Page:The Swiss Family Robinson (Kingston).djvu/74

44 “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. We then sat down before the appetising meal prepared for us, our gourds coming for the first time into use, and having done it full justice, produced the cocoa-nuts 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. 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.”

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 outside the tent, awakened us, and the fluttering and cackling of our poultry warned us that a foe was approaching. Fritz and I sprang up, and seizing our guns rushed