E-Book, Englisch, 405 Seiten
ISBN: 978-3-95676-153-9
Verlag: OTB eBook publishing
Format: EPUB
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"Let me remind you," I said, "in our situation, it would be dangerous to teach the dogs not to attack and kill, if they can, whatever unknown animals they meet. You will see that he will soon regard your little monkey as a member of our family. But we must not discourage him from his fancy for attacking wild beasts. Heaven has bestowed the dog on man to be his safeguard and ally, and the horse the same. A man on horseback, accompanied by a troop of well-trained dogs, need not fear any species of wild beasts, not even the lion nor the hyaena." Thoughtfully, Fritz replied, "I feel fortunate that we are in the possession of two such creatures; but what a pity that the horses on board died during our voyage, and left us with only an ass." "Let us take care how we treat even our ass with disdain," I told him. "I wish we had him safe on land. Fortunately he is large and strong. We may train him to do us the same services as are performed by the horse; and it is not improbable that he will improve under our care, given the excellent pasture we will find in this climate." The tiny ape seated itself in the coolest way imaginable on Fritz's shoulder, I helped to carry his canes, and we were on some distance before Turk overtook us, looking uncommonly well pleased, and licking his chops as though recalling the memory of his feast. He took no notice of the monkey, but it was very uneasy at sight of him, and scrambled down into Fritz's arms, which was so inconvenient to him that he devised a plan to relieve himself of his burden. Calling Turk, and seriously enjoining obedience, he seated the monkey on his back, securing it there with a cord, and then putting a second string round the dog's neck that he might lead him, he put a loop of the knot into the comical rider's hand, saying gravely, `Having slain the parent, Mr. Turk, you will please to carry the son.' At first this arrangement mightily displeased them both, but by and by they yielded to it quietly; the monkey especially amused us by riding along with the air of a person perfectly at his ease. `We look just like a couple of mountebanks on their way to a fair with animals to exhibit,' said I. `What an outcry the children will make when we appear!' My son inquired to what species of the monkey tribe I thought his protege belonged, which led to a good deal of talk on the subject, and conversation beguiling the way, we found ourselves ere long on the rocky margin of the stream and close to the rest of our party. Juno was the first to be aware of our approach, and gave notice of it by loud barking, to which Turk replied with such hearty goodwill, that his little rider, terrified at the noise his steed was making, slipped from under the cord and fled to his refuge on Fritz's shoulder, where he regained his composure and settled himself comfortably. Turk, who by this time knew where he was, finding himself free, dashed forward to rejoin his friend, and announce our coming. One after another our dear ones came running to the opposite bank, testifying in various ways their delight at our return, and hastening up on their side of the river, as we on ours, to the ford at which we had crossed in the morning. We were quickly on the other side, and, full of joy and affection, our happy party was once more united. The boys suddenly perceiving the little animal which was clinging close to their brother, in alarm at the tumult of voices, shouted in ecstasy: `A monkey! A monkey! Oh, how splendid! Where did Fritz find him? What may we give him to eat? Oh, what a bundle of sticks! Look at those curious great nuts father has got!' We could neither check this confused torrent of questions, nor get in a word in answer to them. At length when the excitement subsided a little, I was able to say a few words with a chance of being listened to. `I am truly thankful to see you all safe and well, and, thank God, our expedition has been very satisfactory, except that we have entirely failed to discover any trace of our shipmates.' `If it be the will of God,' said my wife, `to leave us alone on this solitary place, let us be content, and rejoice that we are all together in safety. I have been uneasy since you left, and imagined a thousand evils that might beset you. The day appeared an age, but now that I see you once more safe and well, I know how foolish my fears must seem. `Now we want to hear all your adventures, and let us relieve you of your burdens,' added she, taking my game-bag. Jack shouldered my gun, Ernest took the cocoanuts, and little Franz carried the gourds, Fritz distributed the sugarcanes amongst his brothers, and handing Ernest his gun replaced the monkey on Turk's hack. Ernest soon found the burden with which Fritz had