Robinson Crusoe was a brave young man who loved adventures. He lived in York, England. He was the youngest son of a German merchant. His parents wanted him to study law and become a great lawyer but Robinson Crusoe wanted to be a sailor. His father did not approve of his son as a sailor and tried to convince him to give up his dream of going to sea, but Crusoe was determined.
At the age of nineteen Crusoe left his home and went on a sea voyage to London with his friend. But misfortune befall him immediately, in the form of rough weather. While they were at sea, there was a great storm and the ship started to sink. As a result, his friend refused to go further and returned home, but Crusoe went on so as to become a sea merchant.
Crusoe managed to find another ship headed to Guiana. Once there, he wanted to become a trader. On the way, Moorish pirates attacked the ship and Crusoe was made a slave in the North African town of Sallee. For two years, he tried to escape but could not. At last, an opportunity arrived when he was sent out with two youths to go fishing. Crusoe threw one overboard, and told the other one, called Xury, that he might stay if he was faithful. They saw a Portuguese ship whose captain was kind and said he would take them aboard for free and brought them to Brazil.
In Brazil, Crusoe started a plantation in a garden and earned a good fortune from it. He invested his money in other businesses as well. Slave trade was very popular those days, so Crusoe decided to go to West Africa to buy some salves. On the way, there was another storm like the one on his first journey. This time the storm was fiercer. His ship was wrecked and Robinson Crusoe was washed to a lonely, uninhabited island, off the coast of Trinidad. He was the only survivor of shipwreck; the other crew members of the ship had been drowned.
Robinson Crusoe explored the island for any sign of human life; there was none. He salvaged as much as he could from the wrecked ship. He made a tent and lived in it. He erected a wooden cross and carved the day on it. Thereafter, he was able to maintain a calendar. His expertise in farming helped him, and after some time, Crusoe started growing rice and barley. For meat, he hunted the wild goats. He tamed a few of these goats for milk, from which he managed to make butter and cheese.
Twenty-seven years passed in this lonely way for Robinson Crusoe. He craved for company. One day, he saw some footprints on the beach. But instead of being happy, Crusoe was scared, having been alone all these years! He had made sharp weapons, which he now carried around for self-defence. He also had a gun, which he had preserved and kept intact since the time he was shipwrecked.
For many days, Robinson Crusoe saw nobody, but one day he saw about a dozen men. They were eating other humans! They were cannibals from a nearby island. The cannibals left the island after a few days. Robinson Crusoe felt safe but he knew the cannibals would come back.
One morning, he saw a young fellow running, crying for help. The cannibals were after him. Crusoe took out his gun and shot twice. The cannibals were scared. They left the young fellow and ran away.
“Why did those men want to kill you?” uttered Crusoe. “We all are tribals but these groups of people kill men and eat them. Today they caught me,” said the young fellow.
”What is your name?”
“We don’t have names.”
“Since we have met on Friday, I will call you Friday,” said crusoe.
“At last I have a human friend!”
Friday was extremely grateful and became Crusoe’s devoted servant. He learnt some English and embraced by heart.
For some years, the two lived happily until one day they saw a boat full of savages arriving with prisoners. Together, Crusoe and Friday were able to save two of the prisoners. One was a Spaniard; the other was Friday’s father. With the help of the information given by the Spaniard, they all set out to save the other sixteen Spaniards who had been marooned. They were nowhere to be found.
Crusoe was happy that his island was being populated. Before the Spaniard and Friday’s father could return, an English ship came ashore. There were three prisoners with the crew. While most of the crew members were exploring the island, Crusoe learnt from one of the prisoners that he was the captain of the ship, and that his crew had betrayed against him.
Crusoe agreed to help them as long as they would leave the authority of the island in his hands, and as long as they promised to take him and Friday to England for free. The agreement was made. Together this little army managed to capture the rest of the crew and take back the ship of the captain.
At last after twenty-eight years on the island, Robinson Crusoe was rescued. They all set sail for England.
Crusoe found that his plantations had done well and he had become quite wealthy. He returned to the English countryside and settled there. After some time, he married and had three children. When his wife died, Robinson Crusoe went to sea once again. But this time, he had Friday as his dear companion.
