Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe had dreamed of the sea since he was young. His father urged him to choose a quiet life, but every ship in the harbour seemed like a doorway to the wider world. One day, Robinson set sail.

The sea soon showed its temper. A storm tossed the ship among the waves, and Robinson vowed that if he reached home, he would never tempt fate again. But when the skies cleared, his fear faded—and so did his promise.

Several years passed. Robinson travelled, worked, traded, and returned to sea. During one long voyage, a terrible storm wrecked his ship. Waves washed him ashore on an unfamiliar island. He was the only member of the crew to survive.

At first, Robinson could scarcely believe he was alone. Around him lay sea, rocks, and trees, with birds calling but no sign of a human home. He climbed to higher ground and saw that it truly was an island.

The next morning, the sea was calmer. His half-sunken ship was still visible in the distance. Robinson made a raft and took several trips out to it, bringing ashore tools, ropes, planks, clothes, crockery, grain, weapons for defence, gunpowder, and anything else that might prove useful.

He chose a site beside a hillside and built a shelter. He put a sturdy fence around the entrance and made shelves, a table, and a bed inside. On a tall post, he carved the date of his arrival. Each day he added a notch to keep track of time.

Loneliness was harder to bear than work, so Robinson began writing down his thoughts. He listed what he had lost and what he still had. ‘I’m alone on this island,’ he wrote, ‘but I’m alive. No one is beside me, but I have food, tools, and time to learn.’

And learn he did. He tamed goats and grew barley and rice from grains found by chance among the ship’s stores. The first harvests were small, but in time he learned to grind grain and bake simple flatbreads. He shaped clay pots and fired them, sewed clothes from skins, made an umbrella against sun and rain, and learned to dry grapes.

Once, he decided to hollow out a large canoe. It took months. The boat was sturdy and handsome, but when the time came to take it to the water, Robinson found he could not shift it. He stared at his work for a long time, then laughed.

“First you need to think about how to finish the job, and only then chop down the tree,” he said to himself.

And so the years passed.

One day, walking along the shore, he stopped short. A bare human footprint was clearly marked in the wet sand.

He looked around. No one was there.

For the first time in years, he realised the island was not always deserted. Uneasy, he strengthened his shelter and watched the shore more closely.

Some time later, boats landed on the island. People from the mainland had brought captives. One broke free and ran along the shore, with pursuers close behind.

Robinson decided to help. He frightened the pursuers away and brought the escaping man to safety.

At first, the rescued man did not know whether to trust him. Robinson offered food and water and showed that he meant no harm. Slowly, they learned to understand each other.

It had happened on a Friday, so Robinson called his new friend Friday. Soon Friday learned many English words, while Robinson came to understand more of his customs and stories about home.

The most important thing was that now they were no longer alone.

Friday was brave and observant. He knew the sea, ran swiftly, and could find edible plants. Robinson showed him how to use tools, and Friday shared his own knowledge in return. Side by side, they mended their shelter, tended goats, and dreamed of leaving the island.

When more boats arrived, Friday recognised his father among the captives. He and Robinson freed him and another man. Now they had hope of making contact with the mainland.

But suddenly a large English ship appeared near the shore.

At first Robinson was delighted. Then he noticed something strange: sailors were putting bound men ashore. A mutiny had taken place. The rebels meant to abandon the captain and several loyal sailors on the island.

Robinson offered to help. With Friday and the captain, he made a plan. They brought the crew back under the captain’s command and restored order aboard the ship.

When Robinson stepped onto the deck, it was hard for him to believe that his long life on the island was coming to an end.

He had lived there for twenty-eight years.

Before leaving, Robinson walked around his home one last time. The fence, cave, fields, paths, and place where his unusable canoe lay had all become part of his life. The island had taught him patience and hard work—and to look for a next step even on the most difficult day.

Friday went with him.

As the ship drew away, Robinson watched the little green strip of land amid the sea. His greatest discovery had been more than new lands or treasure. He had learned to build with what he had, admit his mistakes, value friendship, and keep hope even when there seemed to be nothing around him but ocean.

May this story leave a little light in your heart ✨