Page:The Swiss Family Robinson (Kingston).djvu/65

Rh A live monkey up in that tree is of more use to us than a dozen dead ones at our feet, as I will show you.”

Saying this, I gathered a handful of small stones, and threw them up towards the apes. The stones did not go near them, but influenced by their instinctive mania for imitation, they instantly seized all the cocoa-nuts within their reach, and sent a perfect hail of them down upon us.

Fritz was delighted with my stratagem, and rushing forward picked up some of the finest of the nuts. We drank the milk they contained, drawing it through the holes which I pierced, and then, splitting the nuts open with the hatchet, ate the cream which lined their shells. After this delicious meal, we thoroughly despised the lobster we had been carrying, and threw it to Turk, who ate it gratefully; but far from being satisfied, the poor beast began to gnaw the ends of the sugar-canes, and to beg for cocoa-nut. I slung a couple of the nuts over my shoulder, fastening them together by their stalks, and Fritz having resumed his burden, we began our homeward march.

I soon discovered that Fritz found the weight of his canes considerably more than he expected: he shifted them from shoulder to shoulder, then for a while carried them under his arm, and finally stopped short with a sigh. “I had no idea,” he said, “that a few reeds would be so heavy.”

“Never mind, my boy,” I said, “patience and courage! Do you not remember the story of Æsop and his bread-basket, how heavy he found it when he started, and how light at the end of his journey. Let us each take a fresh staff, and then fasten the bundle crosswise with your gun.”

We did so, and once more stepped forward; Fritz presently noticed that I from time to time sucked the end of my cane.

“Oh, come,” said he, “that's a capital plan of yours, father, I'll do that too.”

So saying, he began to suck most vigorously, but not a drop of