den, he fastened us on to a plank, (attacher à une planche,) and has gone to the bottom (le fond) of the sea, whence he has not returned; and our dear mother says he is now in Heaven." "It is very strange, (singulier,") answered Mary; "but since it has happened, it is because it was the will of God; for you know, brother, (mon frère,) that he is almighty, (tout-puissant.”)

John and Mary remained eleven years on this island. One day that they were sitting on the shore, (au bord de la mer,) they saw a boat with several black men come up to them. Mary was at first frightened, and wanted to run away; but John said to her: "Let us remain, sister, (ma sœur,) do you not know that God our father (que notre père le bon Dieu) is here, and that he will prevent these men from hurting us ?" These blacks having landed, (descendre à terre,) were surprised to see these children, who were of a different color to them, (d'une autre couleur qu'eux.) They surrounded them, and spoke to them: it was in vain, for these children did not understand their language. John took these savages to the place where his mother's bones were, and told them how she had died; but they did not understand him either. The blacks at last showed them their little boat, and made signs to them to enter. "I dare not," said Mary, "these people frighten me." Her brother comforted (rassurer) her.

They therefore entered the boat, which led them to an island that was not far from thence, and whose inhabitants were savages. All these savages received them very well their king could not take his eyes off (ne pouvait se lasser de regarder) Mary; and he often put his hand to his heart, to show that he loved her. Mary and John soon learned the language of these savages, and became acquainted with all that they were doing. John soon found that they made war on people who lived in the neighboring islands, that they ate their prisoners, and that they worshipped (adorer) a great ugly monkey, (le singe,) that had several savages to attend on him, (pour le servir,) so that the two children were sorry to have come to live with these wicked people. However the king was determined on marrying (voulait absolument épouser) Mary, who said to her brother: "I would rather die than be the wife of that man. "Is it because he is so ugly that you would not marry him?" said John. "No, brother," said she, "it is because he is wicked: do you not perceive that he is unacquainted with God our Father; and that instead of praying to him, he kneels (se mettre à genoux) before that horrid monkey? Besides our book tells us that we must forgive our enemies, and do good to them; and you see that instead of that, this wicked man has his prisoners put to death (faire mourir) and eats them."

"A thought has struck me, (il me vient une pensée,”) said John; "if we were to kill that horrid monkey, they would soon perceive that it is no God. Let us poison it." Mary agreed to it, and the monkey died. The savages who took care of it, and who were as its priests, told the king that Mary and her brother were the cause of the misfortune that had occurred, and that he could not be happy until these two whites were killed. It was immediately decided that a sacrifice should be made to the new monkey that had just been substituted for the last, that the two whites should be present, and that they should afterwards be burned alive, (brûler quelqu'un tout vif.) John having heard this resolution, said to them: "If your monkey had been a God, I could never have killed him; have I not been stronger than he? We must worship the great God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and not such an ugly beast." This speech irritated all the savages; they fastened John and his sister to two trees, and were prepared to burn them, when intelligence came (lorsqu'on leur apprit) that a great number of their enemies had just landed (aborder) on the island. They ran to meet them, (pour les combattre,) and were defeated, (être vaincu.) The savages who remained the conquerors took off the chains of the two whites, and conveyed (emmener) them to their own island, where they became the slaves of the king.

These new savages, however, were often at war like their neighbors, and ate their prisoners. They one day took a great number; for they were very powerful. Among the captives was a white man; and as he was very thin, (fort maigre,) the savages determined on fattening him up (de l'engraisser) before they ate him They chained him up in a hut, and commissioned Mary to take him his food, (de lui porter à manger.) As she knew that he was soon to be eaten she felt great compassion for him, (elle en avait grand' pitié,) and said, as she sadly gazed on him: “O God! take pity or him!" This white man, who had felt great astonishment on seeing a girl of the same color as himself, wondered still more (le fui bien davantage) when he heard her speak his own language. "Who taught you to speak French ?" inquired he, (lui dit-il.) "I do not know the name of the language I speak," answered she; "it is my mother's language, and she it was who taught it me. We have also two books in which we read every day." 'My God!" exclaimed

66

this man, as he raised his hands to heaven, "and can it be possible, (serait-il possible?) But, my child, could you show me the books of which you speak?" "I have them not," said she, "but I will fetch my brother, who keeps them, and he will show them you." She went out, as she said this, and soon returned with John, who

brought the two books. The white man opened them with emotion, and having read on the first leaf: "This is John Morris' book," he cried: "Ah, my dear children! and do I indeed see you? Come and embrace your father; oh, would to God! you could give me news of your mother!" At these words John and Mary threw themselves into the arms of the white man, and shed tears of joy. At last John said: "My heart tells me you are my father; and y 1.yet 1 know not how that can be, for my mother told me you had fallen into the sea." "I did in truth (effectivement) fall into the sea, wher our vessel struck, (s'entr'ouvrit,") answered this man; "but hav ing seated myself on a plank, I landed on an island, and I thought you lost." John then told him all he remembered. The white man wept, when he heard of the death of his wife. Mary also wept, but it was on another account, (pour un autre sujet.) "Alas!" cried she, "of what use is it (à quoi sert-il) that we should have found our father, since he is to be killed and eaten in a few days." must cut his chains," said John, "and then we will all three escape to the forest." "And what should we do there, my poor children?" said John Morris; "the savages will soon catch (reprendre *) us, or else we shall die of hunger." "Let me alone, (laissez-moi faire,") said Mary, "I know an infallible method (le moyen) of saving you."

66

"We

As she ended these words, she went to the king. When she had entered his hut, she threw herself at his feet, and said: “My lord, (seigneur,) I have a great favor to beg of you; will you promise me to grant it ?" "I swear it you," said the king, "for I am satisfied with you." 'Well," continued Mary, "you must know that the white man, of whom you have desired me to take care, is John's and my father you have resolved to eat him, and I am come to represent to you, that he is old and thin, and that I am young and fat; so I hope you will be so kind as to eat me instead; I only ask a week, that I may have the pleasure of seeing him before I die." “Truly,” said the king, "you are so good a girl, that I would on no account (que je ne voudrais pas pour toutes choses) put you to death; you shall live, and your father also. I will even tell you that every year a ship with white men comes here, and we sell them the prisoners we do not eat. This ship will soon arrive, and then I will give you leave (la permission) to go."

Mary thanked the king, and in her heart returned thanks to God who had inspired him with compassion towards her. She ran tc carry these joyful tidings to her father; and a few days after, the vessel of which the black king had spoken having arrived, she embarked on board with her father and brother. They landed on a

large island inhabited by Spaniards. The governor of this island, having heard Mary's history, said to himself: "This girl has not a penny, (n'a pas le sou,) and is sadly sunburnt, (brulée du soleil ;) but she is so good and virtuous that her husband will be a happier man (qu'elle pourra rendre son mari plus heureux) than if she were rich and handsome." He therefore requested Mary's father to give her to him for wife, (en mariage ;) and John Morris having consented, the governor married her, and gave one of his relations to John. They lived very happy in this island, admiring the wisdom of Providence, that had only allowed Mary to be a slave, that she might thereby be the means of (que pour lui donner occasion de) saving her father's life.