The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe (21 page)

I laughed at him, and pointing to the kid which I had killed, beckoned to him to run and fetch it, which he did. I brought home the kid and the same evening I took the skin off and cut it out as well as I could. Having a pot fit for that purpose, I boiled or stewed some of the flesh and made some very good broth. After I had begun to eat some, I gave some to my man, who seemed very glad of it, and liked it very well. The next day we roasted a piece of the kid. When Friday came to taste the flesh, he took so many ways to tell me how well he liked it that I could not but understand him. At last he told me, as well as he could, he would never eat man's flesh any more, which I was very glad to hear.

The next day, I set him to work to beating some corn out and sifting it in the manner I used to do, as I observ’d before. He soon understood how to do it as well as I, especially after he had seen what the meaning of it was. After that I let him see me make my bread and bake it too. In a little time Friday was able to do all the work for me as well as I could do it myself.

I began now to consider that having two mouths to feed, instead of one, I must provide more ground for my harvest, and plant a larger quantity of corn than I used to do. I marked out a larger piece of land and began the fence in the same manner as before, on which Friday work'd not only very willingly and very hard, but did it very cheerfully. I told him it was for corn to make more bread because he was now with me. He appeared very sensible of that part, and let me know he thought I had much more labour upon me on his account than I had for myself. He would work the harder for me if I would tell him what to do.

Thus three weeks pass’d and I observ'd there was a point I had not consider'd, viz. in the many years upon this island, the nature of the beast had grown to be commonplace to me. It was as much a part of my routine as making my bread or drying raisins or milking my goats. Now it was the first night of the moon, and Friday, in his cheerful way, follow'd me every where I would go in my day and would follow me out at night. Thus, it was with great difficulty I explain'd he must stay within the castle this night while I went down the hill and away. This upset him greatly, and he made it known to me that he must follow me and keep me safe. With much effort he then told me that his people were much afraid of this island at night, for their god had set a monster loose on it which kill'd all things.

At this I laughed, for it was clear to me their monster was the beast, and it seem'd I had been safer here than I had first thought. I told him his monster did not frighten me, and, in what was a small lie, that I kept the monster imprison'd and chayn'd up for many days of the month, only setting it free to run for three nights so it would stay in good spirits and behave. Altho', upon reflection, this was not a lie at all, which pleas'd me. I told him again he could not follow, and I climb'd up the ladder and over the wall. He did cry for me to return, and his laments recall'd to my mind little Xury, the boy who had escap'd with me from the Moors of Sallee. I did then observe that little Xury would be a man now, older than was I when I first awoke on this island.

I walk'd a little ways from my castle till I was well away and hidden from Friday's eyes. Then I removed my cloathes and placed them upon a tree branch, as I had on the shores of Africk and my first nights here. I resolv'd, as the moon rose and bath'd me in her light, that I should make a cabinet for my cloathes outside the castle, perhaps three or four to place across my territory, so I could always find drawers each morning at the least.

Then the mantle of the beast did fall upon me, and it howl'd long and hard. It howl'd as it did to hunt and afore the kill, and ran cross the hilltops barking, and I knew, even deep within its skin, that it want'd to put great fear into Friday. It smell'd his relation to the savages, and to the dark church, and to the great totem, and it wanted Friday to know terror and know not to take any action against me. Had I not made my castle so well, I believe the beast would have kill'd Friday that first night.

Because of this, when I awoke the next day, I did not return to the castle but instead went to my bower, or summer house as I call'd it, and spent much time in reflection. I bethought myself, and the beast, that Friday was a loyal servant, and that he had cast off the rituals his people had rais'd him within. He would no longer eat the flesh of men, and would not raise his hand against me. I long observ'd these things, and made them clear to the beast as well. When the moon rose for the second night, the beast was tamer in its mood, yet still did howl and race cross the hills, tho' I knew this was now in the manner of wolves, that it but establish'd its place as above Friday in our small family and second only to me.

