Music Welcome to Snewscast, a podcast designed to help you fall asleep. Find us on Snewscast.com and follow us on social media and wherever you listen to podcasts. Our current goal is to get to 100 reviews on the podcast app to help new listeners find

us. If you haven't written a review yet, please do. Thank you to everyone who's taken the time to do so already. We get closer to our goal every week. Your reviews continue to amaze us and we learn from your feedback as well. So thank you for taking the time to share. This episode is brought to you by... See Foam. Tonight, by listening to a request, we'll read the opening to Swiss Family Robinson, a novel by Johann David Vies, about a Swiss family shipwrecked in the East Indies and route to Australia. Vies, a Swiss pastor, originally wrote this book to entertain and instruct his four sons. Years later, one of his sons persuaded his father to allow him to complete and edit the unfinished manuscript.

It was published in Zurich in 1812.

Let's get cozy. Close your eyes. Relax your body into the softness of your bed. Now, take a few deep breaths. Chapter 1 For many days we had been tempest tossed. Six times had the darkness closed over a wild and terrific scene, and returning light as often brought but renewed distress, for the raging storm increased in fury until on the seventh day all hope was lost.

We were driven completely out of our course. No conjecture could be formed as to our whereabouts.

The crew had lost heart and were utterly exhausted by incessant labor. The ribbon-mast had gone by the board. Leaks had been sprung in every direction and the water, which rushed in, gained upon us rapidly.

Instead of reckless oaths, the semen now uttered, fractured cries to God for mercy. Mingled with strange and often ludicrous vows, to be performed should deliverance be granted. Every man on board alternately commended his soul to his creator and strove to be think

himself. Every man on board alternately commended his soul to his creator and strove to be think himself of some means of saving his life. My heart sank as I looked around, pond my family in the midst of these horrors. Our four young sons were overpowered by terror. Dear children, said I, if the Lord will, he can save us even from this fearful peril. If not, let us calmly yield our lives into his hand. And think of the joy and blessedness of finding ourselves forever and ever united in that happy home above. Even death is not too bitter, when it does not separate those who love one another. At these words, my weeping wife looked bravely up and, as the boys clustered round her, she began to cheer and encourage them with calm

and loving words. I rejoice to see her fortitude, though my heart was rated to break as I gazed on

my dear ones. We knelt down together, one after another, praying with deep earnestness and emotion. Fritz, in particular, besought help and deliverance for his dear parents and brothers, as though quite forgetting himself. Our hearts were soothed by the never failing comfort of childlike confiding prayer, and the horrors of our situation seemed less overwhelming.

Ah, thought I, the Lord will hear our prayer. He will help us. Amid the roar of the thundering waves, I suddenly heard the cry of land, land, while at the same instant the ship struck with a frightful shock, which threw everyone to the deck, and seemed to threaten her immediate destruction. sounds, beckoned the breaking up of the ship, and the roaring waters poured in on all sides. Then the voice of the captain was heard above the noise, shouting, Lower away the boats, we are lost.

Lost, I exclaimed, and the word went like a dagger to my heart. But seeing my children's terror renewed. I composed myself, calling out cheerfully. Take courage, my boys. We are all above water yet. There is the land not far off. Let us do our best to reach it. You know God helps those that help themselves. Remain with your mother while I go on deck to see what is best to be done now. With that, I left them in Winton deck. A wave instantly threw me down, another followed, and then another, as I can try to find my footing. The ship was shattered on all directions, and on one side there was a large hole in the hull. For getting the passengers, the ship's company crowded into lifeboats, and the last who entered, cut the ropes to cast each boat into the sea. What was my horror when through the foam and spray, I beheld the last remaining boat leave the ship. The last of the semen spring into her and push off. Regardless of my cries, that we might be allowed to share their slender chance of preserving their lives. My voice was drowned in the howling of the blast, and even had the crew wished it the return of the boat was impossible for the waves were mountain high. Casting my eyes despairingly around I became gradually aware that our position was by no means hopeless. In as much as the stern of the ship containing our cabin, was jammed between two high rocks, and was partly raised from among the breakers which dashed the four part to pieces. As the clouds of mist and rain drove past, I could make out, through rents and the vaporous curtain, A line of rocky coast, and rugged as it was, my heart bounded towards it as a sign of hell in the hour of need. Yet the sense of our lonely and forsaken condition, weighed heavily upon me, as I returned to my family. myself to say with a smile, courage dear ones, although our good ship will never sail more, she is so placed that our cabin will remain above water, and tomorrow, if the wind and waves abate, I see no reason why we should not be able to get ashore. These few words had an immediate effect on the spirits of my children, for my family had the habit of trusting in my insurances. The boys at once regarded our problematical chance of escaping as a happy certainty and began to enjoy the relief from the violent pitching and rolling of the vessel. My wife, however, perceived my distress and anxiety in spite of my forced composure, and I made her comprehend our real situation, greatly fearing the effect of the intelligence on her nerves. Not for a moment did her courage and trust in Providence for Saker, and on seeing this, my fortitude revived. We must find some food, and take a good supper," said she. It will never do to grow fate by fasting too long. We shall require our utmost strength tomorrow. Night drew on a pace. The storm was as fierce as ever, and at intervals we were startled by crashes announcing further damage to our unfortunate ship. We thought of the lifeboats, and feared that all they contained must of sunk under the foaming waves. God will help us soon now. Won't he, Father," said my youngest child. You silly little thing, said Fritz, my eldest son, sharply.

