 chapters 29 through 32 of American Robinson Crusoe this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information order volunteer please visit LibriVox.org this reading by Allison Hester of Athens, Georgia an American Robinson Crusoe by Samuel B. Allison chapter 29 Robinson becomes a farmer Robinson had now been on the island long enough to know how the seasons changed he found that there were two kinds of weather there wet weather and dry weather there were two wet seasons in each year and two dry ones during the wet seasons which lasted nearly three months Robinson had to remain pretty closely at home and could not gather grain for the plants were then starting from the seeds it ripened in the dry seasons Robinson soon found that he must have a store of corn and wild rice for food during the rainy seasons he however knew nothing about planting and harvesting nor preparing the ground for seed he had it all to learn with no teacher or books to instruct him he found a little space near his dwelling free from trees and thought he would plant some corn seed here he did not know the proper time for planting he thought because it was warm seeds would grow at any time it happened his first seed was put in at the beginning of the dry season he watched and waited to rejoice his eyes with the bright green of a sprouting corn but the seed did not grow there was no rain and the Sun's heat parched the land till it was dry and hard on the upland where his corn was planted very well thought Robinson I will plant it at the beginning of the wet season either in March or September he did so the seed quickly sprouted up but the weeds shrubs and vines sprouted as quickly and before Robinson was aware his corn was overgrown and choked out by a rank growth of weeds and vines I see said Robinson that I must thoroughly prepare the soil before planting my seed but he had no spade and no other tool that would stand the strain of digging among tough matted roots but he must succeed he put a new handle in the stone hoe or pick he had already made his muscle shell spade was worn out he must set himself to fashion out another he decided to make one from the tough heavy wood of a tree that grew plentifully in the forest he was lucky enough to find a tree of this kind whose bowl had been split lengthwise by the falling of an old rotten tree near it with his stone tools and the help of fire he managed after several days work to make a wide sharpened tool out of one of the large pieces split off it was a little over three feet long he had trimmed one end small and cut notches and the sides about one foot from the flat end he could place his foot in the notch and thrust his wooden spade into the earth with his rude tool he dug up and turned the soil of a small space of ground several times to kill the vines and weeds his corn quickly sprouted after this attempt and out stripped the weeds and vines which robinson constantly had to hold and check by pulling and hoeing he was rejoiced at his growing crop and went each morning to feast his eyes on the rapidly expanding leaves and ears one morning as he came in sight of the little clearing he thought he saw something disappearing in the low brush on the other side as he approached alas his labor had been in vain a herd of wild goats had found out the place and had utterly destroyed his crop robinson sat down nearby and surveyed the ruin of his little field it is plain thought he i will have to fence in the field or i will never be able to harvest my crop i cannot watch it all the time he had already learned from his experience in making the fence around the goat pasture that the branches of many kinds of shrubs and trees when broken off and thrust into the ground will send out roots and leaves and at length if planted close together in a line will form a thick hedge which no kind of beast can get through or over he found out some willow trees whose branches broke easily and soon had enough to thrust into the ground about six inches apart around the entire edge of his little field which contained about one eighth of an acre after this hedge had grown so as to be a fair protection to his crop he tried planting again at the proper season he spaded up the ground and pulled out the matted roots as best he could and with great pains and care planted his corn and straight even rows to make them straight and each hill of corn the same distance from its neighbors he first marked off the ground in squares whose sides were about three and a half feet long now thought he i will reap the reward of my labor the corn grew rapidly and toward the end of the first dry season was filling out and ripening its ears but to robinson's dismay a new danger threatened his crop against which he could not fence he was in despair the birds were fast eating and destroying his partially ripened corn he could not husk it yet it was not ripe enough he thought how easy it would be to protect his field if he had a gun but he had learned that it is useless to give time to idle dreaming he must do something in that quick if i could catch some of these rascals he thought i would hang them up on poles dead as a warning to the rest it seemed almost a hopeless task but he went about it it was in vain he tried to kill some of them by throwing rocks and sticks he could not get near enough to them at length he laid snares and succeeded in sneering three birds he had learned to weave a pliable strong thong out of cocoa and other fiber that he was now acquainted with the birds thus caught he fastened on broken branches of trees which he stuck into the earth in different parts of his field the birds heeded the warning and visited his cornfield no more that season at the end of the season he gathered or husked his corn and after it was thoroughly dry he shelled it from the cob with his hands he used his baskets in which to carry his husked ears from the field to his cave and in which to store it when shelled he found that the ears were larger and better field and plumper than when the plants grew wild he selected the largest and best field ears for his seed the next time in this way his new crop of corn was always better and kind and yielded more than the old one at first he grew two crops a year but by experimenting he found out about how much he needed for his own use and planted once a year enough to give him a liberal supply he observed that the wild rice grew in swampy lands so that he did not make the mistake of trying to raise it upon the upland where the corn grew best he saw at once that the planting of rice on low marshy or wetland was beyond his present strength in tools sometime in the future he thought i may try it robinson also found wild grapes in abundance these he dried by hanging them on the branches of trees he thus had a store of raisins for each rainy season end of chapter 29 robinson becomes a farmer chapter 30 robinson as potter robinson was now anxious to cook his food to boil his rice and vegetables and bake bread but he could do nothing without cooking vessels he had tried to use coconut shells but these were too small and there was no way to keep them from falling over and spilling the contents he determined to try to make some clay vessels he knew where he could get a kind of clay that had the appearance of making good wear it was fine grained and without lumps or pebbles he was much perplexed to mold the clay into the right shapes he tried taking a lump and shaping it into a vessel with his hands he tried many times but each time the clay broke and he was forced to try some other way he recalled how he had made his basket out of strands of twisted grass and wondered whether he could not make his pots in the same way he spun the clay out into a long rope and began to coil it around a small basket forming the layers together with his hands this was easy but he did not see clearly how he was going to get the basket out from the inside of the pot he found he could copy in this way any form he wished but he finally hit upon the plan of making a form of wicker work and coiling the clay rope inside it for he saw that whether he succeeded or not in getting the clay free from the basket he could use the pot and besides if the pot would stand the fire the basket would burn off to dry the pots Robinson stood them in the sun for a few days when they were dry he tried to cook some soup in one of them he filled it with water and put it on his stove or oven but how sadly had he deceived himself in a short time the water soaked into the clay and soon the pot had fallen to pieces how foolish i am said robinson to himself the pots have to be fired before they can be used he said about this at once he found two stones of equal size placed them near each other and laid a third across