Read Ebook: Robinson Crusoe Jr. by Optic Oliver

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Ebook has 156 lines and 8636 words, and 4 pages

Mr. Gray's shop was only a short distance from the river. The little brook in which Robert placed his water-wheel, widened into a pretty large stream near the shop. Here Mr. Crusoe, Jr., intended to build a raft, which should bear him to the lonely island.

Near the middle of the great pond, which my young friends will find described in The Young Voyagers, there was a small island, which Robert had chosen for his future home, and where he was to be "monarch of all he surveyed."

After Frank Lee's unfortunate cruise down the river, Robert had some doubts about being able to reach the island. But these did not prevent him from trying to carry out his plan. He might, perhaps, get wrecked, as Joe Birch had been; but if he did, it would be so much the more like Robinson Crusoe,--only a rock, with the water knee deep upon it, was not a very good place to be "monarch of all he surveyed."

Robert's father and mother had gone to visit his uncle in the State of New York, and were to be absent two weeks. This seemed like a good time for his great enterprise, as his oldest sister was the only person at home besides himself, and she was too busy to watch him very closely.

He worked away on his raft for two days before he finished it, for he did not mean to go to sea, as he called it to himself, in such a shabby craft as that in which Joe had been wrecked. He had tools from the shop, a hammer, and plenty of nails, and he made the raft very strong and safe.

It was raised above the water, so that the top was dry when he stood upon it; and to make it more secure, he put a little fence all round it, to prevent him from slipping off if the craft should strike upon a rock.

Then he made two oars with which he could move and steer the raft. He also nailed a box upon the platform, upon which he could sit. When this queer ark was done, he pushed it out into the stream, and made a trial trip as far as the river, and rowed it back to the place from which he started.

From the barn he took two horse-blankets, for his bed on the island, and placed them on the raft. He got a tin cup and a kettle from the house, as well as several other things which he thought he might need. A small hatchet and some nails from the shop completed his outfit. All these articles were secured on the raft, just before dark, and the next morning he intended to start for the island.

Robert was so tired after the hard work he had done upon the raft, that he slept like a rock all night, and did not wake up till his sister called him to breakfast. He had intended to start very early in the morning, but this part of his plan had failed.

After breakfast, he took twenty cents which he had saved towards buying a book called The Swiss Family Robinson, which Frank Lee told him was something like Robinson Crusoe, and went to the grocery store to buy some provisions.

He bought a sheet of gingerbread, some crackers, and a piece of cheese, and ran across the fields with them to the brook. He was very careful to keep away from the house, so that his sister should not see him. Having placed these things in the box on the raft, so that they would be safe, he went back to the house once more.

"Puss, puss, puss," said he; and presently the old black cat came purring and mewing up to him, and rubbing her head against his legs.

Poor pussy had not the least idea that she was destined to be the companion of a Robinson Crusoe; so she let him take her up in his arms. If she had only known what a scrape she was about to get into, I am sure she would not have let Mr. Crusoe, Jr., put one of his fingers upon her.

"Trip, Trip, Trip,--come here, Trip," said he to the spaniel dog that was sleeping on the door mat.

Trip had no more idea than pussy of the famous plan in which he was to play a part; so he waked up and followed his young master. I don't believe Trip had any taste for Crusoe life; and he would have liked to know where his beef and bones were to come from, for he was not very fond of gingerbread and crackers.

If pussy didn't "smell a rat" when they reached the raft, it was because there was no rat for her to smell; but she showed a very proper spirit, and, by her scratching and snarling, showed that she did not like the idea of sailing down the river on a raft.

Robert did not heed her objections; and what do you think he did with poor pussy? Why, he put her in the box with the crackers and gingerbread and cheese! Trip, having a decided taste for the water, did not object to going upon the raft. Yet, judging from the way he looked up into his master's face, he wondered what was "in the wind," and what big thing was going to be done.

"Now, Trip, we are all ready for a start," said Robert, as he stepped upon the raft. "You needn't scratch and cry so, pussy. Nobody is going to hurt you."

Trip looked up in his face and wagged his tail, and pussy scratched and howled, and refused to be comforted. But Trip had the advantage of pussy very much in one respect, for, when he became sick of the adventure, he could jump into the water and swim ashore.

Robert, however, gave little thought or heed at this moment to the wishes or comfort of his two companions, for his mind was wholly taken up with the preparations for the grand departure.

All was now ready; Robert pushed off the raft, and it floated slowly down the stream.