laden him too heavy to his taste. His mother, perceiving this, offered to relieve him of part of the load. He willingly gave up the cocoanuts, but no sooner had he done so than his elder brother exclaimed: `Hullo, Ernest, you surely do not know what you are parting with; did you really intend to hand over those good cocoanuts without so much as tasting them?' `What? ho! Are they really cocoanuts?' cried Ernest, `I thought they were bowls! Do let me take them again, mother, do let me look at them.' `No, thank you,' replied my wife with a smile. `I have no wish to see you again overburdened.' `Oh but I have only to throw away these sticks, which are of no use, and then I can easily carry them.' `Worse and worse,' said Fritz, `I have a particular regard for those heavy useless sticks. Did you ever hear of sugar-canes?' The words were scarcely out of his mouth when Ernest began to suck vigorously at the end of the cane with no better result, however, than Fritz had obtained as we were on the march. `Here,' said Fritz, `let me show you the trick of it,' and he speedily set all the youngsters to work extracting the luscious juice. My wife, as a prudent housekeeper who made much use of sugar, was no less delighted than the children with this discovery; the sight of the dishes also pleased her greatly, for she longed to see us eat once more like civilized beings. We went into the kitchen and there found preparations for a truly sumptuous meal. Two forked sticks were planted in the ground on either side of the fire, on these rested a rod from which hung several tempting-looking fish, opposite them hung a goose from a similar contrivance, slowly roasting while the gravy dropped into a large shell placed beneath it. Franz gave the spit another turn, assuring me he had been helping all day to keep the meal from burning. In the centre sat the great pot from which issued the smell of a most delicious soup. To crown this splendid array, stood an open hogshead full of Dutch cheeses. All this was very pleasant to two hungry travellers, but I was about to beg my wife to spare the poultry until our stock should have increased, when she, perceiving my thought, quickly relieved my anxiety. `This is not one of our geese,' she said, `but a wild bird Ernest killed.' `Yes,' said Ernest, `it is a penguin, I think, it let me get quite close, so that I knocked it on the head with a stick. Here are its head and feet which I preserved to show you; the bill is, you see, narrow and curved downwards, and the feet are webbed. It had funny little bits of useless wings, and its eyes looked so solemnly and sedately at me, that I was almost ashamed to kill it. It seemed quite destitute of any intelligence, so that I was able to kill it with a single blow from my stick. Do you not think it must have been a penguin?' `I have little doubt on the matter, my boy,' and I was about to make a few remarks on the habits of this bird, when my wife interrupted me and begged us to come to dinner and continue our natural history conversation at some future time. Fritz now suddenly recollected his delicious wine, and producing his flask, begged his mother to taste it. `Try it first yourself,' said I; Fritz did so, and I instantly saw by his countenance that the liquor had passed through the first stage of fermentation and had become vinegar. `Never mind, my boy,' said my prudent wife, when she learned the cause of his wry faces, `we have wine already but no vinegar; I am really pleased at the transformation. Mixed with the fat which has fallen from our bird with roasting, it will make a most delicious sauce which will be as good a relish as a salad.' And so it proved, as a corrective of the wild and fishy flavor of the penguin, as well as improving the taste of the fish. We did full justice to the appetizing meal prepared for us, our gourds coming for the first time into use, and having done it full justice, I produced the cocoanuts by way of dessert. `Here is better food for your little friend,' said I to Fritz, who had been vainly endeavouring to persuade the monkey to taste dainty morsels of the food we had been eating. `The poor little animal has been accustomed to nothing but its mother's milk; fetch me a saw, one of you.' I then, after extracting the milk of the nuts from their natural holes, carefully cut the shells in half, thus providing several more useful basins. The monkey was perfectly satisfied with the milk, and eagerly sucked the corner of a handkerchief dipped in it. The sun was now rapidly sinking behind the horizon, and the poultry retiring for the night warned us that we must follow their example. Having offered up our prayers, we lay down on our beds, the monkey crouched down between Jack and Fritz, and we were all soon fast asleep. We did not, however, long enjoy this repose; a loud barking from our dogs, who were on guard...