these he then placed three large pots upon them and made a hot fire under them no sooner had the flames shot up than one of the pots cracked in two probably made the fire too hot at first thought robinson he drew out some of the coals of wood but afterwards gradually increased the fire again he could not however get the pots hot enough to turn red he brought the driest and hardest wood but could not succeed in getting them hot enough to turn red at length he was tired out and was compelled to give up when the pots were cool he tried to boil water in one it was no better than the sun dried one he saw now that he must provide some way to get the pots much hotter than he could in the open air he resolved to make an oven of stones large enough to take in the wood as well as the pots it must be above ground so that there might be plenty of drop for fire with great labor he pried up and carried together flat stones enough to make an oven about four feet high with a chimney at one side he had put in the center a stone table on which he could place three quite large pots he left an opening in one side that could be partially closed by a large flat stone he worked eagerly and at the end of the second day he was ready to fire his oven he first carried together a good quantity of dry wood then he put in his pots and laid the wood around them in a short time he had a very hot fire he kept this up all day and until late at night the next morning he went to his oven and found his pots were a beautiful red he drew out the fire and allowed them to cool slowly then he filled one with water and set it over the fire to heat it before many minutes the water was boiling and Robinson had another reason to be thankful he wept for joy his patient laborers had brought their rewards no prince could feel as happy as Robinson now he had overcome all difficulties starting with nothing but his hands he was now able to supply all his wants if i only had a companion now he thought i would have nothing further to wish as long as i stay on the island end of chapter 30 Robinson as potter chapter 31 Robinson as baker now that Robinson had fire he determined to try to make bread he had seen the servants at home make bread many times but he had not observed closely and knew next to nothing about the way bread is made he knew he must in some way grind the corn into flour but how could he do this he had no meal nor any tools with which to crush the corn he first tried to find a stone large and hard enough out of which he might hollow a vessel or kind of mortar he thought he could put the corn into this mortar and grind it by means of another stone or pestle it was with great difficulty that he could get a stone of suitable size and form after several days trial he at last got one cut out from some layers of rot near the shore he made a hollow place in it then he took a smaller oblong shaped rock for his pestle he took great pride in these new tools i shall soon be a stone cutter he said to himself as well as a farmer and a potter but his stone mortar was a failure the rock was too soft every time he thrust the pestle down it loosened small pieces of the stone vessel these mixed with the ground corn or flour and made it unfit to eat there was no way to separate the sand from the crushed grain he resolved then to try to make a mortar and pestle of hard wood now that he had fire he could do this though it cost him many a hard day's work he found not far away a log of very hard wood by building a fire at the right distance from one end he was able to separate a piece of the log he rolled this to his cave and made a good sized hollow in it by burning this pestle was not so difficult to make he took a limb or branch of an iron wood tree burned it into at the place to make it the right length by burning also he rounded one end and then he was ready for the grinding after cleaning his mortar and pestle carefully he placed some corn in the hollow and soon had some fine yellow meal or flour without any grit or sand in it his next care was to separate the coarse outer husk or covering of the kernel from the finer parts that make the meal he had no sieve his net was too coarse it let both bran and meal go through i must make a net or cloth fine enough to sift or to bolt my flour said he such was now his skill in spinning and weaving that this was not hard to do he had soon woven in his loom a piece of fine netting which allowed the meal to shake through but held back the coarse bran or outer husk of the kernel out of the dry corn that he had stored up he now made quite a quantity of flour this he kept tightly covered in a large earthen pot or jar that he had made for this purpose i must keep all my food clean and protected from the ants and other insects as well as dust and tamp he thought his preparations were now nearly made he had already his stove of flat stones on this he could set his pots to boil water cook rice and meat but it would not do for baking a loaf of bread of any thickness he must have an oven or enclosed place into which he could put the loaf to bake it by the use of flat stones he soon rebuilt his stove so as to have an oven that did fine service now it was mixing the dough that claimed his attention he had of course no yeast to make raised or light bread he poured goat's milk on the flour and kneaded it into a thick dough he did not forget to add salt he placed his loaf in a shallow earthen pan he had made for this purpose after the fire had heated the stones of his oven through he put in his loaf and soon was enjoying a meal of cornbread and meat stew robinson soon tried to make cocoa from the beans of the cocoa palm that grew in the island this with good rich goat's milk in it he thought the best drink in the world he often thought of making sugar from the sugarcane plant he had discovered in the island but the labor of squeezing out the juice was too great he could think of no way to do this without the help of horses or oxen end of chapter 31 robinson as baker chapter 32 robinson as fisherman robinson was now eager to use his fire and cooking vessels he had noticed with hungry eyes fine large fish in the creek near his cave but he had never taken the trouble to catch any what is the use he thought i cannot eat them raw it was different now and he began to devise ways of making a catch how he longed for a fish hook such as he had so often used when loitering along the Hudson river but a fish hook is not to be thought of he said to himself unless i can make one of bone he went down to the brook and searched long for a fish bone that he might make use of for this purpose he found nothing i must try something else he thought he remembered the nets he used to see along the Hudson and wondered if he could not make a small one to pull through the water and thus catch the fish he had now a better source of fiber for weaving and for spinning into lines and ropes he had discovered this when he was trying to find a good strong thread or yarn with which to bind the coils of his grass made baskets together he obtained fiber and great abundance from the century like plant he found if he broke off the long leaves of this plant and allowed them to decay they remained a long tough fiber substance out of which strong cords could be twisted or yarn made for weaving a coarse cloth or netting out of this he spun yarn thread to make a net about three or four feet by two feet he fastened cords to four corners of this tied them to a long pole and was now prepared to test his plan for catching fish the brook he found was too shallow for him to catch fish in this way at the side of him and his net they scurried away to deep water neither could he succeed in the shallow water along the shore i must wait out as far as i can he said to himself and draw the net through the water as he did this he was surprised that the many forms of sea life knew to him that he saw he however was careful and watchful he walked along near the shore to a point where some rocks showed above the surface as he looked ahead he saw the single eye of a giant cuttlefish glaring at him from among the rocks it was thrusting out its long arms towards him he drew back quickly but as he did so he was terrified to hear the snap of some huge creatures jaws near him a great shark had seen him and had thrown himself on his back to seize him in his rows of sharp teeth but was prevented reaching him by the shallowness of the water robinson was too much terrified to continue longer his attempt at fishing he went back to his cave with only a few small ones not worth the trouble of dressing for his dinner the next day undismayed he tried again he succeeded in drawing in some very beautiful large fish their sides shone as burnished gold and silver now he thought