Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wiss, chapter twenty one.
After our return to Falcon's nest, I requested my sons
to continue their exercises in gymnastics. I wished to develop
all the vigor and energy that nature had given them,
and which in our situation were especially necessary. I added
(00:23):
to archery, racing, leaping, wrestling, and climbing trees, either by
the trunks or by a rope suspended from the branches,
as sailors climb. I next taught them to use the lasso,
a powerful weapon by aid of which the people of
South America capture savage animals. I fixed two balls of
lead to the end of a cord of about a
(00:45):
fathom and length. The Patagonians, I told them, used this
weapon with wonderful dexterity. Having no leaden balls, they attach
a heavy stone to each end of a cord about
thirty yards long. If they wished to catch an animal,
they hurl one of the stones at it with singular address.
By the peculiar art with which the ball is thrown,
(01:07):
the rope makes a turn or two around the neck
of the animal, which remains entangled without the power of escaping.
In order to show the power of this weapon, I
took aim at the trunk of a tree, which they
pointed out. My throat was quite successful. The end of
the rope passed two or three times round the trunk
of the tree and remained firmly fixed to it. If
(01:28):
the tree had been the neck of a tiger, I
should have been absolute master of it. This experiment decided
them all to learn the use of the lasso. Fritz
was soon skillful in throwing it, and I encouraged the
rest to persevere in acquiring the same facility, as the
weapon might be invaluable to us. When our ammunition failed
(01:50):
the next morning, I saw, on looking out that the
sea was too much agitated for any expedition in the boats.
I therefore turned to some home employment. We looked over
our stores for winter provision. My wife showed me a
cask of ortolands she had preserved in butter, and a
quantity of loaves of cassava bread carefully prepared. She pointed
(02:13):
out that the pigeons had built in the tree and
were sitting on their eggs. We then looked over the
young fruit trees brought from Europe, and my sons and
I immediately laid out a piece of ground and planted them.
The day passed in these employments, and as we had
lived only on potatoes, cassava, bread and milk for this day,
we determined to go off next morning in pursuit of
(02:35):
game to recruit our larder. At dawn of day we
all started, including little Francis and his mother, who wished
to take this opportunity of seeing a little more of
the country. My sons and I took our arms. I
harnessed the ass to the sledge, which contained our provision
for the day and was destined to bring back the
(02:56):
products of the chase. Turk, accoutered in his coat of mail,
formed the advanced guard. My sons followed with their guns.
Then came my wife with Francis leading the ass and
at a little distance I closed the procession with master
Nips mounted on the patient flora. We crossed Flamingo Marsh,
(03:17):
and there my wife was charmed with the richness of
the vegetation and the lofty trees. Fritz left us, thinking
this a favorable spot for game. We soon heard the
report of his gun, and an enormous bird fell a
few paces from us. I ran to assist him, as
he had much difficulty in securing his prize, which was
(03:39):
only wounded in the wing, and was defending itself vigorously
with its beak and claws. I threw a handkerchief over
its head, and, confused by the darkness, I had no
difficulty in binding it and conveying it in triumph to
the sledge. We were all in raptures at the sight
of this beautiful creature, which Ernest pronounced to be a
(03:59):
fiend male of the busted tribe. My wife hoped that
the bird might be domesticated among our poultry, and attracting
some more of its species, might enlarge our stock of
useful fowls. We soon arrived at the Wood of Monkeys,
as we called it, where we had obtained our cocoanuts,
and Fritz related the laughable scene of the stratagem to
(04:21):
his mother and brothers. Ernest looked up wistfully at the nuts,
but there were no monkeys to throw them down. Do
they never fall from the trees? And hardly had he
spoken when a large cocoanut fell at his feet, succeeded
by a second, to my great astonishment, for I saw
no animal in the tree, and I was convinced the
(04:42):
nuts in the half ripe state, as these were, could
not fall of themselves. It is exactly like a fairy tale,
said Ernest. I only had to speak, and my wish
was accomplished. And here comes the magician, said I. After
a shower of nuts, I saw a huge land crab
descending the tree quietly and quite regardless of our presence.