Don't you know that we must not settle what God is to do for us? We must have patience and weight, his time. Very well said, had it been said kindly, Fritz, my boy. You too often speak harshly to your brothers, although you may not mean to do so. A good meal being now ready. My youngsters ate heartily, and retiring to rest were speedily fast asleep. Fritz, who was of an age to be aware of the real danger we were in, kept watch with us. After a long silence, Father said he, Don't you think we might contrive swimming belts for mother and the boys? With those we might all escape to land, for you and I can swim. Your idea is so good, answered I, that I shall arrange something at once, in case of an accident during the night. We immediately searched about, for what would answer the purpose? Unfortunately, God-hold of a number of empty flasks and tin canisters, which we connected to and to together, so as to form floats, sufficiently buoyant, to support a person in the water. And my wife and young sons each willingly put one on. I then provided myself with matches, dry tinder, knives, cord, and other portable articles, trusting that, should the vessel go to pieces before daylight, we might gain the shore, not wholly destitute. Fritz, as well as his brothers, now slept soundly. Throughout the night, my wife and I maintained our prayerful watch, dreading at every fresh sound, some fatal change in the position of the wreck. At length, the faint dawn of day appeared, the long weary night was over, and with thankful hearts, we perceived that the gale had begun to moderate. Blue sky was seen above us, and the lovely hues of sunrise adorned the eastern horizon. I aroused the boys, and we assembled on the remaining portion of the deck, when they, to their surprise, discovered that no one else was on board. Hello Papa. What has become of everybody? Are the sailors gone? Have they taken away the boats? Oh, Papa, why did they leave us behind? What can we do by ourselves? My good children, I replied. We must not despair, although we seem deserted. See how those, on whose skill and good faith we depended, have left us cruelly to our fate in the hour of danger? God will never do so. He has not forsaken us, and we will trust Him still. Only let us be stir ourselves, and each cheerily do his best. Who has anything to propose? The sea will soon be common up for swimming, said Fritz. And that would be all very fine for you, exclaimed Ernest. For you can swim, but think of mother and the rest of us. Why not build a raft and all get on shore together? We should find it difficult, I think, to make a raft that would carry a safe to shore. However, we must contrive something. And first let each try to procure what will be of most use to us. Away we all went to see what was to be found. I myself proceeding to examine, as of greatest consequence, the supplies of provisions and fresh water within our reach. My wife took her youngest son, Franz, to help her to attend to the unfortunate animals on board, who were in a pitiful play, having been neglected for several days. Fritz Hayson to the arms chest, earnest to look for tools, and Jack went towards the captain's cabin, the door of which he no sooner opened, then out-spring two splendid large dogs, who testified their extreme delight and gratitude by such tremendous bounds that they knocked their little deliver completely head over heels. Frightening him nearly out of his wits, Jack did not long yield either to fear or anger. He presently recovered himself, but dogs seemed to ask pardon by licking his face in hands, and so, seizing the larger by the ears, he jumped on his back, and, to my great amusement, coolly rode to meet me as I came up the hatch way. I could not refrain from laughing at the sight, and I praised his courage, but warned him to be cautious, and remember that animals of this species might, in the state of hunger, be dangerous. When we reassembled in the cabin, we all displayed our treasures. This brought a couple of guns, shot belts, powder flasks, and plenty of bullets. Ernest produced a cap full of nails, a pair of large scissors, an axe and a hammer, while Tintures, chisels, and augers stuck out of all his pockets.