i will have a feast he carried them home carefully cleaned and dressed them seasoned them with salt and broiled them over his fire imagine his disappointment when they proved unfit to eat their flesh was coarse and tough and ill tasting he saw that the catching a fish for his table was a more difficult thing than he thought it he must not only catch fish but catch ones that could be eaten he could only tell the good from the bad by trying them he was more fortunate in his next venture he was going along the shore at the mouth of the creek which ran near his cave when he noticed a group of fishes dark bluish above with silvery sides the largest of them were about two feet long they were feeding on the bottom in the brackish water at the mouth of the creek which at its mouth opened out into quite a little bay or inlet they would take up a mouth full of earth from the bottom and let it wash through their mouths keeping all the bits of food that happened to be in it when one fish got a good place to feed the others swam around it and tried to get some of the food robinson watched his chance and slipped his net under a group while each one was busy trying to get the best mouthful of mud he drew up three quite large fish but just as he was about to lift them from the water one of the cords which bound the net to the poles broke and he saw his catch fall back into the creek and dart away in the deepest water but robinson was not to be discouraged he soon mended his net and at last was successful in a short time he drew out another catch or two of fish these proved excellent food and were so abundant as to furnish robinson with all the fish he wanted as long as he stayed on the island end of chapter 32 robinson as fisherman chapters 33 through 37 of an american robinson crusoe this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libravox.org this reading by allison hester of athens georgia and american robinson crusoe by samuel b allison chapter 33 robinson builds a boat robinson had wished for a boat many times he wished to explore the shore of his island he wanted to go clear around it so that he might see it on every side but he knew the work of making a boat would be great if not wholly impossible the shaping of boards to build a boat with his rude tools was not to be thought of he knew how the indians made boats out of bark trees but he saw that for his purpose so light a boat would not do he finally remembered a second indian way of making a boat by hollowing out a large log the forest was full of the bowls of trees that had been blown down but they were far away from the shore at first he did not think of this very much he had overcome so many difficulties that he thought never mind i will get my boat to water no matter where i make it in some way so he selected a tree trunk some distance from the bank of the little creek nearest cave and began to work he had first to burn out his log the proper length and hack it into boat shape with his stone tools this was very slow and tedious work he had to handle the fire with great care for there was always the danger of spoiling the shape of the slowly forming boat both ends must be sharpened but one more than the other to form the prowl or forward going in after he had shaped his boat he began hollowing it out this he did also by burning for the most part he used the branches of the pitch bearing trees for this purpose but it was so slow he worked at his boat all the time he could spare from his regular duties in attending to his goats his garden and his cave he was always making his cave larger every time he made a piece of furniture or stored away grain he must make more room in his cave by digging away the earth and carrying it out he had made a large strong wicker basket for this purpose he had had a vague idea that when he got his boat done he would dig a trench back from the bank of the creek and thus float his boat but he had not thought it out clearly or anyway he thought I can in some way manage to roll it to the water he must now actually plan to put some of these ideas into effect first he went over the ground and found that to dig a trench from the water to the boat so that the water would come to the boat he would have to dig it 20 feet deep I can never do this he said with my poor tools he next tried his rolling plan but he had been so anxious to have a large boat that he had overlooked everything else try as hard as he might he could not stir his boat from the spot after many trials with the longest levers he could handle the boat still stuck fast it would not budge an inch he at last gave up it will lie here he thought to remind me how foolish it is to attempt to do anything without first having thought it out carefully there was nothing to do but choose another tree trunk this time he selected a much smaller one and one that lay at the top of the little slope or incline from the bank of the creek after another weary six months of work he had his second boat ready for launching with a good stout lever he gave it a start when it rolled quickly down into the water robinson again wept for joy of all his projects this had cost him the most work and pains and at last to see his plan successful filled him with delight the next problem was how to make it go he had no certain knowledge how far it was around the island but he knew it was farther than he wanted to row or paddle his boat yet he knew from the way the wind blew that he could not always depend upon a sail to help him he must become skillful in paddling his boat a sail too would be very helpful at times he imagined how pleasant it would be sitting in the boat sailing along with a gentle wind when the wind is favorable he thought i will only have to steer with my paddle so he set about weaving a sail of his sasal fiber to do this he had to make a much larger loom than he had yet used his sail must be at least four feet square he was now so skilled in weaving that this was soon finished he then made plenty of string cord and rope put in a mast and was ready to sail but he did not venture far away until he had spent weeks and weeks and learning to steer sail and paddle his boat end of chapter 33 robinson builds a boat chapter 34 robinson as sailor ever since robinson had finished his boat he had been eager to make a tour of the island he had indeed made a journey by land but the deep forests and tangled vines made it very difficult to travel his journeys had shown him but a small part of the land he wished to know all about the land of which he so far as he knew was the soul master his first care was to fit up his boat with provisions he made some large baskets in which to carry food and a large covered jar for water these he stored in the bow and the stern of his boat he fastened his parasol on the stern for a shelter from the sun he baked up a quantity of cakes or loaves of bread and packed them in his baskets he had woven these so carefully that they would almost hold water at last all was ready it was on the sixth day of november in the sixth year of his life on the island that robinson hoisted his sail and set out upon this voyage of discovery he had waited until the wind was gentle and blowing as far easterly as it does at that place he scutted along bravely running with the land toward the east and north all went well until he came to a low reef or ledge of rocks running far out to sea in a northeasterly direction when robinson observed this he went on shore and climbed to a high point to see if it was safe to venture he was afraid of hidden currents or streams of water these might carry him away from the shore and prevent him from getting around the point he did indeed observe that there was a current running out to sea past the ledge but he thought he could by careful paddling keep his boat from striking the rock if he could once get beyond the ledge the wind would help him double or get around the point indeed the danger was that the wind would blow him onto the rocks he waited for two days for a gentle wind at last without sail he pushed his boat into the current and was born swiftly seaword he found the current much stronger than he thought it would be it rushed his frail boat on past the point of the rocks and out into the sea try as best he might he could not change its course he was steadily going out to sea he gave himself up for lost he reproached himself for being so rash and full hearty as to trust his fortunes and so frail a craft how dear at this time seemed the island to him the wind which he had depended on to help him at this point has died down so that it was at the mercy of the current he kept urging his boat to the westward as much as possible with all his strength hoping that a breeze would finally spring up he struggled on