And, father, why should we not return to the wreck and bring off some of the animals? We were driven completely out of our course; no conjecture could be formed as to our whereabouts. contents in a moment; he then returned, and we all went merrily on with our dinner. “Because,” said Ernest, “it is not only salt, but bitter too. what has become of everybody! We had left the two dogs, Turk and Juno, on the wreck, as being both large mastiffs we did not care to have their additional weight on board our craft; but when they saw us apparently deserting them, they set up a piteous howl, and sprang into the sea. “Oh, look here, father!” cried Jack, drawing a little spy-glass joyfully out of his pocket. And tell me, did you see no traces of our shipmates?”. While we were thus talking, Jack had been vainly endeavouring to open an oyster with his large knife. By-and-by we began to perceive that, between and beyond the cliffs, green grass and trees were discernible. Do let us see it!”. Fritz quickly brought one, and, having formed rollers by cutting up a long spar, I raised the fore-part of my boat with the bar, and my sons placed a roller under it. contents in a moment; he then returned, and we all went merrily on with our dinner. He was at some distance, and I hurried towards him with a hatchet in my hand. suddenly discovered that our dogs, not satisfied with their mouthful of soup, had espied the Agouti, and were rapidly devouring it. This display of temper vexed me. We are in as uncomfortable a position as was the fox to whom the stork served up a dinner in a jug with a long neck.”. But, Ernest, the Agouti not only looks something like a pig, but most decidedly grunts like a porker.”. We very soon found four large casks, made of sound wood, and strongly bound with iron hoops; they were floating with many other things in the water in the hold, but we managed to fish them out, and drag them to a suitable place for launching them. “Now, Ernest, let me have your tools, hammers, nails, saws, augers, and all; and then make haste to collect any tubs you can find!”. When this was accomplished, the boys ran to collect moss and grass, to spread in the tent for our beds, while I arranged a fire-place with some large flat stones, near the brook which flowed close by. He was at some distance, and I hurried towards him with a hatchet in my hand. I followed him, and as soon as he would listen to me, represented to him how despicable as well as wicked was such an outbreak of temper: “for,” said I, “you have hurt, if not actually wounded, the dogs; you have distressed and terrified your mother, and spoiled your gun.”. She at last consented to do this, and left us for a short time, reappearing with much embarrassment and many blushes, in a most becoming suit, which she had found in a midshipman's chest. Let us get her on shore, and we will ​move over the stream, where she will have good pasturage, and we shall be in the shade instead of on this desert, and, father, I do wish——”, “Stop, stop, my boy!” cried I. In fact,” he continued, looking at Fritz, “your sucking-pig is an Agouti.”, “Dear me,” said Fritz, “listen to the great professor lecturing! several cakes of the portable soup, she established herself as our cook, with little Franz to help her. “Now,” said my wife, tasting the soup with the stick with which she had been stirring it, “dinner is ready, but where can Fritz be?” she continued, a little anxiously. https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=The_Swiss_Family_Robinson_(Kingston)/Chapter_1&oldid=9545351, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. We must have patience and wait His time.”, “Very well said, had it been said kindly, Fritz, my boy. Having remarked that the scene of Jack's adventure afforded a convenient place for getting my casks on shore, I returned thither and succeeded in drawing them up on the beach, where I set them on end, and for the present left them. “Oh, for half a dozen plates and as many silver spoons!” rejoined I, smiling. As I did so, I was startled by hearing Jack shouting for help, as though in great danger. Are the sailors gone? She, however, begged to decline making any such experiment, ​and said she preferred cooking one dish at a time. “Mother, mother! “So different from this,” he said; “it is really a beautiful country, and the shore, which runs down to the sea in a gentle slope, is covered with all sorts of useful things from the wreck. “Ah,” thought I, “the Lord will hear our prayer! The boys wished to jump in directly; ​but, alas, she leaned so much on one side that they could not venture to do so. mind, he'll bite you! I followed him, and as soon as he would listen to me, represented to him how despicable as well as wicked was such an outbreak of temper: “for,” said I, “you have hurt, if not actually wounded, the dogs; you have distressed and terrified your mother, and spoiled your gun.”. By means of this glass, I made out that at some distance to the left the coast was much more inviting, a strong current, however, carried us directly towards the frowning rocks, but I presently observed an opening, where a stream flowed into the sea, and saw that our geese and ducks were swimming towards this place.