The river was broad and deep, but Robert was not afraid. He had been on the water a great deal for a little boy, and he was sure that his raft was strong enough to bear a pretty hard knock upon the rocks.

Poor pussy kept up a constant crying, in the box, and once in a while she scratched, with all her might, against the sides; but she could not get out.

Trip behaved himself much better, but he gazed up in his young master's face all the time, and did not know what to make of this very singular voyage.

Robert was much pleased with his success thus far, and was satisfied that he should make a very good Robinson Crusoe, Jr. The raft worked quite well, and with the great oar at the stern, he could steer it as easily as though it had been a real boat.

But he was a bold, brave boy, and he was almost sure that, if any thing happened, he could swim ashore.

As he thought of the raft being dashed to pieces against a rock, he wondered what would become of poor pussy.

He did not want to drown her; so he decided to give her a fair chance to save her life in case of any accident. He opened the box, and pussy was glad enough to get out.

As she jumped from the box, Robert saw that she had made a sad mess of the provisions he had obtained for use on the island. She had scratched open the papers, and the gingerbread was broken into a hundred pieces. The cheese was all mashed up and ground in with the gingerbread, and the whole mass was well mixed with black hairs from the cat's back.

Robert was so angry when he saw the wreck within the box, that he was tempted to throw pussy overboard for the mischief she had done. But the thought that it was not the cat's fault saved her from a cold bath.

It was not of her own will that she had taken up her quarters in the box. She did not want to go in there, or stay there after she was in; and all the mischief had been done by her efforts to be free.

Pussy was even more astonished at the prospect around her than the dog, and she jumped from one end of the raft to the other a dozen times, seeking to find some way to escape. She was no sailor, on the one hand, and did not like her position in the midst of the waters. And she did not like the idea of wetting her soft black coat by swimming ashore, on the other hand.

When she found there was no way to get ashore without taking to the water, she took her stand next to Trip, and began to mew in a most sorrowful manner. The dog looked at her, and bow-wowed two or three times, as much as to say, "What are you afraid of, pussy? Don't you see I'm not scared?"

Robert went to work upon the contents of the box, to save some of his food, if he could. The hatchet and the nails were covered with soft cheese, and it took him some time to put things in order again.

While he was busy at the box, he did not pay much attention to the raft, and it kept turning round and round, as it floated with the current down the river.

While the little navigator was thus engaged, the raft bumped against something, and Robert sprang to his feet. The whirling craft had run up against the shore, and got aground.

This did not hurt the raft any; but pussy, who had kept both of her sharp eyes fixed upon the land all the time, no sooner saw the vessel touch, than she improved her chance and jumped ashore.

"Pussy, pussy, pussy," called Robert, when he saw that one of his companions had given him the slip.

It was of no use to call her, for she was scampering away as fast as her nimble feet would carry her in the direction of home. She had no idea of sharing the fortunes of Mr. Robinson Crusoe, Jr., on his lonely island.

"That's real mean--isn't it, Trip?" said he, as he turned to the dog.

But it was very clear that Trip did not think it was mean, for he was in the very act of springing ashore himself.

"Here, Trip. Come here, sir," cried he, as he tried to get hold of the dog's collar.

Trip did not stop to hear any argument on the subject, but, with a long leap, placed himself on the shore. He did not run off, as pussy had done, but stood on the bank of the river, and barked with all his might.

The raft had now floated off a short distance, and Robert took his oars and rowed it to the shore, for he could not think of such a thing as losing both of his friends, and before he landed on the island.

"Come here, Trip. Poor fellow. Come here, sir," said he, whistling, and patting his knees, to entice the dog to him.

Pushing the raft up a little distance upon the shore, he stepped on the beach to catch the dog. As he did so, the raft, lightened by the removal of his weight, slid off and went to sea again "on its own hook."

As the loss of his vessel seemed to be a greater misfortune than the loss of the dog, he turned from the latter to recover the former.

The raft floated out about a rod from the shore, and began to go down stream. The water was quite shallow, and Robert waded in till he got hold of the truant craft; but in attempting to jump upon the platform, he slipped, and went all over into the water.

His courage was good, however, and he managed to pick himself up, and climb upon the raft. The ducking did him no harm; but the day was cool, and his wet clothes did not add to his comfort.

Pulling to the shore again, he fastened the raft to a tree with a rope he had brought for the purpose. Taking off all his clothes, he wrung them as dry as he could, and put them on again.

"Now, come here, Trip," said he to the dog, which had been watching all his movements. "Now we will try again. You needn't try to sneak off, for you are going with me to the island, any how."

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