Page:The Swiss Family Robinson, In Words of One Syllable.djvu/42

32 web feet like a goose, and has long legs like a stork: thus he can run on land as fast as he can swim," "Yes," said I, " and he can fly with more speed through the air, for these birds have great strength in their wings. In fact, few birds have such means of flight as the ."

Loud were the cries of Jack and Frank when we came in sight; but my wife thought the great bird might need more food than we could spare. I told her that it would feed on small fish and worms, and not rob our geese of their grain. I then tied him to a stake near the stream by a cord that left him room to fish at his ease; and in a few days we were glad to find that he knew us, and would come at a call, like a tame bird.

While I sat on the grass with my sons, late in the day, I thought I would try to make a bow that might be of some use to kill birds, and thus save our shot. This I did with a long cane with a piece of string, and then made a dart with a sharp point, which I shot off and found it would go straight. The branch of the tree on which we were to fix our hut was so high that our steps would not near reach it. "What shall we do now?" said Fritz. "Wait, and you shall see, my lad." I then tied some strong thread to the dart, and shot it over the branch; then tied a piece of rope to the end of the thread,