bravely until about noon he had been carried out a great distance into the sea but not so far as to lose sight of the land all at once he felt the breeze freshening up it caught his sail and soon his boat was cutting across the current he did not have to go far before he was free from it and making headway for the island which he reached about four o'clock in the afternoon he found himself on the northern shore of the island but before long the shore ran away to the southward again he ran briskly along the west side until he found a little bay or cove he determined to enter this draw up his boat on shore and make his way back home across the island on foot he was almost exhausted with his great labor and was worn out with anxiety in the center of the arms of the cove he found a little creek entering the sea he paddled into this and found a good place to hide his boat as soon as robinson was again on land he fell on his knees and with tears in his eyes thanked god for his deliverance the island which had seemed to him a prison now seemed the fairest and dearest place in the world having made his boat safe he started back toward his shelter but he was too tired to go far he soon came to a little grove of trees beneath which he laid himself down and soon was fast asleep you can imagine with what surprise robinson was awakened out of his sleep by a voice calling his name robinson robinson crusoe it said poor robinson crusoe where are you robinson where have you been he was so fast asleep that he did not at first rouse up entirely and thought he was dreaming but the voice kept calling robinson robinson poor robinson crusoe he was greatly frightened and started up but no sooner were his eyes opened then he saw his parrot sitting on a branch of a tree he knew it once the source of the voice poly had missed her master and was also exploring the island it was a pleasant surprise she immediately flew to him and lit on his shoulder she showed in many ways how glad she was to see him and kept saying poor robinson crusoe poor robinson crusoe robinson remained here overnight and the next morning made his way back to the shelter up to this time robinson had never seen any dangerous animals on the island he had grown used to life there and went about without fear of animals but as he was returning across a little opening he saw a clump of palms in the center of the opening swaying about he did not at first see what caused this but soon there was thrust out the head of a great serpent its jaws were open and its eyes were fixed on a poor terrified little rabbit the rabbit seemed rooted to the spot it could not stir a muscle and was soon caught in the folds of the great snake this sight made robinson greatly afraid he wanted to rush to the rescue of the rabbit but what could he do against such a foe he resolved in the future to keep a more careful watch and always to sleep in his bower robinson had enough of exploring for some time he was contented to remain at home he made many things he needed he had saved all the skins of the goats he had killed for meat and all that had died from any calls these he made into rugs for his bed he kept at his loom too for he was anxious to weave enough of his coarse cloth to make him a suit of clothes he learned how to braid mats and rugs out of his fiber and finally replaced his awkward hat and parasol with others braided very skillfully from the long grasses that grew so abundantly in the marshy places another thing that robinson was now able to make or weave out of his fiber was a hammock he had slept all this time on a bed made of poles laid lengthwise and thickly covered with the skins of goats and rabbits now he could have a comfortable place to sleep he did not stop until he had made two one was for the bower and the other was for use out of doors when his work was done in the evening or in the heat of midday he would lie in it at full length under the shade of the trees end of chapter 34 robinson as sailor chapter 35 a discovery robinson could not forget his boat it seemed a companion it may be the means of my escape from this place he thought he took frequent journeys across the island to where his little boat lay in a cove he would start out in the morning and walk over to the west side of the island take his boat and have a pleasant little sail he always returned home before dark for to tell the truth robinson was a coward he was as timid as a hair he was afraid of everything and spent many nights without sleep because of fear it was while on one of his visits to his boat that robinson made a discovery that changed his whole life it happened one day about noon when he was going toward his boat that he with great surprise saw the print of a man's neck and foot on the shore in the sand he stood like one rooted to the ground he could not move so great was his surprise and fear he listened looked around but could hear and see nothing he went up to a little hill to look further but nothing was in sight there was but the one footprint there was no doubt about it there it was foot toes heel and every part of a foot robinson tried to think how it might have gotten there but he could not it was a mystery he was greatly afraid and started at once for his shelter he ran like one pursued at every little way he would look behind to see if anyone was following him never a frightened rabbit ran to his hiding place with more terror than robinson ran to his cave he did not sleep that night for fear and remained in his shelter for three days never venturing out but his food was growing short and his goats needed to be milked he finally with a thousand wild fancies forced himself to go about his duties but he could not get the footprint out of his mind he spent many sad and fearful days thinking about it how could it have gotten there whose was it was the owner's savage or not what did he want on the island were some of the questions that haunted him perhaps he thought one day i just imagined i saw a footprint or perhaps it was one of my own that i have made when i was going to sell my boat he took courage at this and began to go about the island again but he went in great fear always looking behind him he was always ready to run at the first side of danger he had made himself a large strong new bow and plenty of arrows he carried these in a quiver he had made from his cloth he fashioned too a sharp pointed lance-like weapon which he hurled with a kind of sling in his belt he carried some new sharpened stone knives he had found a better kind of rock out of which to make his knives it resembled glass and could be brought to a fine keen edge armed thus he began to have more confidence he had a strong desire to see the footprint again and make up his mind about it he wished to measure it in this way he could tell certainly whether it was a chance print of his own foot or not so after a few days he again ventured across the island alas on measuring the print it was much larger than his own there could no longer be any doubt that it belonged to someone else again great fear fell on poor robinson he shook with cold and fright he resolved to make himself more secure against attack he cut and carried willow stakes and set them in a thick hedge around in front of his shelter this was outside the first and enclosed it in a season or two these had grown to such a height as to shut out all view of his home from sight to one coming to it from the front his flock of goats gave him many troubled thoughts his goats were his greatest treasure from them he obtained without trouble his meat his milk and butter what if they were discovered and killed or carried away he resolved to divide his herd into three parts and secrete these in separate fenced pastures in different parts of the island his herd of goats now number 25 he may throw search about the island for the most secluded and best hidden spots where he could fence in a pasture one day as he was exploring on the west side of the island to find another open space for a goat field he thought he spied away out to see a boat he looked long and anxiously and yet he was not sure that it was a boat he saw but how easy thought robinson for the people of the mainland which must be at no great distance to the westward to come across to this side of the island in fair weather he thought too how fortunate he was to have been cast on the east side of the island for there he had his shelter in the very safest part as he was coming down from a hill where he had gone to get a better view of the sea he made another discovery about him everywhere at the foot of the hill were bones of all kinds nearby too were charcoal and ashes there could be no mistake this place was visited by human beings these were very likely savages everything showed