The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Swiss Family Robinson Told in Words of
One Syllable, by Mary Godolphin

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Title: The Swiss Family Robinson Told in Words of One Syllable

Author: Mary Godolphin

Release Date: October, 2004 [EBook #6692]
Posting Date: June 3, 2009

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON ***

Produced by Bruce Miller

THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON

TOLD IN WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE

By Mary Godolphin

CHAPTER I.

WHEN one has a good tale to tell, he should try to be brief, and not say
more than he can help ere he makes a fair start; so I shall not say a
word of what took place on board the ship till we had been six days in
a storm. The barque had gone far out of her true course, and no one on
board knew where we were. The masts lay in splints on the deck, a leak
in the side of the ship let more in than the crew could pump out, and
each one felt that ere long he would find a grave in the deep sea, which
sent its spray from side to side of what was now but a mere hulk.

"Come, boys," said I to my four sons, who were with me, "God can save us
if it please Him so to do; but, if this is to be our last hour, let us
bow to His will--we shall at least go down side by side."

My dear wife could not hide the tears that fell down her cheeks as I
thus spoke to my sons, but she was calm, and knelt down to pray, while
the boys clung round her as if they thought she could help them.

Just then we heard a cry of "Land! land!" felt a shock, and it was clear
that we had struck on a rock, for we heard a loud cry from one of the
men, "We are lost! Launch the boat; try for your lives!"

I went at once on deck, and found that all the boats had been let down,
and that the last of the crew had just left the ship. I cried out for
the men to come back and take us with them, but it was in vain.

I then thought that our last chance was gone. Still, as I felt the ship
did not sink, I went to the stern, and found, to my joy, that she was
held up by a piece of rock on each side, and made fast like a wedge. At
the same time I saw some trace of land, which lay to the south,