(05:06):
Jack boldly struck a blow at him, but missed, and
the animal, opening its enormous claws, made up to its opponent,
who fled in terror. But the laughter of his brothers
made him ashamed, and recalling his courage, he pulled off
his coat and threw it over the back of the crab.
This checked its movements, and, going to his assistance, I
(05:27):
killed it with a blow of my hatchet. They all
crowded round the frightful animal, anxious to know what it was.
I told them it was a land crab, which we
might call the coconut crab, as we owed such a
store to it. Being unable to break the shell of
the nut, of which they are very fond, they climbed
(05:48):
the tree and break them off in the unripe state,
they then descend to enjoy their feast, which they obtained
by inserting their claw through the small holes in the
end and abstracting the contents. They sometimes find them broken
by the fall when they can eat them at pleasure.
The hideousness of the animal and the mingled terror and
(06:10):
bravery of Jack gave us subject of conversation for some time.
We placed our booty on the sledge and continued to
go on through the wood. Our path became every instant
more intricate from the amazing quantity of creeping plants, which
choked the way and obliged us to use the axe continually.
(06:31):
The heat was excessive, and we got on slowly. When Ernest,
always observing and who was a little behind us, cried
out halt a new and important discovery. We returned, and
he showed us that from the stalk of one of
the creepers we had cut with our axe, there was issuing, clear,
(06:51):
pure water. It was the leon rouge, which in America
furnishes the hunters such a precious resource against thirst. Ernest
was much pleased. He filled a cocoanut cup with the water,
which flowed from the cut stalks like a fountain, and
carried it to his mother, assuring her she might drink fearlessly,
(07:13):
and we all had the comfort of allaying our thirst
and blessing the gracious hand who has placed this refreshing
plant in the midst of the dry wilderness for the
benefit of man. We now marched on with more vigor,
and soon arrived at the gourd wood, where my wife
and younger sons beheld with wonder the growth of this
(07:33):
remarkable fruit. Fritz repeated all the history of our former
attempts and cut some gourds to make his mother some
egg baskets and a large spoon to cream the milk.
But we first sat down under the shade and took
some refreshment. And afterwards, while we all worked at making baskets,
bowls and flasks, Ernest, who had no taste for such labor,
(07:58):
explored the wood. Suddenly we saw him running to us
in great terror, crying, a wild boar, Papa, a great
wild boar. Fritz and I seized our guns and ran
to the spot he pointed out the dogs preceding us.
We soon heard barking in loud grunting, which proved the
combat had begun, and hoping for a good prize. We
(08:21):
hastened forward, when what was our vexation when we found
the dogs holding by the ears not a wild boar,
but our own great sow, whose wild and intractable disposition
had induced her to leave us and live in the woods.
We could not but laugh at our disappointment after a while,
and I made the dogs release the poor sow, who
(08:43):
immediately resumed her feast on a small fruit which had
fallen from the trees and scattered on the ground, and
had evidently tempted the voracious beast to this part. I
took up one of these apples, which somewhat resembled a medlar,
and opening it, I found the contents of a rich
and juicy nature, but did not venture to taste it
(09:06):
till we had put it to the usual test. We
collected a quantity. I even broke a loaded branch from
the tree, and we returned to our party. Master Nips
no sooner saw them than he seized on some and
crunched them up with great enjoyment. This satisfied me that
the fruit was wholesome, and we regaled ourselves with some.
(09:27):
My wife was especially delighted when I told her that
this must be the guava from which the delicious jelly
is obtained so much prized in America. But with all this,
said Fritz, we have a poor show of game. Do
let us leave Mama with the young ones and set
off to see what we can meet with. I consented,
(09:50):
and we left Ernest with his mother and Frances Jack,
wishing to accompany us. We made towards the rocks at
the right hand, and Jack preceded us a little when
he startled us by crying out A crocodile. Papa, a crocodile,
you simpleton, said I. A crocodile in a place where
(10:10):
there's not a drop of water. Papa, I see it,
said the poor child, his eyes fixed on one spot.