that they came for the purpose of feasting and not for plundering it was very likely that they neither salt anything on the island nor expected it this thought greatly relieved robinson he returned home in a very thankful and composed state of mind he had now been on the island almost 18 years and had not been discovered yet no doubt the island had been visited many times by the savages since he had been there in a short time his fear of discovery wore off and he began to live just as he did before his discovery he took however greater precaution against surprise he always carried his bow and arrows his lance and knives he was also very careful about making a great smoke from his fire he burned a great quantity of wood in a pit and made charcoal with this material he had a fine fire with very little smoke every day also he went to the top of the hill back of his shelter in order to discover if possible the approach of savages end of chapter 35 a discovery chapter 36 the landing of the savages another year passed by robinson longed more and more to get away from the island year after year he had hoped and watched in vain for a passing ship every day he would scan the waters that held him prisoner for the welcome site of a sale he had been disappointed now his only hope was to escape to the mainland in some way he feared the savages he had heard stories of their being cannibals but if they could come to this island in their canoes against the prevailing winds why could he not get to the mainland with it in his favor strange as it may be robinson began to wish for the return of the savages he hoped to watch them at a distance and find out something about their customs more especially he wished that he might capture one of them he had two reasons for this in the first place he would have a companion he pictured fondly how he would teach him gentle manners in the english speech and two the companion would be able to help him besides this he longed above all to know more of the mainland and whether it would be safe to go there he wanted to find out in what kind of boat they made the voyage he thought that if he had such a person he would have someone to show him the way to reach the land the more he thought the more anxious he became to see the savages on the island he thought so much about it by day that he dreamed about it at night one night he dreamed that the savages came drew their boats upon the shore and began to prepare their feast as he watched them one of their number broke away from his fellows and came straight toward his hiding place Robinson thought he rushed out drove away those that followed the fleeing man and rescued him this dream made a deep impression upon him and made him await the coming of the savages with great hopes and eagerness it was more than 18 months after he had formed this plan of capturing one of the savages before the savages made their appearance Robinson was surprised one morning to see no less than five canoes drawn up on the shore at a point on his side of the island about two miles below his shelter to the south the people that had come in them were on shore and out of sight Robinson went back to his shelter to make his plans he made up his mind that he would be foolish to attack them there must be 25 or 30 of them he finally went to a point where he could see farther inland and soon caught sight of a crowd of about 30 savages they were naked and dancing around and around in a circle all the while they were singing and making hideous noises there was a fire in the center of the ring of savages they're cooking their feast thought Robinson maybe i can surprise them while they eat and rush in and seize one but this seems too great a risk to run he had no weapons but his bow and arrows his lance and knife what could he do against so great a number but fortune favored his plans as he gazed at them from his safe distance he saw one of their number break away from the rest and run with utmost speed directly toward his hiding place at once two other savages pursued him they had no weapons but clubs they ran with great swiftness but the man in front was steadily gaining ground Robinson now to tell the truth was dreadfully frightened to see the savage run directly toward him in his shelter he kept his place however and watched the race the man running away ran along the shore and would soon come to the little creek that emptied into the sea below his home Robinson saw that the savage would have to swim this to escape he ran down thither and concealed himself behind a tree and waited for the fugitive to come up as he did so the fleeing savage plunged in and swam across with a few strong strokes when he was well on the bank Robinson presented himself and made signs to him to come to him that he would help him the savage was at first almost overcome with astonishment and fright for Robinson presented a very unusual sight the savage at once ran to him and fell down at his feet indeed so great was his fright and distress that he placed one of Robinson's feet upon his neck and a sign that he yielded up his life into his hands Robinson raised him up in motion for him to take the lance and help and defense against the men now coming up they hid behind trees and waited for them to swim across the stream but this they did not do when they reached the creek they could see nothing of their runaway they very slowly turned and went back to their companions Robinson was well content not to let them know that there was anyone on the island he feared they might return and destroy his shelter in fields Robinson took the savage to his shelter and gave him bread and raisins to eat and a cup of water to drink he was very hungry and ate greedily after he had eaten Robinson made signs for him to lie down and sleep for the indian was nearly tired out with his long and swift run he was a handsome fellow of his race his limbs were large straight and strong he had a good face his hair was long and black his forehead high and his eyes bright his skin was not black but of an olive color his teeth were fine set and as white as ivory he slept about an hour when he awoke he came running to Robinson and again made signs to him that he was his slave you saved my life he seemed to say and now i will serve you Robinson named him Friday at once for that was the day on which the great event of his escape had taken place Robinson's next care was to fit him out with some clothing he had by this time several suits made of his coarse cloth he soon had Friday dressed in one of the old ones with a straw or braided hat on his head he did not think it's safe to allow Friday to sleep with him in the bar he made a little tent for him inside the enclosure this was covered with goat skins and made a very good protection from both the heat and rain Robinson took care to keep all his knives and weapons near him in the bower but his fears that Friday might harm him were unfounded Friday from the first was faithful to his master he was sweet and obedient in all things he seemed to look upon Robinson with the love of a child for its father and never tired of serving him end of chapter 36 the landing of the savages chapter 37 Robinson as a teacher from Robinson's diary i began to consider that having now two mouths to feed instead of one i must provide more ground for my harvest and plant a larger quantity of corn than i used to plant so i marked out a larger piece of land and began to fence it in Friday worked not only very willingly but very hard i told him that it was for corn to make more bread because he was now with me he let me know that he was grateful for my kindness and would work much harder if i would tell him what to do this was the pleasantest year of all the life i led in this place Friday began to talk pretty well and understood the names of almost all the things that i called for and of all the places which i wished to send him and i was careful to teach him all the things i knew i showed him how to plant and harvest corn how to gather fiber spin yarn and to weave it into cloth he learned these things quickly and became very skillful in making pots he knew something about this because at home he had seen the women make them he ornamented them with 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 eyes 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 wish you were back in your own country friday i said to him one day yes he said i'll be much or 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 man's one day when we were on the top of a hill on the west side of the island friday suddenly began to jump in the air and dance about in great glee i asked him what the matter was oh joy oh 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 and coming and going he said 