I have a problem with my corn in November and December. The wild goats want to eat the little plants. I don’t want to lose my corn. So I quickly make a fence around the field with the corn. I make a gate in the fence. I put my dog inside the fence. He protects my corn at night. Soon, the plants are tall, but another danger comes. Birds start to eat the seeds. I shoot at the birds. They fly away. I must watch my field every day.

CHAPTER 16 BREAD I have my first corn at the end of December. It isn’t a lot of corn. I don’t want to eat the corn. I decide to keep all the seeds. My goal is to put the seeds in the ground and have more corn later. I need some pots for the seeds. I look for clay on the island.

I find some clay and I try to make a pot. I have no success at the beginning. But I try again and again. It is long work. But after two months of experiments, I make two pots. I put the pots in baskets. I put dry grass between the baskets and the pots. The dry grass and the baskets protect the pots very well.

I continue to make small pots. Their quality is better and better. I also make long but not very high pots. I put sea water in them. When the water is gone, I have salt. One day, I find a broken piece of a pot in the fire. The fire makes the piece very hard. It is like a stone. The piece is very red too. I have an idea. I take one pot and I make a fire around the pot. The pot is very hard after two hours. I am happy with the result.

I also need a tool with which I can make flour. I take a big piece of hard wood. I make a hole in the wood. I put the seeds in the hole. Then I take another piece of hard wood. I break the seeds in the hole with this second wood. The flour stays on the bottom of the hole. Now, I want to bake bread. I have an idea. I mix the flour with water. Then, I take two stones. I put the stones near the fire. When the stones are very hot, I put the bread between them. Now, I have my first bread on the island. The bread is not perfect. But I like the bread a lot. It is my first bread after a long time. It is during my third year on the island.

I think about travelling around the island by sea. I think that it is possible to make a canoe. I want to make a canoe from a big tree. I find one big tree. I cut the tree. I start to make a hole in it. But after some days, I start to think about something. I start to think how to get the canoe from the forest to the beach. I think about it because I am quite far from the beach. I see that it is a problem. I see a small hill between the forest and the beach. It is not possible to move the canoe over the hill. The canoe is very heavy for it. I am really angry. I have to leave the canoe in the forest. Many days of work are lost. I don’t believe that I can make such a mistake. I have to plan my work better next time.

Chapter seventeen CANOE After three years on the island, my clothes are already very old. I start to use the skins of the animals. I make a cap and other clothes from the skins. I also need an umbrella. I try to make an umbrella from the skins too. It is difficult at the beginning. It takes some time. But I am successful in the end.

After three years, I am quite happy. I have everything what I need for my life. My life on the island continues for the next 5 years. During this time, I decide to make another canoe. The canoe is smaller. It isn’t difficult to move it to the beach. The canoe is finished in June. I want to travel around the island in the canoe. I put food, water and guns in the canoe. I am ready for the trip.

The beginning of my trip isn’t easy for me. I am in danger when my journey starts. I have to go around some rocks in the sea. When I want to go back to the land, I feel a strong current under the canoe. The current is taking me away from the island. The situation is horrible. I am scared. I can’t survive in the open sea. I don’t have enough food and water for a long journey.

I fight very hard against the current for two hours. Then, I am able to get close to my island. I can continue my trip around the island. Now, I know that I am stronger than the currents around the island. I feel good. I feel strong. Soon, I find a small river. I go up the river. But I get nowhere because soon the river is very narrow. Stones block the way. I can’t continue. I leave the canoe where it is.