Johann David Wyss

“ We hurried to the spot: there, spead out before us, was a great tract of ground, covered with the precious plant.
“It would have been rather difficult,” remarked Jack, “not to have discovered such a great field.”
“Very likely,” replied Ernest, smiling; “but I doubt if you would have discovered that it was a potato field.”
“Perhaps not,” said Jack, “you are quite welcome, at all events, to the honour of the discovery; I'll have the honour of being the first to get a supply of them.” So saying, he dug up, with hands and knife, a number of plants, and filled his game-bag with the roots. ”

“ Besides which, we shall feel much more at home if we can talk as people do in inhabited countries: instead of saying, for instance, ‘the little island at the mouth of our bay, where he found the dead shark,’ ‘the large stream near our tent, across which we made the bridge,’ ‘that wood where we found cocoa nuts, and caught the monkey,’ and so on. Let us begin by naming the bay in which we landed. What shall we call it?”
“Oyster Bay,” said Fritz.
“No, no!—Lobster Bay,” cried Jack, “in memory of the old fellow who took a fancy to my leg!” ”

“ We heard the boys popping away at the birds as we drew near, They hastened to meet us, and inquired where we had been, looking curiously at the chest, which I allowed them to open, while I
asked my wife to excuse our “absence without leave,” and after submitting to her gentle reprimand, I explained my plan for a sledge, which pleased her greatly, and she already imagined it loaded with her hogshead of butter, and on its way from Tentholm to Falconhurst. The chest proved to be merely that of a common sailor, containing his clothes, very much wetted by the sea water. ”

“ Well, Ernest, you certainly possess the gifts of prudence and reflection, as well as observation. These are valuable; but sudden action is so often necessary in life, that I advise you to cultivate the power of instantly perceiving and deciding what must be done in cases of emergency. ”

“ As the figs on which these birds came to feed were only just beginning to ripen, it was probable that they would soon flock in numbers to our trees; and by waiting until we could procure them in large quantities, we might provide ourselves with valuable food for the rainy season, by placing them, when half cooked, in cases with melted lard or butter poured over them.
By this time Jack had pointed a good supply of arrows, and industriously practised archery. ”

“ That a discontented and rebellious spirit should ever have infected these fortunate subjects of so loving a master, seems incredible, yet so it was: disobedience and pride brought misery and punishment, the fair prospects of the colony were blighted, the labours of the colonists were unblessed, and total separation from the parent kingdom seemed inevitable. ”

“ It was very desirable to increase our stock of these pretty birds, and I cautioned the boys against shooting near our tree while they had nests there, and also with regard to the snares, which were meant only to entrap the wild-fig-eaters.
Although my sons were interested in setting the snares, they by no means approved of the new order to economise the ammunition. No doubt they had been discussing this hardship, for little Franz came to me with a brilliant proposal of his own.
“Papa,” said he, “why should not we begin to plant some powder and shot immediately? ”

“ In the afternoon the boys went on with their various employments. Fritz finished his cases, and Jack asked my assistance in carrying out his plan of making a cuirass for Turk, out of the porcupine skin. After thoroughly cleansing the inside, we cut and fitted it round the body of the patient dog; then when strings were sewn on, and it became tolerably dry, he was armed with this ingenious coat of mail, and a most singular figure he cut!
Juno strongly objected to his friendly approaches, and got out of his way as fast as she could ”

“ Discussing, however, the properties of such shrubs as I did know, we at length reached Tentholm. Everything was safe, and we set to work to collect what we wanted. I opened the butter cask, from which my wife filled her pot. Fritz saw after the ammunition, and Jack and Ernest ran down to the beach to capture the geese and ducks. This they found no easy matter, for the birds, left so long alone, were shy, and nothing would induce them to come on shore and be caught. Ernest at length hit upon an ingenious plan. ”

“ Entirely agreeing with this view of the subject, I desired the lads to lay aside their guns for the present, and the younger ones readily applied themselves to making snares of the long threads drawn from the leaves of the karatas in a simple way I taught them, while Fritz and Ernest gave me substantial assistance in the manufacture of the new sledge. ”

“ Turning now to our new acquisitions, we excited great interest by exhibiting each in turn; the large salmon, but more especially the kangaroo, surprised and delighted everyone.
Fritz alone wore a look expressive of dissatisfaction, and I saw that he was envious of his younger brother's success. Vexed that so noble a prize had fallen to Ernest's gun, instead of his own, he treated it rather slightingly ”

“ I then drew some of the threads from the leaves, and presented them to my wife.
“But what,” said Fritz, “is the use of all these other prickly plants, except to annoy one? Here, for instance, is a disagreeable little tree.”
“That is an Indian fig,” said I. “It grows best on dry, rocky ground; for most of its nourishment is derived from the air. ”

“ Ernest explained. “Gunpowder is made of charcoal, sulphur, and saltpetre, mixed cleverly together; so you see it cannot be sown like corn, any more than shot can be planted like peas and beans.”
My carpentering meantime went on apace. In order to shape my sledge with ends properly turned up in front, I had chosen wood which had been part of the bow of the vessel, and was curved in the necessary way for my purpose. Two pieces, perfectly similiar, formed the sides of my sleigh, or sledge, and I simply united these strongly by fixing short bars across them. ”

“ I finished the bow and arrows for Franz, and expected to be left in peace; but the young man next demanded a quiver, and I had to invent that also, to complete his equipment. It was easily done by stripping a piece of bark from a small tree, fitting a flat side and a bottom to it, and then a string. Attaching it to his shoulders, the youthful hunter filled it with arrows and went off; looking, as his mother said, like an innocent little Cupid, bent on conquest.
ORTOLAN.
Not long after this, we were summoned to dinner, and all right willingly obeyed the call. ”