Page:The Swiss Family Robinson - 1851.djvu/249

232 them, but few were torn up; and I saw that my sons and I, with the labour of two or three days, could restore them. Some of them had already began to bear fruit, but all was destroyed for this year. This was, however, a trifling loss, compared with what I had anticipated; for, having no more plants of European fruits, I could not have replaced them. Besides, having resolved to inhabit Tent House at present, entirely,&mdash;being there defended from storms,&mdash;it was absolutely necessary to contrive some protection from the heat. My new plantations afforded little shade yet, and I trembled to propose to my wife to come and inhabit these burning rocks. Francis was gathering some of the beautiful unknown flowers of the island for his mother, and when he had formed his nosegay, bringing it to me,&mdash;

"See, papa," said he, "how the rain has refreshed these fiowe. I wish it would rain still, it is so dreadfully hot here. Oh! iff we had but a little shade."

"That is just what I was thinking of, my dear," said I; "we shall have shade enough when my trees are grown; but, in the mean time&mdash;"

"In the mean time, papa," said Francs, "I will tell you what you must do. You must make a very long, broad colonnade before our house, covered with cloth, and open before, so that mamma may have air and shade at once."

I was pleased with my son's idea, and promised him to construct a gallery soon, and call it the Franciade in honour of him. My little boy was delighted that his suggestion should be thus approved, and begged me not to tell his mamma, as