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 his country he told me that away to the west of his country there lived white man's like you i thought these must be the people of central america and asked him how i might come from this island to 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 masks rudder and anchor we had to weave our sails and twist our rope we burned out the canoe from large fallen log we used a great stone tied securely to the end of a strong rope for an anchor 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 end of chapter 37 robinson as a teacher chapters 38 and 39 of an american robinson cruzo this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libravox.org this reading by allison hester of athens georgia an american robinson cruzo by samuel b allison chapter 38 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 sites he told him of his country and his people of his flag and its history all these things brought back memories of his boyhood and he wondered what changes had come in his long absence friday with wonderful intelligence listened to all robinson told him he was delighted in hearing robinson tell of the wonders of the great world for he had never known anything about it as they talked robinson noticed the approach of a storm the sky was getting black with clouds the winds were blowing a hurricane the waves were coming in mountain high it reminded him of the eventful night now 25 years ago when his ship was tossed up on the shore like an eggshell and broken to pieces suddenly there was a sound that made robinson start from his seat with the wildest alarm was it the sound of a cannon from the ocean or the terrible crash and roar of the water on the rocks of the coast there it is again it is a cannon some ship is in distress this is its signal robinson ran out and down to the shore with friday at his heels oh master said friday can we not help if they only knew the island was here and how to steer into the harbor beyond the point of land on the south robinson was so excited that he scarcely knew what he was doing he ran up and down the shore calling wildly but the awful roar of the sea and wind drowned his cries suddenly his thoughts came back to him quit friday get some fire into a pot we will run to the point gather grass and wood and make a fire there maybe we can guide them into the harbor they soon had a great beacon light sending its welcome greeting far over the sea the pilot of the ship saw it and steered his ship nearer and nearer robinson was ready to shout for joy as the ship seemed about to make the harbor the ship had her sails torn in shreds and her rudder broken it was hard to steer her in such a gale on rounding the point she was blown on the rocks with a frightful crash which could be heard above the den of the storm she struck and held fast robinson could hear the cries of the men and the orders of the officers they were trying to get boats ready to be put off but such was the confusion of the storm and the enormous waves breaking over the deck that it could not be done quickly before the men could get a boat into the sea and get into it the ship gave a lurch to one side as though about to sink all the men jumped for one boat it was overburdened the wind tossed it about the sea soon filled it and went down and all were lost robinson and friday remained on the shore all night they watched to see if they could not help some poor sailor that might cling to a plank and be blown on shore they saw no one at last they lay down but they could not sleep many times they sprang up and ran about for fear that some poor fellow would need their help at last morning came the storm ceased robinson and friday searched everywhere for the bodies of sailors but could find none but the wind had blown the ship in plain view and into shallow waters it was lying on the bottom with more than half its bulk out of the water the masts were gone it was a sad sight no human being could be seen on it they were now rejoiced that they had their boat ready let us take it said robinson and go out to the ship it may be some person is still on the unfortunate ship they were soon by the ship's side they rode around it until they saw a rope hanging down from the deck robinson seized this and clambered up friday tied the boat fast and followed robinson opened the door leading from the deck into the ship and went down he searched in all the cabins and knocked at all the doors he called but all was still when he was satisfied that every person on board had been drowned he wept bitterly friday stood there with open and staring eyes he looked and looked he was astonished at the large ship and at the wonderful things before him they were in the cabin where the passengers had been there stood trunks under the benches and clothes hung on the hooks on the wall one trunk was open in it were telescopes through which the travelers had looked at the land robinson also saw paper pens penholders and ink books were also nearby robinson first took a thick book it was the bible out of which his mother had so often taught him then they came to the sailors cabin their hung muskets and swords and bags of shot and cartridges then they went to the work room there were saws hammers spades shovels jizzles nails bottles and pails knives and forks and something more over which robinson was most glad matches at last they came into the store room there lay bags of flour and barley teas lentils beans and sugar then robinson embraced friday in his great joy and said to him how rich we are end of chapter 38 another shipwreck chapter 39 saving things from the ship after robinson had looked through the ship he began to plan the way to get the tools and things he most wanted on shore he and friday first carried everything together that he wanted to take on shore when they had done this he found he had the following things robinson stood everything together that he needed the most one a case of nails and screws two two iron axes and several hatchets three a saw four a small case of planes tongs augers files chisels etc five a third case with iron brackets hooks hinges etc six a case of matches seven a barrel of gun powder eight two muskets and a pistol nine several swords ten a bag of cartridges eleven a large sail cloth and some rope twelve a telescope by means of the ship's ropes robinson let everything down into his boat he himself took the bible and then they rode to the shore and unloaded the boat everything was put into the bower where rain could not harm it by the time they had this done night was coming on and they decided to do no more that day but wait until the next day we must work fast said robinson the first storm is likely to break the ship in pieces and destroy everything in it the next morning early they ate a hastily prepared breakfast and were off to the boat neither robinson nor friday stopped for their noonday lunch a storm is brewing said robinson the air is calm the sky is overcast with clouds and the heat is oppressive we must hurry with the utmost diligence they rode back and forth all day they made nine trips they had now on shore a surprising quantity of all kinds of tools goods and weapons they had all kinds of wear to use in the kitchen clothes and food robinson priced a little four-wheeled wagon and a wet stone but in looking over his stores robinson suddenly discovered that he had no needles or thread they went at once to procure these important articles and looking for needles and thread robinson found a small trunk full of money and valuable stones there were diamonds rubies pearls and much gold robinson pushed it to one side what can i do with riches on this island i would give them all for some needles and thread he said to friday but on second thought he took the trunk and its contents along with him to his cave for in the trunk were also letters and writings perhaps he said these tell to whom the valuables belong and i can return them sometime robinson at last found a case containing everything one could need with which to cut and sew cloth there were scissors thread needles thimbles tapes and buttons but now the wind was rising and they must hurry they were nearly ready for departure they were passing through a part of the ship not before visited they were surprised to hear a sound coming from a room whose door was kept shut by a heap of stuff that had been thrown against it by the violent pitching of the ship and the storm robinson and friday cleared away the rubbish and were surprised to find a dog almost drowned he was so weak from want of food that his cries could be heard a short distance only robinson took him tenderly in his arms and carried him into the boat while friday carried the sewing case and trunk the wind was now