Robinson Crusoe Written Anew for Children

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What if those savages should find my grain fields?

They would know at once that somebody had planted them, and they would never

rest till they should find me.

I could now see the blaze quite plainly. As the day dawned, I could also see the

smoke rising above the trees. The fire was not more than two miles away.

I hurried back to my castle as fast as I could run. I made everything on the outside

of it look as wild as possible.

I climbed over the wall and pulled up the ladder after me.

I loaded all my cannon, as I called the guns, that I had placed in the wall. I put

everything in order for a siege.

Then I waited to see if any enemy would come near.

Two hours, three hours passed, and there was no sight nor sound that was at all

uncommon. I began to wonder if, after all, the fire had been kindled by some accident

and not by strange men.

At last I could wait no longer. I set up my ladder against the side of the rock and

climbed up to a flat place above my castle. I pulled the ladder up after me and then

mounted to another landing. I pulled it up a second time, and it now reached to the top of

the great rock.

Here was the place I called my lookout.

Very carefully I climbed up. I laid myself down upon the rock and through my

spyglass looked over toward the place where I had seen the fire.

I could still see the smoke. Yes, and I could see some naked savages sitting

around a small fire.

I counted them, and made out that there were no fewer than nine of the wretches.

They surely did not need a fire to warm themselves by, for the day was very hot.

No doubt they were cooking something. Perhaps they were cannibals and were getting

ready for one of their horrible feasts.

On the beach not far from them I saw the two canoes in which they had arrived.

The tide was now at its lowest. When it returned and floated the canoes, they

would probably go away.

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This thought made me feel much easier, for I was sure they would not wander far

inland.

I waited and watched till the tide was again at the flood.

Then I saw them all get into the boats and paddle away. They seemed to be going

around to the other side of the island.

I could now breathe freely again. As soon as they were well gone, I armed myself

and hurried across the land to see if I could get another sight of them.

I carried two guns on my shoulder, two pistols in my belt, and a big sword at my

side. You would have been frightened, had you seen me.

It was a long, hard walk. But by and by I came to the hill that overlooked the

farther shore of the island.

This I climbed. I scanned sea and land with my spyglass.

Yes, there were the two canoes coming slowly around the coast.

But what was my surprise to see three other boats put off from a cove near by and

hasten around to meet them!

It seemed, then, that another party of savages had been feasting at the very spot

where I had seen the first footprint in the sand.

I watched the canoes until all five were far out to sea, on their way to the low-

lying shore in the distant west.

Then I went down to the place where the savages had been feasting.

What a dreadful sight met my eyes! The sand was covered with blood and bones.

No doubt some poor captive had been killed there and eaten.

I made up my mind that if any other savages should ever come to my island for

such a feast, I would not let them enjoy it.

I gathered up the bones and buried them in the sand. Then I went slowly and sadly

back to my castle.

After that I never felt quite safe at any time. I dared not fire a gun; I dared not

build a fire; I dared not walk far from home.

While awake, I was always planning how to escape the savages. While asleep, I

was always dreaming of dreadful things.

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Yet days and months passed by, and still no other savages came.

I DISCOVER A WRECK (я обнаруживаю корабль, потерпевший

кораблекрушение)

ONE day in May a great storm burst upon the island (одним майским днем

большая буря обрушилась на остров). All day and far into the night the rain fell and

the wind blew (весь день и глубоко ночью дождь падал = шел и ветер дул), the

lightnings flashed (молнии сверкали), and the thunder rolled (гром катился =

раздавались раскаты грома).

But I was used to such storms (привык к таким штормам), and I minded it but

little (не обращал на него большого внимания). I stayed home in my castle, and felt

very thankful that I had a place so safe and dry and comfortable (я оставался дома в

моем замке и чувствовал благодарность за то, что у меня было такое безопасное,

сухое и удобное место).

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