The next day I return'd to the castle, where Friday was much reliev'd to see me, and bowed and made his many signs of thanks. He had scarce moved since I left, and had eaten nothing lest he upset me somehow by doing so. I gave him some milk and bread, and we went to the shore and found a turtle, the flesh of which pleas'd him. I show'd him how to cook the eggs in the shell, as it is call'd, and then told him I would need to spend one more night away so they would be his supper, to cook when he became hungry, and eat with another cake of bread. I was surpris'd that this announcement met with no cries this time, and Friday gave a solemn nod and smiled at me. I ask'd if he had been so worry'd afore about food. He shook his head and made it known that he had fear'd I was leaving him and would not return.

When I ask'd why this did not worry him now, he smiled at me again with his thin white teeth and pointed up into the sky, where the last full moon had already risen in the after noon sky. He tilted his head back and did give a low howl. Then he gave me a most meaningful look with his large, dark eyes, spread his long fingers to show the tiny webs of flesh betwixt them, and set it against my chest. Afore I could speak, he placed the hand against his own chest, then back to mine, and spoke a few words in the little English he had learnt so far. Altho' his words were few, his meaning was most clear to me.

He had no fear, for he knew we were both monsters.

Friday began to talk pretty well and understand the names of almost every thing I had occasion to call for, and of every place I had to send him to. He talked a great deal to me. In short, I began now to have some use for my tongue again. Besides the pleasure of talking to him, I had a singular satisfaction in the fellow himself. His simple unfeigned honesty appeared to me more and more every day, and I began to love the creature. On his side, I believe he loved me more than it was possible for him ever to love any thing before.

I had a mind once to try if he had any hankering inclination to his own country again. Having taught him English so well he could answer me almost any question, I asked him whether the nation that he belonged to never conquered in battle? At which he smiled, and said, "Yes, yes, we always fight the better." That is, he meant, always get the better in fight. So we began the following discourse:

"You always fight the better," said I. "How came you to be taken prisoner then, Friday?"

"My nation beat much for all that," he replied.

"How beat? If your nation beat them, how came you to be taken?"

He struggled for words. "They more many than my nation in the place where me was. They take one, two, three, and me. My nation over-beat them in the yonder place, where me no was. There my nation take one, two, great thousand."

"But why did not your side recover you from the hands of your enemies then?"

"They run one, two, three, and me, and make go in the canoe. My nation have no canoe that time."

It came to my thoughts what the results of this great fight had been. "Well, Friday," said I, "and what does your nation do with the men they take? Do they carry them away and eat them, as these did?"

"Yes, my nation eat mans too." He nodded. "Eat all up."

"Where do they carry them?"

"Go to other place, where they think."

"Do they come hither?"

"Yes, yes, they come hither. Come other else place."

"Have you been here with them?"

"Yes, I have been here." And with this did he point to the south-west of the island, which was their side.

By this I understood my man Friday had been among the savages who used to come on shore on the farther part of the island, to the dark church and its totem, on the same man-eating occasions he was now brought for.

I have told this passage because it introduces what follows. After I had this discourse with him, I asked him how far it was from our island to the shore, and whether the canoes were not often lost. He told me there was no danger, no canoes ever lost. After a little way out to sea, there was a current and wind, always one way in the morning, the other in the afternoon.

This I understood to be no more than the sets of the tyde, as going out or coming in. I afterwards understood it was occasioned by the great draft and reflux of the mighty river Oroonoko, in the gulf of which river, as I found afterwards, our island lay. This land which I perceived to the west and north west was the great island Trinidad, on the north point of the mouth of the river. I asked Friday a thousand questions about the country, the inhabitants, the coast, and what nations were near. He told me all he knew, with the greatest openness imaginable. I asked him the names of the several nations of his sort of people, but could get no other name than Caribs, from whence I understood these were the Caribbees, which our maps place on the part of America which reaches from the mouth of the river Oroonoko to Guiana.

