Robinson Crusoe (Discovers a Footprint)

Robinson Crusoe's ship had been destroyed by the sea. He had been alone for many years and longed for company. One day he discovers a footprint on the sand. Let's find out what he did then

 One day, when I was going towards my boat, I was surprised to see the footprint of a man on the sand. I stood amazed ! I listened; I looked around me; I could neither hear nor see anything. I went up higher to look down; I went up the shore and down the shore, but it was no good; I could find no other footprint but that one.

 I went to it again to see if there were any more footprints and to tell if it had been my imagination. But I was not mistaken, for there was exactly the print of a foot — toes, heel, every part of a foot. I could not imagine how it came there. I stayed a long time thinking, but became more and more confused.

At last I returned home very frightened, looking behind me after every two or three steps, mistaking every bush and tree to be a man.

 When I came to my cave (which I called my castle), I ran inside it, as if I was being chased. I do not remember whether I used the ladder or went in by the hole in the rock, which I called the door. I ran for cover, faster than any animal could run.

I did not sleep that night. The more I thought about what I had seen, the more afraid I became. I thought it could be one of the savages of the mainland who had wandered out to the sea, in a small boat.

Luckily I was not on shore at that time, but what if he had seen my boat! If he had seen the boat he would have realised that someone lived on the island and would soon return with others to kill and eat me.

And so I lay fearful for many days and prayed for protection. In doing so, I was much comforted and began going out to investigate. But even now as I went forward, I looked behind me frequently, because I was still very frightened.

 However, as I went about for two or three days and saw nothing I became a little bolder. I decided to go down to the shore again and examine the footprint once more. I decided to measure it with my own footmark.

  As I came closer to the footprint, I realised that it could not be my footprint because I had not come to this part of the beach since a long time. Secondly, as I placed my foot alongside that footprint, it seemed larger than my own.

 My fear returned! I went home again, believing that there was someone there. The island was inhabited !