Page:The Swiss Family Robinson, In Words of One Syllable.djvu/50

38 The next day Ernest and Jack tried their skill with the bow, and brought down some small birds that came to the great tree in quest of figs. I gave them leave to kill what they could; for I knew that, if put in casks made air tight with grease, they would keep for a length of time, and might prove a boon, if our stock of food should get low.

When we sat down to dine, the thought struck me that it would be as well to give some name to each part of the strange land that was now known to us. "We can, then," said I, "speak of a place as we did when we were at home, and not have to say so much ere we can tell the spot we mean." This was at first the source of some fun, for Fritz said we should call the bay where we had found the shell spoons by the name of Spoon Bay; but Jack, who still had a mark on his toe where the crab gave him a pinch, thought we ought to term it Crab Bay.

"If you will let me give it a name," said my wife, "I should wish to know it by some term that will make us bear in mind how good God was to us to lead our raft there, and I don't think Safe Bay will be a bad name for it."

"So let it be," said I; and from that time Safe Bay had a name.

"What shall be the name of the spot where we spent