Even little fronds carried a box of no small size, and eagerly began to show us the nice sharp little hooks it contained. His brother smiled scornfully. Well done, Franz, cried I. These fish hooks, which you the youngest have found, make tribute more than anything else in the ship to save our lives by procuring food for us. For it's an earnest, you have chosen well. Will you praise me too, said my dear wife? I have nothing to show, but I can give you good news. Some useful animals are still alive. A donkey, two goats, six sheep, a ram, and a cow, and a fine sow, both big with young. I was but just in time to save their lives by taking food to them. The goats I milked, though I do not know how I shall preserve the milk in the dreadful heat. All these things are excellent indeed, said I, but my friend Jack here has presented me with a couple of huge, hungry, useless dogs who will eat more than any of us. Oh, Papa, they will be of use. Why, they will help us to hunt when we get on shore. No doubt they will, if we ever do get on shore Jack. But I must say I don't know how it is to be done. Can we each get into a big tub and float there? Returned he? I have often sailed splendidly like that, round the pond at home. My child, you have hit on a capital idea, Crytie. That is certainly worth trying. Now, Ernest, let me have your tools, hammers, nails, saws, augers and all, and then make haste to collect any tubs you can find. We very soon found four large casks, made of sound wood and strongly bound with iron hoops. They were floating with many other things in the water in the hold, but we managed to fish them out and placed them on the lower deck, which was at that time scarcely above water. They were exactly what I wanted, and I succeeded in song them across the middle, hard word it was, and we were glad enough to stop and refresh ourselves with goat's milk, wine, and biscuits. My eight tubs now stood ranged in a row near the water's edge, and I looked at them with great satisfaction to my surprise. My wife did not seem to share my pleasure. I shall never said she must her courage to get into one of these?

Do not be too sure of that, dear wife. When you see my contrivance completed, you will perhaps prefer it to this immovable wreck. I next procured a long thin plank on which my tubs could be fixed. In the two ends of this, I bent upwards.

So it was to form a keel.

Other two planks were nailed along the sides of the tub. They, also being flexible, were brought to to a point at each end, and all firmly secured and nailed together, producing a kind of narrow

boat. were brought to a point at each end, and all firmly secured and nailed together, producing a kind of narrow boat,

divided into eight compartments, which I had no doubt would float adequately in calm water. But when we thought all was ready for launch, we found, to our dismay, that the grand contrivance 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, bar. For its quickly brought one and having formed rollers by cutting up a long spar, I raised the four part of my boat with a bar and my sons placed a roller under it. How is it, father, inquired earnest? 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 Archimedes' lever, from which he said he could move the world if he had a point from which his mechanism might operate and promised to have a long talk on the subject of mechanics, then we should be safe on land. I now made vast, a long rope to the stern of our boat, attaching the other end to a beam, then placing a second and third roller under it, we once more began to push, this time with success, and soon our gallant craft was safely launched. So swiftly indeed did she glide into the water, that, if the rope had not been well secured, she would have passed beyond our reach. The boys wished to jump in directly, but, alas, she leaned so much on one side that they could not venture to do so. Some heavy things being thrown in, however, the boat rioted itself by degrees, and the boys were so delighted that they struggled, which should first leap in to have the fun of sitting down in the tubs. hubs. But it was plain to me at once that something more was required to make her perfectly safe, so I contrived outriggers to preserve the balance by nailing long poles across at the stem and stern and fixing at the ends of each empty, brandy cask. Then the boat appearing steady, I got in, and turning it towards the most open side of the wreck. I cut and cleared away obstructions, so as to leave a free passage for our departure. And the boys brought ores to be ready for the voyage. This important undertaking, we were forced to postpone until the next day, as it was by this time far too late to attempt it. It was not pleasant to have to spend another night in so precarious a situation, but yielding to necessity we sat down to enjoy a comfortable supper. For during our exciting and incessant work all day. We had taken nothing but an occasional biscuit and a little wine. We prepared for rest in a much happier frame of mind than on the preceding day. But I did not forget the possibility of a renewed storm. I persuaded my wife, not without considerable difficulty, to put on a sailor's dress, assuring her she would find it much more comfortable and convenient for all she would have to go through. She at last consented to do this and left us for a short time, reappearing with much embarrassment in many blushes in a most becoming suit which she had found in a midshipman's chest. We all admired her costume, and any awkwardness she felt soon began to pass off. Then we retired to our hammocks, where peaceful sleep prepared us all for the exertions of the coming day. We rose up for sleep ways lightly on the hopeful as well as on the anxious, after kneeling together in prayer. Now my beloved ones said, I, with God's help, we are about to affect our escape. Let the poor animals we mostly find, the well fed, and put plenty of fodder within their in a few days we may be able to return and save them likewise. After that, collect everything you can think of, which may be of use to us. The boys joyfully obeyed me, and I selected, from the large quantity of stores they got together canvass to make a tent, a chest of carpenter's tools, pistols, powder, shot, and bullets, rods, and fishing tackle, an iron pot, a case of portable soup, and another biscuit. These useful articles, of course, took the place of the ballast.

I had hastily thrown in the day before. Even so, the boys had brought so many things that we were obliged to leave some of them for a future trip. the hearty prayer for God's blessing, we now begin to take our seats, each in his

tub. Just then, we heard the cocks begin to crow, and the chickens to cackle, as though to

reproach us for deserting them. you you you

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