It is there on this rock, sleeping. I am sure
it is a crocodile. As soon as I was near
enough to distinguish it, I assured him as crocodile was
a very harmless lizard called the iguana, whose eggs and
(10:31):
flesh were excellent food. Fritz would immediately have shot at
this frightful creature, which was about five feet in length.
I showed him that his scaly coat rendered such an
attempt useless. I then cut a strong stick and a
light wand to the end of the former, I attached
a cord with a noose. This I held in my
(10:52):
right hand, keeping the wand in my left. I approached softly,
whistling The animal awoke, apparently listening with pleasure. I drew nearer,
tickling him gently with a wand he lifted up his
head and opened his formidable jaws. I then dexterously threw
(11:13):
the noose around his neck, drew it, and, jumping on
his back, by the aid of my sons, held him down,
though he succeeded in giving Jack a desperate blow with
his tail, then plunging my wand up his nostrils. A
few drops of blood came, and he died, apparently without pain.
We now carried off our game. I took him on
(11:35):
my back, holding him by the foreclaws, while my boys
carried the tail behind me, and with shouts of laughter,
the procession returned to the sledge. Poor little Francis was
in great dismay when he saw the terrible monster we brought,
and began to cry. But we rallied him out of
his cowardice, and his mother, satisfied with our exploits, begged
(11:58):
to return home. As the sledge was heavily laden, we
decided to leave it till the next day. Placing on
the ass the iguana, the crab, our gourd vessels, and
a bag of the guavas Little Francis also being mounted.
The bustard we loosed, and, securing it by a string
tied to one of its legs, led it with us.
(12:22):
We arrived at home in good time. My wife prepared
part of the iguana for supper, which was pronounced excellent.
The crab was rejected as tough and tasteless. Our new
utensils were then tried, the egg baskets and the milk bowls,
and Fritz was charged to dig a hole in the
earth to be covered with boards and serve as a
(12:42):
dairy till something better was thought of. Finally we ascended
our leafy abode and slept in peace. End of chapter
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wiss, chapter twenty one.
After our return to Falcon's nest, I requested my sons
to continue their exercises in gymnastics. I wished to develop
all the vigor and energy that nature had given them,
and which in our situation were especially necessary. I added
(00:23):
to archery, racing, leaping, wrestling, and climbing trees, either by
the trunks or by a rope suspended from the branches,
as sailors climb. I next taught them to use the lasso,
a powerful weapon by aid of which the people of
South America capture savage animals. I fixed two balls of
lead to the end of a cord of about a
(00:45):
fathom and length. The Patagonians, I told them, used this
weapon with wonderful dexterity. Having no leaden balls, they attach
a heavy stone to each end of a cord about
thirty yards long. If they wished to catch an animal,
they hurl one of the stones at it with singular address.
By the peculiar art with which the ball is thrown,
(01:07):
the rope makes a turn or two around the neck
of the animal, which remains entangled without the power of escaping.
In order to show the power of this weapon, I
took aim at the trunk of a tree, which they
pointed out. My throat was quite successful. The end of
the rope passed two or three times round the trunk
of the tree and remained firmly fixed to it. If
(01:28):
the tree had been the neck of a tiger, I
should have been absolute master of it. This experiment decided
them all to learn the use of the lasso. Fritz
was soon skillful in throwing it, and I encouraged the
rest to persevere in acquiring the same facility, as the
weapon might be invaluable to us. When our ammunition failed
(01:50):
the next morning, I saw, on looking out that the
sea was too much agitated for any expedition in the boats.
I therefore turned to some home employment. We looked over
our stores for winter provision. My wife showed me a
cask of ortolands she had preserved in butter, and a
quantity of loaves of cassava bread carefully prepared. She pointed
(02:13):
out that the pigeons had built in the tree and
were sitting on their eggs. We then looked over the
young fruit trees brought from Europe, and my sons and
I immediately laid out a piece of ground and planted them.
