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XV
ROBINSON'S SHOES AND PARASOL
The next morning Robinson could not get up. His feet were swollen and
sore in consequence of walking without shoes over thorns and stones.
He must remain the whole day in his cave.
Before him, in the sun, his walking stick stuck in the ground. He
thought how he had been troubled yesterday to find his way and about
the shadow. He had now time to study it. He watched it the whole day
through. In the morning it pointed toward the land. In the evening
toward the sea. This comes from the daily movement of the sun. He
determined to study the matter more carefully.
Robinson got up and with great effort walked to the spring. There he
cooled his burning feet, and gathered some large leaves, which he
bound on them. He decided to remain in his cave a few days, for he
had enough food stored up to last him some length of time. He planned
how he might make himself a pair of shoes. As soon as his feet were
well, he sought out some thick bark and put fastenings of tough, strong
fiber on it. These served very well to protect his feet.
But he must have some further protection from the sun. It beamed so
hot that his hat was not enough. He made a parasol out of leaves like
his hat. He took a straight stick for a handle. He tied some reeds
together and bent them into a hoop. He then fastened the upper end
of the stick in the center of the hoop by means of six reeds which
formed the ribs of the parasol. To keep out the sun he covered this
framework with large, broad leaves. With a cord he tied the stem ends
of the leaves to the stick just above where the reeds were tied.
Spread out, these broad leaves completely covered the ribs. Their tips
reached over the hoop. They were fastened together by means of small,
needle-like fish-bones Robinson had found on the beach.
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Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
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