Robinson Crusoe

On the way to London, a strom arose, the ship was wrecked, and we barely escaped with our lives, I
went on foot to london, where i met with the master of a vessel which traded to the coast of africa.
He offered me a chance to go with him on his voyages, which I gladly accepted

A great strom came up, and the ship was tossed anout for many days, until we did not know where
we were. Suddenly we struck a bank of sand, and the sea broke over the ship badly. In this distress
we launched a boat. after we had been driven four or five miles, a raging wave struck us so furiously
that it overset the boat at once. I was dashed against a rock with such force that it left me senseless.
But I recovered a little before the waves returned, and, running forward, got to the mainland safely.
then I began to look about to see if any of my comrades had escaped, but I could see no sign of any
of them.

Later that night, I climed into a thick, bushy tree to sleep. When I awoke, the next morning, the sea
was calm, and I could see the ship about a mile from the shore; and when the tide ebbed, I swam
out to her. I found that all the provisions were dry, and being very hungry. I saw that I had to lose no
time in getting ashore all that i could from the ship. I brought as many provisions as I could togheter
with guns and gunpowder.

My next work was to view the country and seek a proper place to stow my goods. I knew not yet
where i was, whether on a continent or an island. I climed to the top of a hill and saw tha i was on
an island. I saw good reason to believe, uninhabited.

Every day, for twelve days, I made a trip to the vessel, bringing ashore all that i thought would be
useful to me. The night of the twelfth dday there was a violent wind, and when I awoke in the
morning the ship was nowhere to be seen.

Then I gave my thoughts to providing myself with a safe habitation. I found a little plain, on the side
of a hill. It had a hollow place like the door of a cave. Here I resolved to pitch my tent, which I made
of sails that I had brought from the ship. I bulit a kind of fortress around it. I called it "my castle"

I went out every day with my gun to hunt for food. I found that there were goats running wild on the
island, and often succeeded in shooting them. But I saw that my ammunition would in time be all
gone, and that to have a steady supply of goat’s flesh, I had to breed them in flocks. So i set a trap to
take some alive. I saved the skins of all the creatures I shot, and dried them; and when my clothes
were worn out, replaced them with garments made of these.
For a long time I brooded over the idea of making a canoe out of a trunk of a tree, as the indians do.
I cut a large tree, and spent over three months shaping it into the form of a boat. Then I found it too
large to move to the water. Consequently, I had to make a smaller one. Fortunately, I succeeded in
launching it, and set out to make a tour around the island. But when I had been out for three days,
such a strom arose that i was almost lost.

At last I was able to bring my boat to the shore and there I left it, and went across the island, on foot,
to my castle, not caring to go to the sea again in such an unsafe way.
An Advanture with Wolves

Some forty years ago I passed the winter in the wilderness of northern Italy. I was passionately fond
of skating, and the numerous lakes and rivers, frozen by the intense cold, offered an ample field to
the skating lovers. Sometimes my skating excursions were made by moonlight; and it was on such an
occasion that I met with an adventure which even now I cannot recall without a thrill of horror

I had left our cabin one evening just before dusk, with the intention of skating a short distance. The
night was beatifully clear with the light of the full moon and milions of stars. I had gone up the river
nearly two miles,when,coming to a little stream which flows into the larger. All was dark within; but I
was young and fearless, and I laughed and shouted with excitement and joy.

My wild hurrah rang through the silent wodds, and I stood listening to the enchoes until all was
hushed. Suddenly and sound arose;--it seemed to come from beneath the ice. It was low and
tremulous at first, but it ended in one long wild howl. Iwas applled. Never before had such a sound
met my ears. Presently I heard the brushwood on shore crash as though from the tread of some
animals.

I darted toward the opening near the forest, like an arrow. As I turned my eyes to the shore, I could
see several dark objects dashing through the brushwood at a pace nearly double in speed to my
own. By their great speed, and the short yells which they occasionally gave, I knew at once that
these were the gray wolves.

I dashed on in my flight to pass the narrow opening. The outlet was nearly gained; a few seconds
more and I would be comparatively safe. But in a moment my pursuers appeared on the bank above
me. There was no time for thought; I bent my head, and dashed wildly forward.

I turned toward home. I was some distance from my pursuers, when their fierce howl told me they
were still in hot pursuit. I did not look back. The wolves came nearer and nearer. At last I heard their
feet pattering on the ice; I even felt their very breath, and heard their snuffing scent.

They were almost close at my back, when I glided round and dashed directlypast them. A fierce yell
greeted this movement, and the wolves again slid onward. But, They became more excited. I went
down as fast as I could. Had my skates failed for one instant, had I tripped on a stick, or had my foot
been caught in a fissure, the story I am now telling would never have beed told.
At last I came opposite the cabin, and my hounds—I knew their deep voices—roused by the noise
furiously from their kennels. I heard their chains rattle—how I wished they would break them!—
then I should have had protectors to match the fiercest dwellers of the forest.

The wolves, taking the hint conveyed by the dogs, stopped in their mad career, and after a few
moments turned and fled.

I watched them until their forms disappeared over a neighboring hill; then, taking off my skates; I
wended my way to the cabin with fellings which may be better imagined than described. I promised
my self not to skate at moonlight again.