The day passed in these employments, and as we had
lived only on potatoes, cassava, bread and milk for this day,
we determined to go off next morning in pursuit of
(02:35):
game to recruit our larder. At dawn of day we
all started, including little Francis and his mother, who wished
to take this opportunity of seeing a little more of
the country. My sons and I took our arms. I
harnessed the ass to the sledge, which contained our provision
for the day and was destined to bring back the
(02:56):
products of the chase. Turk, accoutered in his coat of mail,
formed the advanced guard. My sons followed with their guns.
Then came my wife with Francis leading the ass and
at a little distance I closed the procession with master
Nips mounted on the patient flora. We crossed Flamingo Marsh,
(03:17):
and there my wife was charmed with the richness of
the vegetation and the lofty trees. Fritz left us, thinking
this a favorable spot for game. We soon heard the
report of his gun, and an enormous bird fell a
few paces from us. I ran to assist him, as
he had much difficulty in securing his prize, which was
(03:39):
only wounded in the wing, and was defending itself vigorously
with its beak and claws. I threw a handkerchief over
its head, and, confused by the darkness, I had no
difficulty in binding it and conveying it in triumph to
the sledge. We were all in raptures at the sight
of this beautiful creature, which Ernest pronounced to be a
(03:59):
fiend male of the busted tribe. My wife hoped that
the bird might be domesticated among our poultry, and attracting
some more of its species, might enlarge our stock of
useful fowls. We soon arrived at the Wood of Monkeys,
as we called it, where we had obtained our cocoanuts,
and Fritz related the laughable scene of the stratagem to
(04:21):
his mother and brothers. Ernest looked up wistfully at the nuts,
but there were no monkeys to throw them down. Do
they never fall from the trees? And hardly had he
spoken when a large cocoanut fell at his feet, succeeded
by a second, to my great astonishment, for I saw
no animal in the tree, and I was convinced the
(04:42):
nuts in the half ripe state, as these were, could
not fall of themselves. It is exactly like a fairy tale,
said Ernest. I only had to speak, and my wish
was accomplished. And here comes the magician, said I. After
a shower of nuts, I saw a huge land crab
descending the tree quietly and quite regardless of our presence.
(05:06):
Jack boldly struck a blow at him, but missed, and
the animal, opening its enormous claws, made up to its opponent,
who fled in terror. But the laughter of his brothers
made him ashamed, and recalling his courage, he pulled off
his coat and threw it over the back of the crab.
This checked its movements, and, going to his assistance, I
(05:27):
killed it with a blow of my hatchet. They all
crowded round the frightful animal, anxious to know what it was.
I told them it was a land crab, which we
might call the coconut crab, as we owed such a
store to it. Being unable to break the shell of
the nut, of which they are very fond, they climbed
(05:48):
the tree and break them off in the unripe state,
they then descend to enjoy their feast, which they obtained
by inserting their claw through the small holes in the
end and abstracting the contents. They sometimes find them broken
by the fall when they can eat them at pleasure.
The hideousness of the animal and the mingled terror and
(06:10):
bravery of Jack gave us subject of conversation for some time.
We placed our booty on the sledge and continued to
go on through the wood. Our path became every instant
more intricate from the amazing quantity of creeping plants, which
choked the way and obliged us to use the axe continually.
(06:31):
The heat was excessive, and we got on slowly. When Ernest,
always observing and who was a little behind us, cried
out halt a new and important discovery. We returned, and
he showed us that from the stalk of one of
the creepers we had cut with our axe, there was issuing, clear,
(06:51):
pure water. It was the leon rouge, which in America
furnishes the hunters such a precious resource against thirst. Ernest
was much pleased. He filled a cocoanut cup with the water,
which flowed from the cut stalks like a fountain, and
carried it to his mother, assuring her she might drink fearlessly,
(07:13):
and we all had the comfort of allaying our thirst
and blessing the gracious hand who has placed this refreshing
plant in the midst of the dry wilderness for the
benefit of man. We now marched on with more vigor,
and soon arrived at the gourd wood, where my wife
and younger sons beheld with wonder the growth of this
(07:33):
remarkable fruit. Fritz repeated all the history of our former
attempts and cut some gourds to make his mother some
egg baskets and a large spoon to cream the milk.
