The Tree House
by Johann Wyss
We soon found four large casks, made of sound wood and strongly bound
with iron hoops. These were floating with other things in the water in
the hold. We managed to fish them out and drag them to a suitable place
for launching them. They were exactly what I wanted. It was hard work,
but I succeeded in sawing them in half.
I next found a long, thin plank on which I fastened my tubs. The two
ends of this I bent upward so as to form a keel. Two other planks were
nailed along the sides of the tubs and brought to a point at each end.
All was firmly secured and nailed together.
When we thought all was ready for the launch, we found, to our dismay,
that it was so heavy and clumsy that even our united efforts could not
move it an inch.
\”I must have a lever,” cried I. \”Run and fetch the capstan bar.”
Fritz quickly brought one. Earlier, I had made some rollers by cutting
up a long spar. As I raised the forepart of my boat with the bar, my
sons placed a roller under it.
\”How is it, Father,” inquired Ernest, \”that with that thing you alone
can do more than all of us together?”
I explained, as well as I could in a hurry, the principle of the lever.
I promised to have a long talk on the subject of Mechanics, should we
have a future opportunity.
Placing a second and third roller under the boat, we once more began to
push, this time with success. Soon our gallant craft was safely
launched. But, alas, she leaned to one side. Some heavy things being
thrown in, however, the boat righted itself by degrees.
But it was plain that something more was required. So, to make her
perfectly safe, I made outriggers to keep the balance. I did this by
nailing long poles across at the stem and stern, and fixing empty brandy
casks at the ends of each pole.
By this time it was too late to attempt the voyage, so we sat down to
enjoy a comfortable supper. Then retiring to our berths, peaceful sleep
prepared us all for the exertions of the coming day.
Launching the boat by means of the lever and rollers (wheels), the
family makes its way to the island. Some of the animals on the
ship—two dogs, goats, a cow, and a donkey— manage to get to the
island by swimming. And, in time, a lot of wood from the broken- up ship
floats to shore.
For a time, the family lives in a cave. Then the mother discovers a
grove of huge trees. She persuades her husband to try building a tree
house.
The wonderful appearance of the enormous trees, and the calm beauty of
the spot, fully
came up to the enthusiastic description my wife had given me. And she
gladly heard me say that if I could build a house among the branches, it
would be the safest and most charming home in the world.
\”What sort of a tree do you suppose this to be, Father?” inquired
Ernest. \”Is not the leaf something like a walnut?”
\”There is a resemblance, but in my opinion these gigantic trees must be
mangroves or wild figs. I have heard their enormous height described,
and also the arching roots supporting the main trunk.”
We examined the different trees, and chose one which seemed most suited
to our purpose. The branches spread at a great height above us. It was
my intention to construct a rope ladder, if we could succeed in getting
a string across a strong bough.
My sons fastened together some long reeds and tried to measure the
height of the lowest branch. They soon found they could not touch the
branch.
\”Hullo, my boys,” I said, when I discovered what they were about,
\”that is not the way to set to work. Geometry will simplify the
operation considerably. With its help, the altitudes of the highest
mountains are ascertained. We may, therefore, easily find the height of
the branch.”
So saying, I soon worked out the height and announced that we should
henceforth live thirty
feet above the ground. This I wanted to know, that I might make a rope
ladder of the necessary length.
Taking some reeds, I made half a dozen arrows. I then took a strong
bamboo, bent it, and strung it so as to form a bow.
\”Elizabeth,” I said, to my wife, \”can you supply me with a ball of
stout thread?”
\”Certainly,” replied she.
I fastened one end of the thread to one of my arrows and aimed at a
large branch above me. The arrow flew up, carried the thread over the
branch, and fell at our feet. Thus was the first step accomplished. Now
for the rope ladder!
Fritz had obtained two coils of rope, each about forty feet in length.
We stretched these on the ground side by side. Then Fritz cut some
bamboo rods into two-foot lengths for the steps. As he handed them to
me, I passed them through knots I had prepared in the ropes. Jack
fastened each end with a nail driven through the wood.
