The new Swiss family Robinson: a tale for children of all ages

About this book

A castaway family’s island life gives Owen Wister material for a brief comic spoof of the Robinson survival tale, aimed at children but alert to adult self-importance. When Ernest saves himself a morsel of roast peccadillo, his father claims it under cover of a lesson in consideration, then admits that eating it hurt. As a ship approaches, the father proposes foul-smelling defenses in the family cave, only to trip while hurrying to greet the visitors and grab his wife’s hair for balance. His solemn maxims keep colliding with petty appetites and physical mishaps, giving the adventure its particular comic edge.