1. Introduction

Most of you have heard or read part, at least, of the story of Robinson Crusoe. You know how, in spite of the entreaties of his parents, he determined to become a sailor and see the world. You may know something of his early voyages, most of them full of hardship and suffering. And you surely know how finally the vessel on which he was sailing was wrecked and he was cast ashore, the only survivor, on a barren and uninhabited island.

For thirty years, we are told, he remained there; and for nearly two hundred years children have loved to hear, to read, to tell, and to play the stories about the home he made and the life he lived.

After you have read the passage given here, try to find the book that tells of his experiences, and read others of the stories. You can then tell them to your classmates or to smaller children.

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2. Written Exercises

Make a list of the things you think you should need most if you were in Robinson Crusoe's position. As you read the following account, compare your list with the things that he took from the ship to the shore.

3. Reading Lesson

I was wet, had no clothes to shift me, nor anything either to eat or drink, to comfort me; neither did I see any prospect before me but that of perishing with hunger, or being devoured by wild beasts. In a word, I had nothing about me but a knife, a tobacco-pipe, and a little tobacco in a box. Night coming upon me, I began, with a heavy heart, to consider what would be my lot if there were any ravenous beasts in that country. All the remedy that offered to my thoughts, at that time, was to get up into a thick bushy tree, which grew near me, and where I resolved to sit all night, and consider the next day what death I should die, for as yet I saw no prospect of life. Being excessively fatigued, I fell fast asleep, and slept as comfortably as, I believe, few could have done in my condition.

When I waked it was broad day, the weather clear, and the storm abated, but that which surprised me most was, that the ship was lifted off in the night from the sand where she lay, by the swelling of the tide, and was driven up almost as far as the rock where I had been so bruised by the wave dashing me against it.

When I came down from my apartment in the tree, I looked about me again, for a time. But I was intent upon getting at the ship, where I hoped to find something for my present subsistence.

A little after noon I found the sea very calm, and the tide ebbed so far out, that I could come within a quarter of a mile of the ship. I pulled off my clothes, for the weather was hot to extremity, and took to the water. When I came to the ship, I espied a small piece of rope, hanging down, and by the help of that rope got up into the forecastle of the ship. I found that all the ship's provisions were dry, and being well disposed to eat, I went to the bread-room, and filled my pockets with biscuit, and ate it as I went about other things.

Now I wanted nothing but a boat, to furnish myself with many things which I foresaw would be very necessary to me.

We had several spare yards, and a spare topmast or two in the ship; and I flung as many of them overboard as I could manage, tying every one with a rope, that they might not drive away. When this was done I went down the ship's side, and tied four of them together at both ends, as in the form of a raft, and laying two or three short pieces of plank upon them, crossways, I found I could walk upon it very well, but that it was not able to bear any great weight. So I went to work, and with the carpenter's saw I cut a spare topmast into three lengths, and added them to my raft, with a great deal of labor and pains.

My next care was what to load it with, but I was not long considering this. I first laid all the planks or boards upon it that I could get, and three of the seamen's chests, which I had broken open and emptied. The first of these I filled with bread, rice, three Dutch cheeses, five pieces of dried goat's flesh, and a little remainder of European corn. I found several cases of bottles belonging to our skipper, in which were some cordial waters; and, in all, about five or six gallons of arrack. These I stowed by themselves. While I was doing this, I found the tide began to flow, though very calm; and I had the mortification to see my coat, shirt, and waistcoat, which I had left on shore upon the sand, swim away. As for my breeches, which were only linen, and open-kneed, I swam on board in them and my stockings. However, this put me upon rummaging for clothes, of which I found enough, but took no more than I wanted for present use, for I had other things which my eye was more upon. First, I needed tools to work with on shore, and it was after long searching that I found the carpenter's chest, which was indeed a very useful prize to me.

My next care was for some ammunition and arms. There were two very good fowling pieces in the great cabin, and two pistols. These I secured first, with some powder-horns, a small bag of shot, and two old rusty swords. I knew there were three barrels of powder in the ship, but knew not where our gunner had stowed them; but with much search I found them.

Having found also besides the tools which were in the chest, two saws, an axe, and a hammer, I put to sea with my cargo. For a mile, or thereabouts, my raft went very well, only that I found it drive a little distant from the place where I had landed before.

Then there appeared before me a little opening of the land. I found a strong current of the tide set into it; so I guided my raft as well as I could, to keep in the middle of the stream.

But here I nearly suffered a second shipwreck, for my raft rau aground at one end of it upon a shoal, and not being aground at the other end, my cargo came near slipping off towards the end that was afloat. Holding up the chests with all my might, I stood in that manner near half an hour, in which time the rising of the water brought me a little more upon a level. A little after, the water still rising, my raft floated again, and I thrust her off. Then driving up higher, I at length found myself in the mouth of a little river. I looked on both sides for a proper place to get to shore, and at length I spied a little cove on the right shore of the creek, to which, with great pain and difficulty, I guided my raft. Here there was a flat piece of ground, which I expected the water would flow over; and so it did. As soon as I found water enough, I thrust her upon that flat piece of ground, and there fastened or moored her, by sticking my two oars into the ground - one on one side, near one end, and one on the other side, near the other end; and thus I lay till the water ebbed away, and left my raft and all my cargo safe on shore.

4. Word Studies

What does shift mean here? In what different sense have you heard it used?

Ravenous, very hungry.

What is the tide?

How did the flood tide, or the " swelling of the tide " help Crusoe? How did the ebb tide help him?

Make a list of the words in the lesson that name parts of the ship. Find out what parts they are.

Make a list of five words in the lesson that you have never used. Write after each some more common word that has about the same meaning.

5. Oral Composition

Tell the story in class. These topics will help you. Use some of the words in the story that you have never used before.

1. Crusoe's condition.

2. How he spent the night.

3. What happened to the ship in the night.

4. Getting to the ship.

5. Making the raft.

6. Loading the raft.

7. Getting the load to land.