Page 38 - An American Robinson Crusoe

figures of birds and flowers. I taught him about the true God. But as for writing he could never do much with
this. I had no books and could not make him understand the importance of writing. He began to talk a great
deal to me. This delighted me very much. I began to love him exceedingly. He was so very honest and
faithful.

"After I had taught him English I tried one day to find out whether he had any wish to return to his own
country and as I talked to him about it I saw his face light up with joy and his eye sparkle. From this I had no
doubt but that Friday would like to be in his own country again. This for a time made me sad, to think how
eagerly he would leave me to be among his savage friends. 'Do you not wish you were back in your own
country, Friday?' I said to him one day. 'Yes,' he said, 'I be much O glad to be back in my country.' 'What
would you do there,' said I? 'Would you turn wild again and do as the savages do?' He shook his head and said
very gravely, 'No, no, Friday tell them to live good. He tell them to plant corn and live like white mans.'

"One day when we were on the top of a hill on the west side of the island, Friday suddenly began to jump and
dance about in great glee. I asked him what the matter was. 'O, joy, O glad,' he said; 'there my country!' The
air was so clear that from this place, as I had before discovered, land could be distinctly seen looking
westward.

"I asked him how far it was from our island to his country and whether their canoes were ever lost in coming
and going. He said that there was no danger. No canoes were ever wrecked and that it was easy to get back
and forth. I asked him many things about his people and country. He told me that away to the west of his
country there lived 'white mans like you.' I thought these must be the people of Central America, and asked
him how I might come from this island and get among these white men. He made me understand that I must
have a large boat as big as two canoes.

"I resolved at once to begin to make a boat large enough for us to pass over to the land we could see lying to
the west and if possible to go on to the white man's country Friday told me about. It took us nearly two
months to make our boat and rig her out with sails, masts, rudder, and anchor. We had to weave our sails and
twist our rope. We burned out the canoe from a large fallen log. We used a great stone tied securely to the end
of a strong rope for an anchor.

[Illustration: ROBINSON AND FRID AY SAILING THE BOAT]

"When we had the boat in the water, Friday showed great skill in rowing or paddling it. He had managed
boats ever since he was old enough, but he did not know how to handle a sail or rudder. He learned very
quickly, however, to sail and steer the boat and soon was perfectly at home in it.

"We made our boat safe by keeping it in the little cove at the mouth of the creek. I had Friday to fetch rocks
and build a dock or place for landing. But the rainy season was now coming on and we must wait for fair
weather. In the meantime I planned to lay by such quantities of food as we would need to take along."

X X X VIII

ANOTHER SHIPWRECK

One evening Robinson sat in his shelter thinking of his plans to escape to Friday's country. He was sad. For,
after all, this place was very dear to him. It was the only home he had. Had he not made everything with his
own hands? It was doubly dear to him on this account. He thought how it would grieve him to leave his goats,
his fields, and the many comforts he had here.

He had been telling Friday of his home in New York. He told him of the great city, and of its many wonderful
sights. He told him of his country and people, of his flag and its history. All these things brought back