blowing a gale a few yards from the ship they were in great danger robinson grasped the rudder and made friday stand ready to cut away the mast in case they found the wind too strong with the greatest difficulty they finally made the little cove at the mouth of the creek and were soon landed with their precious cargo the next morning they eagerly searched the waters for the ship not even their field glasses could reveal anything of it some planks a mast and parts of a small boat were blown on shore all else had disappeared robinson set to work at once to make a door for his bower out of the pine wood cast up by the waves how easy the work proceeded with saws hammers augers squares planes nails hinges and screws with the wagon too friday could now gather his corn quickly and easily or haul in great quantity of grapes to dry for raisins friday had never seen a gun he did not know the use of firearms the muskets that robinson had brought from the ship were a great mystery to him robinson showed him their use he showed how they could defend themselves he told friday that these weapons could kill at a distance he took some powder and touched a match to it friday was greatly frightened robinson then proceeded to load the gun he put in some powder a ball of lead or bullet then at the hammer he placed a little cap which gave a flash when struck this ignited the powder when all was in readiness robinson bade friday to follow him they went slowly out into the forest along the stream soon robinson aspired a rabbit sitting under a clump of grass robinson raised his gun took careful aim pressed the trigger there was a flash and a loud report and there lay the rabbit dead but friday too was lying on the ground he had fainted from astonishment and fright robinson dropped his gun and raised the poor fellow up to a sitting position he quickly recovered he ran to get the rabbit he examined it carefully robinson at last pointed out the hole the bullet had made and the mystery of the way the rabbit was killed was solved robinson had lived alone so long that he had learned to love every living creature on the island he never harmed anything except when he needed food he had lived so quietly that the birds and animals did not fear him they lived near his shelter and seemed to know him robinson was delighted with his new tools and weapons but they reminded him of home nothing that he had seen and all the time he had been on the island so turned his thoughts toward home and friends robinson would sit for hours thinking of the past and making plans for the future he was homesick end of chapter 39 saving things from the ship chapter 40 the return of the savages robinson now renewed his plans for escaping from the island to friday's country they first rebuilt their boat with their new tools they hollowed out the center till the sides were thin toward the top they shaped her sides and keel they made her prow sharp so that she would cut the water easily they made a new mast strong and tall and shapely they made larger and stronger sales and ropes they made two pairs of extra oars they made boxes and cupboards in the prow and stern for keeping their freshwater and provisions friday's eye sparkled with joy when it was done he hoped he would now be able to return to his own island and parents robinson noticed his joy and asked him do you want to return to your own people yes said friday very much would you trust yourself in this boat yes said friday very well said his master you may have it and start home when you please yes master but you come too my people will not hurt you robinson resolved to venture over to friday's land with him but before their preparations were complete the rainy season of our fall set in they resolved to wait until the weather was settled and as soon as the rainy season was over to set out they ran their boat well up into the creek and covered it over with a large tarpaulin made of sailcloth obtained from the ship robinson had now been on the island 27 years for the last three years he had lived happily with his companion friday every year in september robinson celebrated the day his life was saved and he was thrown up on the island robinson celebrated it this year with more than the usual thankfulness he thought that it would be his last anniversary on the island one morning friday had gone to the beach to find a turtle soon he came running back out of breath oh master he cried they are coming they are coming to take me prisoner he was trembling with fright we must take our guns and defend ourselves said robinson but we will not kill anyone unless they attack us this quieted friday they loaded four muskets and three pistols robinson put the pistols in his belt where he also fastened a sword he gave friday a pistol and a musket for friday had learned to shoot well besides friday carried a bag of powder and bullets robinson took his field glasses and saw 21 savages with two prisoners the prisoners were bound and lying on the ground this was a war party celebrating a victory with a feast they probably intended to kill their prisoners we must save the lives of those men said robinson the savages this time had landed quite near robinson shelter not more than half a mile below the creek's mouth soon he and friday started off robinson commanded friday to follow quietly and not to speak or shoot we will surprise them and give them a good scare said robinson when yet a considerable distance away they could hear the savages yelling and screaming some of them were dancing their war dance their faces and bodies were painted to make them look terrible to their enemies they were dancing around their prisoners with hideous cries and gestures they could now see the prisoners plainly one had a beard and was plainly a white man robinson was surprised and determined to save him at all risks get your gun ready to fire he said to friday and when i say the word let us run forward yelling and firing our guns over their heads this will fill them with such fright that they will take to their hills and boats and get away as soon as possible in the scramble and confusion we will rush in and rescue the prisoners this plan did not please friday at all his savage blood was up and he wanted to kill all he could let's fire on him he said let's kill all but the prisoners no no said robinson it's always wrong to take life unless it cannot be avoided to save one's own let's try my plan first with great reluctance friday consented at a signal from robinson they rushed forward and when in plain sight they fired off their muskets in the air if the ground had suddenly exploded beneath their feet there could have been no more confusion astonishment and fright a few took to their heels others lay as if dead they had swung from fright but as robinson came up they jumped to their feet and pushed into the boats leaving the prisoners behind robinson and friday still rushed forward and fired their remaining loaded guns and pistols in the air the savages made all haste to get into their boats and push off soon they were well out to see paddling rapidly for the west robinson reloaded his arms and gave them a farewell volley but not a soul was killed or even wounded this gave robinson great pleasure he had accomplished his purpose without bloodshed they could now turn to the prisoners robinson ran back to them and quickly cut their ropes robinson asked the white man who he was but the man was too weak to answer robinson gave him a piece of bread the fear of death being removed the white man soon grew stronger when friday came running back from watching the boats and saw the savage that had been a prisoner he gave a loud yell he threw his arms around the man kissed him and laughed and cried for joy he put his head on his breast and hugged him again and again robinson was greatly surprised and puzzled he asked friday what his actions meant but so intent was friday that he got no answer at last friday recovered far enough from his great joy to say with his face beaming in delight oh master this man is my dear father they at once began a long conversation each one told his story suddenly friday jumped up and said how foolish i am i have not thought to give my father anything to eat or drink he must be nearly stopped and away he ran toward the shelter and was soon back with food and water to drink robinson learned through friday from his father that the white man was a spaniard that he had been captured by the tribe that had a battle with friday's people the spaniard was one of 16 men that had been saved by friday's people from a wrecked ship so weak were the prisoners that they could not walk to the shelter robinson and friday made a litter and carried them one after the other when once there friday prepared some rich rice