He told me up a great way beyond the moon, that was, beyond the setting of the moon, which must be west from their country, there dwelt white bearded men, like me, and pointed to my great whiskers, which I mentioned before. They had killed much mans. By all which I understood, he meant the Spaniards, whose cruelties in America had been spread over the whole country, and were remembered by all the nations, from father to son. I enquir'd if he could tell me how I might go from this island and get among those white men.

"Yes, yes," he told me, "you may go in two canoe." I could not understand what he meant, or make him describe to me what he meant by two canoe, till, at last, with great difficulty, I found he meant it must be in a large boat, as big as two canoes. This part of Friday's discourse began to relish with me very well. From this time I entertain’d some hopes that, one time or other, I might find an opportunity to make my way away from this cursed place, and this poor savage might be a means to help me.

During the long time Friday had now been with me, and he began to speak to me and understand me, I was wanting to lay a foundation of Christian knowledge in his mind. Particularly I asked him one time, Who made him? The poor creature did not understand me at all, but thought I had asked him who was his father. Once he understood my question, he told me it was one Great Kathooloo, that lived beyond all. He could describe nothing of this great person, but that he was very old, much older than the sea or the land, than the moon or the stars, and slept and dreamt for many years. At his mention of dreams, many of my old apprehensions did arise, and I did continue in a cautious manner.

I asked him then, if this old person had made all things, why did not all things worship him? He looked very grave, and said, "All things say O to him."

I asked him if the people who die in his country went away any where? "Yes, they all went to Kathooloo."

Then I asked him whether these they eat up went thither too? "Yes."

From these things I began to instruct him in the knowledge of the true God. I told him the great Maker of all things lived up there, pointing up towards heaven. He was omnipotent, and could do every thing for us, give every thing to us, and take every thing from us. Thus, by degrees, I opened his eyes. He listened with great attention, and received with pleasure the notion of Jesus Christ being sent to redeem us, and of the manner of making our prayers to God, and his being able to hear us, even in heaven. He told me one day if our God could hear us up beyond the sun, he must needs be a greater God than their Kathooloo, who slept but a little way off on another island, and yet could not hear till they went up to the great mountains to speak to him. I asked him if ever he went thither to speak to him?

He said, No. They never went that were young men. None went thither but the old men, whom he called their Walla-kay. That is, as I made him explain it to me, their religious, or clergy. They went to say O, so he call'd saying prayers, and then came back and told them what Kathooloo said.

I asked him if any went to where their Kathooloo slept to wake him, at which he seemed both terrified and amaz'd that I could ask such a thing. Great Kathooloo, he explain'd, could not awake or be awoken until "the stars is right." He said also there were none who knew where the island was now, which I took to mean no one remember'd. When I said this he shook his head and said "No" and did try to explain again. After many minutes, during which he moved shells and stones across the floor of my cave, I came to understand his words. The savages believ'd their Kathooloo's island had sunk beneath the waves in the distant past, as would a foundering ship, and now moved beneath the seas like some great whale or turtle, waiting to rise to the surface "when the stars is right." It could be anywhere beneath the sea, observ'd Friday, very distant or very near. Thus only their Walla-kay could know where the island was at a certain time and speak to their god.

By this I observ’d there was priestcraft even among the most blinded, ignorant pagans in the world. The policy of making a secret of religion, in order to preserve the veneration of the people to the clergy, was not only to be found in the Roman, but perhaps among all religions in the world, even among the most brutish and barbarous savages.

I endeavour'd to clear up this fraud to my man Friday. I told him islands could not move beneath the sea. The pretence of their old men going up to the mountains to their god Kathooloo was a cheat, and their bringing word from thence what he said was much more so. If they met with any answer, or spake with any one there, it must be with an evil spirit. Then I entered into a long discourse with him about the Devil, his rebellion against God, his enmity to man, the reason of it, his setting himself up in the dark parts of the world to be worshipped instead of God, and the many stratagems he made use of to delude mankind to their ruin.