When the ladder was finished, I tied a length of cord to one end of the
thread and pulled the cord over the bough. I then used the cord to pull
the ladder up. This done, I fixed the lower end of the ladder firmly to
the ground by means of stakes and all was ready for an ascent. The boys,
who had been watching me with intense interest, were each eager to be
first.
\”Jack shall have the honor,” said I, \”as he
is the lightest. Up with you, my boy, and do not break your neck.”
Jack, active as a monkey, sprang up the ladder and quickly gained the
top.
\”Three cheers for the nest!” he shouted, waving his cap. \”Hurrah,
hurrah, hurrah for our jolly nest! What a grand house we will have up
here. Come along, Fritz!”
His brother was soon by his side, and with a hammer and nails fastened
the ladder securely. I followed and looked around. The tree was just
right for our purpose. The branches
were very strong and so closely interwoven that no beams would be needed
to support the floor.
I now called for a pulley. My wife fastened one to the cord hanging
beside the ladder and I hauled it up. I then fastened the pulley to a
stout branch above me. It would be used when we hauled up the beams the
next day. I then made other preparations, that there might be no delay
on the morrow.
Early next morning we were astir and went about our various occupations.
My wife milked the goats and cow, while we gave the animals their food.
Afterward, we went down to the beach to collect more wood for our
building operations. To the larger beams we harnessed the cow and ass,
while we dragged the rest.
Fritz and I then ascended the tree and finished the preparations I had
begun the night before. All useless boughs we lopped off, leaving a few
about six feet from the floor. From these we would sling our hammocks.
Other branches, still higher, would support a temporary roof of
sailcloth.
My wife fastened the planks to a rope passed through the pulley I had
fixed to the bough. By this means, Fritz and I hauled the planks up.
These we arranged side by side on the boughs, so as to form a smooth,
solid floor. Round this platform I built a wall of planks. Then,
throwing the sailcloth over the higher branches, we drew it down and
firmly nailed it to the wall.
Our house was thus enclosed on three sides, for the trunk protected us
from behind. The front was left open to admit the fresh sea breeze. We
then hauled up our hammocks and bedding and slung them from the branches
we had left for that purpose.
We then descended from the tree and my wife prepared supper. After
eating, we lit our watch fire. Leaving the dogs on guard below, we
ascended the ladder. Fritz, Ernest, and Jack were up in a moment. Their
mother followed very cautiously. When she was safely up, I took little
Franz on my back. I let go the fastenings which held the lower end of
the ladder to the ground. Swinging to and fro, I slowly ascended.
Then for the first time we were all together in our new home. I drew up
the ladder. With a great sense of security, I offered up our evening
prayer and we retired for the night.
Thus, with little more than such simple machines as a pulley and nails
(wedges), father and sons build the tree house. When the mother finds it
difficult to use the rope ladder to climb up and down, her husband puts
to use his knowledge of another simple machine—the screw—and builds
a spiral staircase inside the tree trunk.
A door first had to be made. At the base of the trunk we cut away the
bark and formed an opening just the size of the door we had brought from
the captain’s cabin. This door, hinges and all, was ready to hang.
The clearing of the dead wood from the
center of the trunk occupied us some time. At length, we had the
satisfaction of seeing this done. Then, as we stood below, we could look
up the trunk, which was like a great smooth funnel, and see the sky
above. It was now ready for the staircase.
First, we erected in the center a stout sapling to form an axis around
which to build the spiral. We cut notches in this to receive the steps,
and notches in the tree to support the outer ends of the steps. The
steps themselves we formed carefully and neatly of planks from the
wreck. We then nailed them firmly in place. Upward and upward we built.
As we went, we cut windows in the trunk to admit light and air.
When we were flush with the top of the center pole, we erected another
pole to reach to the top of the tree. Fastening it firmly, we built in
the same way round it until we reached the floor of our nest.
To make it easy to climb the stairs, we ran a handrail on each side. One
rail went round the center pole and the other followed the curve of the
trunk.
The tree house completed, the family makes itself safe and comfortable.
They have many exciting adventures on the island. Are they rescued? Read
the book and find out!