But we first sat down under the shade and took
some refreshment. And afterwards, while we all worked at making baskets,
bowls and flasks, Ernest, who had no taste for such labor,
(07:58):
explored the wood. Suddenly we saw him running to us
in great terror, crying, a wild boar, Papa, a great
wild boar. Fritz and I seized our guns and ran
to the spot he pointed out the dogs preceding us.
We soon heard barking in loud grunting, which proved the
combat had begun, and hoping for a good prize. We
(08:21):
hastened forward, when what was our vexation when we found
the dogs holding by the ears not a wild boar,
but our own great sow, whose wild and intractable disposition
had induced her to leave us and live in the woods.
We could not but laugh at our disappointment after a while,
and I made the dogs release the poor sow, who
(08:43):
immediately resumed her feast on a small fruit which had
fallen from the trees and scattered on the ground, and
had evidently tempted the voracious beast to this part. I
took up one of these apples, which somewhat resembled a medlar,
and opening it, I found the contents of a rich
and juicy nature, but did not venture to taste it
(09:06):
till we had put it to the usual test. We
collected a quantity. I even broke a loaded branch from
the tree, and we returned to our party. Master Nips
no sooner saw them than he seized on some and
crunched them up with great enjoyment. This satisfied me that
the fruit was wholesome, and we regaled ourselves with some.
(09:27):
My wife was especially delighted when I told her that
this must be the guava from which the delicious jelly
is obtained so much prized in America. But with all this,
said Fritz, we have a poor show of game. Do
let us leave Mama with the young ones and set
off to see what we can meet with. I consented,
(09:50):
and we left Ernest with his mother and Frances Jack,
wishing to accompany us. We made towards the rocks at
the right hand, and Jack preceded us a little when
he startled us by crying out A crocodile. Papa, a crocodile,
you simpleton, said I. A crocodile in a place where
(10:10):
there's not a drop of water. Papa, I see it,
said the poor child, his eyes fixed on one spot.
It is there on this rock, sleeping. I am sure
it is a crocodile. As soon as I was near
enough to distinguish it, I assured him as crocodile was
a very harmless lizard called the iguana, whose eggs and
(10:31):
flesh were excellent food. Fritz would immediately have shot at
this frightful creature, which was about five feet in length.
I showed him that his scaly coat rendered such an
attempt useless. I then cut a strong stick and a
light wand to the end of the former, I attached
a cord with a noose. This I held in my
(10:52):
right hand, keeping the wand in my left. I approached softly,
whistling The animal awoke, apparently listening with pleasure. I drew nearer,
tickling him gently with a wand he lifted up his
head and opened his formidable jaws. I then dexterously threw
(11:13):
the noose around his neck, drew it, and, jumping on
his back, by the aid of my sons, held him down,
though he succeeded in giving Jack a desperate blow with
his tail, then plunging my wand up his nostrils. A
few drops of blood came, and he died, apparently without pain.
We now carried off our game. I took him on
(11:35):
my back, holding him by the foreclaws, while my boys
carried the tail behind me, and with shouts of laughter,
the procession returned to the sledge. Poor little Francis was
in great dismay when he saw the terrible monster we brought,
and began to cry. But we rallied him out of
his cowardice, and his mother, satisfied with our exploits, begged
(11:58):
to return home. As the sledge was heavily laden, we
decided to leave it till the next day. Placing on
the ass the iguana, the crab, our gourd vessels, and
a bag of the guavas Little Francis also being mounted.
The bustard we loosed, and, securing it by a string
tied to one of its legs, led it with us.
(12:22):
We arrived at home in good time. My wife prepared
part of the iguana for supper, which was pronounced excellent.
The crab was rejected as tough and tasteless. Our new
utensils were then tried, the egg baskets and the milk bowls,
and Fritz was charged to dig a hole in the
earth to be covered with boards and serve as a
(12:42):
dairy till something better was thought of. Finally we ascended
our leafy abode and slept in peace. End of chapter
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