Robinson Crusoe

Author: Daniel Defoe (English)
Publisher:
Publication Date: Not available
Features: Robinson Crusoe was born into a respectable merchant family and longed for sea adventures, determined to see the world overseas. He secretly set sail without his father's knowledge. On his first voyage, he encountered a violent storm, his ship sank, and he barely escaped with his life. On his second voyage to Africa for trade, he made a fortune. On his third voyage, misfortune struck again when he was captured by Moors and became a slave. Later, he escaped in the master's small boat but was rescued by a Portuguese trading ship. After arriving in Brazil, he bought a plantation and became a landowner. Unsatisfied with his sudden wealth, he set sail again, this time to Africa to trade slaves. During the journey, the ship encountered a storm and ran aground, resulting in the death of all crew members and passengers except Robinson Crusoe, who was stranded on a deserted island. Using the ship's mast, he built a raft and repeatedly transported food, clothing, weapons, tools, and other supplies from the ship to the shore. He set up a tent near a hill and settled there. Then, he drove sharpened stakes around the tent to build a fence and dug a hole behind the tent for shelter. With simple tools, he made tables, chairs, and other furniture, hunted wild game for food, drank from a stream, and overcome the initial hardships. He began to plant barley and rice on the island, crafted wooden mortars, pestles, and sieves, ground flour, and baked coarse bread. He captured and domesticated wild goats, allowing them to breed. He also made pottery and ensured his basic needs were met. Despite this, Robinson Crusoe never gave up on finding a way to leave the island. He felled a large tree and spent several months building a single-log boat, but it was too heavy to be dragged to the sea. He had to abandon the project and start building a smaller one. After living alone on the island for 17 years, one day, he discovered human bones on the shore, signs of a fire, realizing that a group of wild men from a nearby island had held a cannibal feast there. Robinson Crusoe was horrified. From then on, he remained vigilant and paid closer attention to his surroundings. By the 24th year, another group of wild men arrived on the island, bringing captives they intended to kill and eat. Robinson Crusoe rescued one of them. He named the rescued native "Friday." From then on, "Friday" became Robinson Crusoe's loyal servant and friend. Later, Robinson Crusoe and "Friday" rescued a Spanish man and "Friday's" father. Soon after, an English ship stopped near the island, and the crew mutinied, abandoning the captain and two others on the island. Robinson Crusoe and "Friday" helped the captain subdue the mutineers and reclaim the ship. They left the mutineers on the island while Robinson Crusoe, "Friday," and the captain returned to England. By then, Robinson Crusoe had been away from home for 35 years. He married and had three children in England. After his wife's death, Robinson Crusoe went to sea again for trade. Passing near the island where he had lived, he found that the crew members and the Spanish people who remained there had settled and started families. He sent new settlers to the island,， and provided them with various daily necessities, leaving satisfied.