Робінзон Крузо
Surveys His Position
Iwassoprovoked,thatIcouldnothavepatiencetostaytillmorecameon,knowingthateverygrainthattheyeatnowwas,asitmightbesaid,apeck-loaftomeintheconsequence; butcominguptothehedge,Ifiredagain,andkilledthreeofthem. ThiswaswhatIwishedfor;soItookthemup,andservedthemasweservenotoriousthievesinEngland,viz.,hangedtheminchains,foraterrortoothers. Itisimpossibletoimaginealmostthatthisshouldhavesuchaneffectasithad,forthefowlswouldnotonlynotcomeatthecorn,but,inshort,theyforsookallthatpartoftheisland,andIcouldneverseeabirdneartheplaceaslongasmyscare-crowshungthere.
ThisIwasverygladof,youmaybesure;andaboutthelatterendofDecember,whichwasoursecondharvestoftheyear,Ireapedmycrop.
Iwassadlyputtoitforascytheorasickletocutitdown,andallIcoulddowastomakeoneaswellasIcouldoutofoneofthebroadswords,orcutlasses,whichIsavedamongthearmsoutoftheship. However,asmyfirstcropofcornwasbutsmall,Ihadnogreatdifficultytocutitdown; inshort,Ireapeditmyway,forIcutnothingoffbuttheears,andcarrieditawayinagreatbasketwhichIhadmade,andsorubbeditoutwithmyhands; andattheendofallmyharvesting,IfoundthatoutofmyhalfpeckofseedIhadneartwobushelsofrice,andabovetwobushelsandahalfofbarley,thatistosay,bymyguess,forIhadnomeasureatthattime.
However,thiswasagreatencouragementtome,andIforesawthat,intime,itwouldpleaseGodtosupplymewithbread. AndyethereIwasperplexedagain,forIneitherknewhowtogrindormakemealofmycorn,orindeedhowtocleanitandpartit; nor,ifmadeintomeal,howtomakebreadofit,andifhowtomakeit,yetIknewnothowtobakeit.