soup the prisoners ate heartily and in a few days were strong enough to go about the island end of chapter 40 the return of the savages chapters 41 and 42 of an american robinson crusoe this is a librivox recording all librivox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit librivox.org this reading by allison hester of athins georgia an american robinson crusoe by Samuel B. allison chapter 41 deliverance at last friday had not forgotten the plan for going to his home he would often mention it and spent hours talking about it during the long rainy season but now that the spaniard and friday's father had come into the family robinson felt he must change his plans a little he felt very sorry for the spaniards left in friday's country they did not have enough to eat and were sick and sad besides he talked the matter over with the spaniard many times they at last planned to send for them the spaniard and friday's father were to go robinson was for doing it at once but the spaniard advised delay how can we get food for ourselves and 15 others your small store will soon be used up he argued robinson at last saw that this difficulty must be overcome there was just one thing to do and this to delay their departure until a new crop of corn could be raised this would take six months but at it they went the four men could do much and work fast they cleared more ground and planted all the seed corn they could spare from their store besides this they sowed about 12 bushels of barley they had gotten in the ship the care for so much crop its harvesting and storing away kept them very busy for the season robinson not only did this but also increased his flock of goats by catching kids and putting them in his pasture he gathered too all the grapes he could and dried them on the branches of the trees at the end of the harvesting season they made ready their boat they filled it with all the bread it could well carry they put in raisins and fresh water robinson gave the spaniard and friday's father each a musket and plenty of powder and bullets now all was ready friday gave his father a loving farewell he stretched out his arms towards him as the boat moved away the spaniard and robinson waved their hats and they were off they promised to be back in eight or nine days robinson and friday made every preparation to receive the guests they were to have a home not far from robinsons built of poles and thatched with the long marsh grasses like robinsons bower there was no need of hiding or defending it it did not take long to fix up eight days had now passed since the boat had left friday could hardly restrain himself longer he watched the ocean all the time he would go to the top of the hill with the field glasses every hour during the day to catch a first glimpse of them on the ninth day as friday put up his glasses to search the waters he dropped them with a yell of surprise he tore down the hill with the utmost speed and rushed up to robinson as one gone mad look look a master he cried a big ship a big ship way out to see robinson took the glasses and sure enough there within hailing distance was a large ocean going vessel robinson was overcome with excitement for 28 years his aching eyes had scanned the waters for this welcome site his joy was boundless the ship looked like an american yes there floated the american flag how welcome a site to robinson he could not utter a word tears filled his eyes and streamed down his cheeks he would soon have news from home he ran to the shore and shot off a gun to attract the attention of those on board he heard answering shots at once soon a boat was lowered and in it three men rode toward the shore it was the captain himself and two sailors the captain was astonished to find a man in the lonely island robinson told how it all had happened and how he would like to return home to his unspeakable delight the captain told him that the ship was bound for new york and would take him along free of charge but he must leave that day the ship could not be delayed any longer of course robinson would go friday was beside himself with grief he did not want to be left behind alone he did not know that the spaniards would ever return something might happen to them on the sea but before the eventful day the spaniards landed they brought word that friday's father had died after his return home friday was thrown into a fit of grief at the news he wept and repeated over and over his praise of the good man end of chapter 41 deliverance at last chapter 42 robinson at home it was with a sad heart that robinson made ready to leave every familiar place seemed now doubly dear to him he went from one to another with tears in his eyes here lay his home here were his fields his crops and his goats everything was the work of his own hands he had made them all which should he take he hesitated long he must take home some of his belongings to show the people at home and there were his parrot and the dog which had won a place in robinson's heart he decided to take them along at length he got together his diary his parasol his bible his treasures a suit of clothes his dog and a hat he had saved to his bow and arrows these he decided to take along everything else he gave to his good man friday in the spaniard who wished to be allowed to remain on the island robinson kissed friday tenderly he with great effort finally tore himself away and ran to the shore where the ship's boat awaited him but robinson had not counted on the strength of friday's love for him robinson's boat had not yet reached the ship when friday sprang into the water and swam after him shouting master take me with you i would rather die than stay here without you robinson was touched at the devotion showed by the faithful friday and gave orders to turn the boat back and take him on board the anchor was raised the ship started on her way to the home robinson had left so long ago the wind was favorable and in seven weeks the spires and buildings of his native city were in sight his vessel came slowly up to the wharf where he had taken ship so many years ago here too he had played and idled his time away he remembered it all his idleness and playing truant came back in sad memories before robinson and friday landed their good friend the captain gave them each a new suit of clothes everything had changed he scarcely knew the place he was astonished and confused by the den hurry and bustle of a great city friday seemed dazed by it all and clung to robinson's side the buildings were so tall the street cars the carriages were different everywhere there were iron machines casting out smoke puffing and running about on iron rails robinson had never seen these robinson however did not stop to admire he pushed on to a certain street and house where lived his parents at the time of his departure it was with difficulty that he found the place it was now in the heart of the city upon inquiry he found after much searching that his father had removed his store and home to another part of the city his mother had died of grief for her disobedient son robinson was sorely grieved at this he had hoped to see her and tell her how sorry he was that he had caused her so much anxiety and sorrow when he had found the place where his father lived he stole quietly up to the house and opened the door his father now a gray-haired man bent with age and sorrow was sitting in his armchair reading robinson came forward but his father did not recognize him who are you he said i am robinson your long lost son he knelt by his father's side and asked for forgiveness for all the trouble he had caused his father was overcome he could not speak he drew robinson with feeble hands to his breast my son i forgive you he said robinson's boyhood friends heard of this strange return they had thought him dead long ago they never tired of hearing him tell his strange story they pitied him and his misfortune but robinson told them that it all happened to him because he was idle and disobedient in his youth robinson at once relieved his father at the store the business thrived his father died he soon had a home of his own with a happy family friday the dog and the parent lived in it dearly beloved and cared for by their master the rest of their days in the home there is a young robinson who loves to hear his father read from his diary of the wonderful things that had happened to him on the island robinson tried many times to find the rightful owner of the golden jewels but never succeeded at last he gave them to a school where boys with idle habits were taught to lead useful and industrious lives end of chapter 42 robinson at home end of an american robinson cruzo by samuel b allison this has been a livervox recording read by alice and hester in april 2008