Family and Friends 6 (Reading 9)

Robinson Crusoe

by Daniel Defoe

Robinson Crusoe was sailing to Africa when his ship hit the rocks in a terrible storm. He swam to the shore and discovered he was the only survivor. The next day he swam out to his shipwreck. It was on some rocks near the island. He brought back tools and other useful supplies. Then he looked for a place to build a shelter.

There were some hills around me, so I decided to build myself a little house on one of them. I walked to the top of the highest hill and looked down. I was very unhappy, because I saw then that I was on an island. There were two smaller islands a few miles away, and after that, only the sea. Just the sea, for mile after mile after mile. I was all alone.

After a time, I found a little cave in the side of the hill. In front of it, there was a good place to make a home. So, I used the ship's sails, rope, and pieces of wood, and after a lot of hard work I had a very fine tent. The cave at the back of my tent was a good place to keep my food, and so I called it my

'kitchen. That night, I went to sleep in my new home.

The next day, I thought about the possible dangers on the island. Were there wild animals, and perhaps wild people too, on my island? I didn't know, but I was very afraid. So l decided to build a very strong fence. I cut down young trees and put them in the ground, in a half-circle around the front of my tent. I used many of the ship's ropes, too, and in the end my fence was as strong as a stone wall. I felt safer when I'd finished the fence. No one could get over it, through it, or round it.