In London, I found work on a ship sailing to the coast of Africa. The captain was a good man who taught me many things about trading. I made a small profit on that voyage and decided to sail again. But on my second trip to Africa, disaster struck. One morning, we saw a ship approaching us at great speed. 'Pirates!' shouted the lookout from the top of the mast. The ship flew a Turkish flag and was filled with armed men. We tried to escape, but their ship was faster than ours. When they caught us, a fierce battle began. We fought bravely, but we were greatly outnumbered. Many of our men were killed, and the rest of us were captured. The pirates took us to the port of Sallee in Morocco. There, I was made a slave to the captain of the pirate ship. My dreams of adventure had turned into a living nightmare. For two long years, I worked as a slave in my master's house. I cleaned, cooked, and served him like a common servant. Every day, I thought about escape, but the guards watched us closely. I remembered my father's words and wished I had listened to him. Sometimes my master took me fishing on his small boat. I was a good sailor, and he trusted me to handle the boat. During these trips, I began to plan my escape carefully. I secretly stored food, water, and supplies in the boat. I waited patiently for the perfect opportunity. One day, my master ordered me to prepare the boat for a fishing trip. He was expecting important guests and wanted fresh fish. I loaded extra supplies while nobody was watching. I hid bread, rice, water, and even some guns with powder. When we set sail, only two other slaves were with me. One was a man named Ismael, and the other was a young boy called Xury. My master stayed on shore to prepare for his guests. This was the chance I had been waiting for. Once we were far enough from the shore, I put my plan into action. I grabbed Ismael and threw him overboard into the sea. 'Swim back to shore,' I shouted, 'or I will shoot you!' He was a strong swimmer, and I knew he would survive. Then I turned to young Xury, who was trembling with fear. 'Xury,' I said, 'if you will be loyal to me, I will make you a free man.' 'But if you betray me, I will throw you into the sea too.' The boy smiled and swore to be faithful to me forever. Together, we sailed south along the African coast. I was afraid to go too close to the shore because of wild animals and cannibals. But I was also afraid to go too far from land because our boat was small. For ten days, we sailed without seeing any sign of civilization. Our water was running low, and we needed to find more. We landed on a beach to search for a river or stream. Xury bravely went into the forest while I watched the boat. He returned with fresh water and news of wild animals he had seen. That night, we heard terrible roars from the jungle. Lions and other beasts were hunting in the darkness. We slept in the boat, too frightened to stay on land. The next morning, I shot a lion that came too close to us. Xury took the lion's skin as a trophy of our adventure. We continued south for several more days. Finally, we saw a large ship in the distance. I was afraid it might be pirates again, but we had no choice. We signaled to them, and they stopped to pick us up. To my great relief, it was a Portuguese ship sailing to Brazil. The captain was a kind and honest man. He welcomed us aboard and gave us food and clothing. He offered to buy my boat, my supplies, and even Xury. I did not want to sell Xury after he had been so loyal to me. But the captain promised to free him after ten years of service. I agreed, and Xury went with the captain willingly. We sailed for three weeks before reaching the coast of Brazil. The land was beautiful, with thick forests and wide rivers. I stepped onto the shore as a free man once again. I had money in my pocket from the sale of my boat and supplies. I decided to stay in Brazil and start a new life. Perhaps here I could find the fortune I had always dreamed of. Little did I know that my greatest adventure was still waiting for me.
B1Chapter 3 / 15788 words70 sentences
Slavery and Escape
Chapter 3 · Robinson Crusoe · B1 English. Tip: Click on any word while reading to see its translation. Take your time with each chapter and review the vocabulary before moving on.
Chapter Summary
Captured by pirates, Robinson becomes a slave but plans his escape.
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
Where was Robinson taken after being captured by pirates?
2
How long was Robinson enslaved in Morocco?
3
Why did Robinson convince Xury to join him instead of throwing him overboard?
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