Robinson Crusoe Written Anew for Children

"My dear friend," cried the captain, "there is your ship! She is all yours, for we

owe our lives to you. We also are yours. Everything on board of her is yours."

I was ready to sink down with surprise.

For here was a large ship, at last, ready to carry me wherever I wished to go.

At first I could not answer him.

We stood for some minutes with our arms around each other, and neither of us

could speak.

At last I broke out, crying like a child. Then we rejoiced together.

When he had talked awhile, the captain told me that he had brought me a present.

"Bring up the box for the governor!" he cried to his men.

They came up the hill, carrying a wooden chest. When it was put down in my

castle the captain bade me open it and help myself to all that was inside it.

I did so.

I found first two pounds of good tobacco, then twelve pieces of beef, six pieces of

pork, a bag of peas, a box of sugar, a box of flour, a bag full of lemons, and two bottles of

lime juice.

But under these was the greatest surprise. There I found six new shirts, six

neckties, two pairs of gloves, a pair of shoes, a pair of stockings, a hat, and a very good

suit of clothes.

I could now dress like a man again.

I went about it at once. It had been so long since I had worn such clothes that I

was very awkward at putting them on.

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But at last I came out fully dressed. Friday did not know me. I hardly knew

myself.

The next day all was in readiness to sail away.

The second mate, the carpenter, and other ruffians who had been foremost in the

rebellion were to be left on the island. In fact, I had put the matter to them in such a way

that they requested this as a favor.

"It will be better to stay here than be taken to England to be hanged," I said to

them.

I left with them a keg of powder, three muskets, and three swords.

I told them also about my goats, and how I managed them — how I milked them

and made butter and cheese.

I showed them my fields of barley and rice.

I showed them, also, my castle, my cave in the woods, and my bower.

"All these are yours," I said.

"They are much more than we deserve," said the second mate; and I agreed with

him.

I BRING MY TALE TO A CLOSE (привожу мой рассказ в завершению =

завершаю мой рассказ)

AND SO on the 19th of December, 1687, we set sail for England (настроили

паруса на Англию). I had been on the island twenty-eight years, two months, and

nineteen days (28 лет, два месяца и 19 дней).

I took on board with me the money (я взял на борт с собой деньги) that had

been by me so long and had been so useless (бесполезными).

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I took also my big goatskin cap and my umbrella (большую шапку из козьей

шкуры и зонтик). Neither did I forget my good Poll Parrot (не забыл я также своего

попугая Попку). As for my man Friday, nothing in the world could have parted him

from me (ничто в мире не могло разлучить меня с ним). He would have gone to the

ends of the earth with me (он бы пошел на край света со мной).

The voyage was a long and hard one (путешествие было длинным и тяжелым).

But on the eleventh day of June we at last reached London (достигли Лондона). Once

more I was in England (снова: «еще раз» я был в Англии), the land of my birth (в

стране моего рождения).

I was as perfect a stranger as if I had never been there (я был столь же

совершенным чужаком/чужестранцем, как если бы я никогда здесь не бывал). I

went down to York. My father and mother had been dead a long time (давно уже

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умерли). The friends of my boyhood had forgotten me (друзья моего детства забыли

меня).

I was alone in the world (одинок в мире). Where should I go and what should I

do?

By chance I learned that my plantation in Brazil was doing well (случайно я

узнал, что дела на моей плантации в Бразилии идут хорошо). The man whom I had

left in charge of it (которого я оставил управлять ею; charge — забота, попечение,

надзор, наблюдение) had made much money from the tobacco he had raised

(вырастил).

He was an honest man (честный человек), and when he heard that I was still

alive (еще жив) he wrote me a long, kind letter (написал мне длинное, доброе

письмо). In this he gave me a full account of the business (дал полный отчет о

бизнесе).

He also sent me a large amount of money (большую сумму денег), which I was

very glad to get (которую я был очень рад получить).

I was now a rich man (богатым человеком). I might have settled down to a life