):
These I stretched on the ground at about one foot
distance from each other. Fritz cut pieces of cane two
feet long, which Ernest passed to me. I placed these
in knots which I had made in the cords, at
about a foot distance from each other, and Jack fastened
each end with a long nail to prevent its slipping.

(05:44):
In a very short time our ladder was completed, and
tying it to the end of the cord which went
over the branch, we drew it up without difficulty. All
the boys were anxious to ascend, but I chose Jack
as the lightest and most active. Accordingly, he ascended, while
his brothers and myself held the ladder firm by the

(06:05):
end of the cord. Fritz followed him, conveying a bag
with nails and hammer. They were soon perched on the branches,
huzzaing to us. Fritz secured the ladder so firmly to
the branch that I had no hesitation in ascending myself.
I carried with me a large pulley fixed to the
end of a rope, which I attached to a branch

(06:26):
above us, to enable us to raise the planks necessary
to form the groundwork of our habitation. I smoothed the
branches a little by aid of my axe, sending the
boys down to be out of my way. After completing
my day's work, I descended by the light of the moon,
and was alarmed to find that Fritz and Jack were

(06:46):
not below, and still more so when I heard their clear,
sweet voices at the summit of the tree, singing the
evening hymn, as if to sanctify our future abode. They
climbed the tree instead of descending, and filled with wonder
and reverence that the sublime view below had burst out

(07:06):
into the hymn of thanksgiving to God. I could not
scold my dear boys when they descended, but directed them
to assemble the animals and to collect wood to keep
up fires during the night, in order to drive away
any wild beasts that might be near. My wife then
displayed her work complete harness for her two beasts of burden,

(07:29):
and in return I promised her we would establish ourselves
next day in the tree. Supper was now ready. One
piece of the porcupine was roasted by the fire, smelling deliciously.
Another piece formed a rich soup. A cloth was spread
on the turf, the ham, cheese, butter, and biscuits were
placed upon it. My wife first assembled the fowls by

(07:51):
throwing some grain to them to accustom them to the place.
We soon saw the pigeons fly to roost on the
higher branches of the trees, while the fowls perched on
the ladder. The beasts we tied to the roots close
to us. Now that our cares were over, we sat
down to a merry an excellent repast by moonlight. Then,

(08:12):
after the prayers of the evening, I kindled our watch fires,
and we all lay down to rest in our hammocks.
The boys were rather discontented and complained of their cramped position,
longing for the freedom of their beds of moss. But
I instructed them to lie as sailors do, diagonally and
swinging the hammock, and told them that brave Swiss boys

(08:35):
might sleep as the sailors of all nations were compelled
to sleep. After some stifled sighs and groans, all sank
to rest, except myself, kept awake by anxiety for the
safety of the rest. End of Chapter