Robinson Crusoe Written Anew for Children

in this space. I piled it up until it was almost as high as my shoulders. I covered it a foot

deep with earth and turf, leaving a small open place at the bottom.

When this was done, I set fire to the wood through the hole in the bottom. It

burned slowly. The wood became charcoal.

One day, while cutting wood for my charcoal pit, I happened to see a hollow

place in the rock close by a tree I was chopping.

It was half covered with brush. I pushed this aside and looked in. I saw a little

cave just large enough for me to creep into on my hands and knees.

But, a little farther in, it was larger. It was so high that I could stand upright, and

it was so wide that two men could have walked in it side by side.

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It was a very dark place, and I stood still a moment till my eyes should become a

little used to it.

All at once I saw something in the darkness that made me scramble out of that

place much faster than I had come into it.

What do you think it was? Two big shining eyes that glowed like coals in the

darkness. Whether they were the eyes of a man or of some fierce beast, I did not stop to

see.

I stood a little while by the mouth of the cave and then I began to get over my

fright.

What could there be in this cave that would do me harm? No man could live there

in the darkness. As for any animal, I knew there was nothing fiercer on the island than

one of my cats.

So, with a blazing stick for a torch, I crept back into the cave. But I had not gone

three steps before I was frightened almost as much as before.

I heard a loud sigh, like that of a man in trouble. Then there were low moans, and

sounds as of some one trying to speak.

I stopped short. Cold chills ran down my back. My hair seemed to stand on end.

But I would not allow myself to run out again.

I pushed my little torch forward into the darkness, as far as I could. The blaze lit

up the cave. And what do you suppose I saw then?

Why, nothing but a shaggy old goat that I had missed from my flock for nearly a

week past.

He was stretched on the floor of the cave, and too weak to rise up. He was a very

old fellow, and perhaps had gone in there to die.

I gave him some food and water, and made him as comfortable as I could. But he

was too far gone to live long.

I found that, although I could stand up in the cave, it was very small. It was only a

hole in the rocks, and was neither round nor square.

But at the end of this little chamber there seemed to be a passage that led farther

in. This passage was very narrow and dark, and as my torch had burned out, I did not try

to follow it.

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I went back to my wood chopping.

I EXPLORE MY CAVE FURTHER (я исследую мою пещеру дальше)

THE next day I brought out with me six big candles (на следующий день в

вынес с собой шесть больших свечей).

For you must know that I was a candle maker (так как вы должны знать, что я

был создателем свечей = делал свечи) as well as a baker (равно как и пекарем).

Indeed, I made very good candles of goats' tallow, using some bits of old ropes for the

wicks (в самом деле, я делал очень хорошие свечи из сала коз, использую куски

веревки для фитилей).

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As I have just said, I took six candles with me, for I had made up my mind to

learn more about the cave I had found (как я только что сказал, я взял шесть свечей

собой, так как я решил узнать больше о пещере, которую я нашел).

I lit two of the candles (зажег две свечи; to light — зажигать), and went in

(зашел внутрь). The poor old goat was dead (бедная старая коза была мертва), and it

was no easy work to dig a hole right there and bury him (было не легкой работой

выкопать дыры прямо там и похоронить ее).

After this unpleasant task was done (после того как это неприятное задание

было сделано), I went into the back part of the cave (я пошел в заднюю часть

пещеры). The flame of the candles lighted up the darkness (пламя свечей осветило

темноту), and I could see quite plainly (мог видеть довольно сносно).

The narrow passage of which I have told you was no less than thirty feet long

(узкий проход, о котором я рассказал вам, был не меньше 30 футов длиной). In one

place it was so low that I had to creep through on all fours (в одном месте он был таким

низким, что мне пришлось ползти на четырех = на четвереньках).

But no sooner was I through this low place than I found myself in a splendid

chamber (но как только я прошел это низкое место, я обнаружил себя великолепной

комнате). It was large enough to shelter a hundred men (она была достаточно

большой, чтобы укрыть 100 человек).