As yet we had not seen much of the isle; for it took most of our time
to build the house. But one day we made up our minds that we would all
start on a tour. We rose at dawn, put the ass in the sledge, took what
food we thought we should need, and set out from The Nest just as the
sun rose.
When we came to the wood where Fritz found the ape, he told them by
what means we got the nuts, but now there were no apes there to throw
them down.
"Oh, if one would but fall from the trees," he said.
The words had but just left his lips when a large nut fell at his feet.
He made a start back, and two more came down near the same spot.
As the nuts were far from ripe, I was at a loss to know how they could
fall off the tree, for I could not see an ape nor a bird near.
I went close up to the tree, and saw a large land crab on its way down
the trunk. Jack struck a blow at him with a stick, but did not hit the
beast. He then took off his coat and threw it on the crab's head, while
I made an end of him with an axe. I told them that these crabs climb
the trees and break off the nuts, as we had seen, and then come down to
feast on them at their ease.
"But how do they crack the nuts?" said Jack.
"They make a hole through the shell at the thin end, and then suck them
dry.
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