Robinson Crusoe Written Anew for Children

castle. I had to work hard for many days to put things to rights again.

I had now been on the island about ten months. In all that time I had seen only a

small part of it .

One morning I set out with my gun on my shoulder for a long walk.

I went up the little river where I had first landed with my rafts. I found that it was

a very short river. After about two miles, the tide did not flow any higher; and above that,

the stream was only a little brook of fresh water.

Along the brook there were pleasant meadows, covered with high grass.

In the dryer parts of these meadows I found tobacco growing wild.

I looked for the roots of a plant which the Indians use instead of bread, but could

find none.

In one place, however, I saw many tall sugar canes and some fair-looking plants

of a kind that was strange to me.

As I went back to my castle I wondered how I could learn something useful about

the many objects I had seen. But I had never taken much thought about such things, and

now I had but little chance to learn.

The next day I went up the same way, but much farther.

Beyond the meadows I came to some beautiful woods.

Here I found several different kinds of fruits. There were grapevines covering the

trees, and huge clusters of ripe grapes were hanging from them.

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I was very glad of this. I made up my mind to come another day and gather some

of this fruit. I would dry the grapes in the sun, and have some raisins.

Night came on while I was still in the woods, and I could not do better than stay

there till morning. So I climbed into a tree and slept there quite well.

It was the first night that I had spent away from home.

The next day I went on through the woods for nearly four miles.

At last I came to an open space where the land sloped to the west. The country

was so fresh and green that it looked like a big garden.

I went down into a pleasant valley where there were many beautiful trees. There I

found oranges, lemons, limes, and citrons, besides many grapes.

I loaded myself with fruit and started homeward. "I must come again and bring a

sack," I said.

It was three days before I reached my castle. By that time the fruit had lost all its

flavor.

The next day I went back to the same valley. I carried two small sacks to bring

home my harvest.

But I found many of the grapevines torn down. The fruit was scattered on the

ground. Some had been eaten. Some had been trodden to pieces.

A wild animal had been there. Perhaps it was a goat, perhaps it was a larger beast.

Perhaps several animals had done the mischief.

I GET READY FOR WINTER (я готовлюсь к зиме)

I WAS so much pleased with the valley I had discovered (я был так доволен

этой долиной, /которую/ я открыл) that I spent much of my time there (что я проводил

большую часть времени там).

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At last I built me a small summer house (наконец я построил себе маленький

летний домик) close by a grove of orange trees (близко к роще апельсиновых

деревьев).

It was but little more than a bower (чуть больше, чем беседка), made of the

branches of trees (сделанная из веток деревьев).

I built a strong fence around it (крепкий забор вокруг него). This was made of

two rows of tall stakes (из двух рядов высоких кольев) with brushwood between (с

ветками между /ними/).

There was no gate in this fence (не было ворот в этом заборе), but only a short

ladder (только короткая лестница), just as at my castle (совсем как в моем замке).

Here I sometimes stayed two or three nights together (здесь я иногда оставался

на две или три ночи кряду).

I gathered about two hundred clusters of grapes and hung them up to dry (собрал

почти двести гроздьев винограда и повесил сушиться). In due time (в должное

время) they made the finest of raisins (из них сделался самый вкусный изюм). I took

them down and carried them to my castle (я собрал их и отнес в мой замок).

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Thus little by little I gathered food for winter (мало-помалу я собрал еду на

зиму).

The winters there were not cold. But the rain fell every day (дождь падал = шел

каждый день), and often all the day (и часто весь день).

I had just finished my bower (только что закончил беседку), and was beginning

to enjoy myself when the rainy season or winter, began (и начал наслаждаться, когда =

как сезон дождей, или зима, начался).

What could I do but hurry back to my castle and its dry, warm cave (что я мог

сделать, кроме как поторопиться обратно в замок и в его сухую, теплую пещеру)?

For weeks I could not stir out without getting wet (не мог выйти, не намокнув;

to stir — шевелиться, двигаться). My store of food began to grow small (мои запасы

еды начали сокращаться).