The Mysterious Island Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Captain Grant's Children

Chapter 27 Captain Grant's Children (27)
"I believe that kid Robert Jr. will definitely like this place." Paganel interrupted the topic quickly, he wanted to find someone who could support his point of view.

"Yes, my dear Monsieur Paganel," replied little Robert cheerfully.

"I think this kind of life is only suitable for children of young Robert's age," retorted Sir Glenarvan.

"This life is also suitable for people of my age!" Paganel retorted. "In fact, as long as a person can live with the situation and follow the Romans, then his needs will be less. As long as the needs are less, people's sense of happiness will be greater." Elevate accordingly!"

"Have you heard, our scholar, Mr. Paganel, is now attacking the modern civilization created by humans!" said the major.

"No, no, no," Paganel said slowly, shaking his head, "you really remind me of an Arabian story. If you want to hear it, I might as well tell you about it. "

"Mr. Paganel, I am willing, I am willing!" Little Robert said excitedly.

"What do you mean by this story?" asked the major.

"Oh man, it proves what all the stories are supposed to prove!" Paganel added.

"That is to say, it doesn't prove anything!" Major McNabbs retorted again, "Well, you can tell the story now, our Scheherazade, Scheherazade, Arab " The heroine of One Thousand and One Nights. She told the king a thousand and one stories. Here is the parable of Paganel. Tell us the story now, and let us hear it!"

"Once upon a time," began Paganel, "there was an archbishop who had a son who never knew how to make himself happy. So the archbishop went to an old elder; The old man told him that it is not difficult to find your own happiness in the world. I have a way to make you happy now, which can make you happy. The bishop's son asked for advice immediately, and the old elder said : "Go and find a happy man now, and wear the clothes of this happy man on yourself." After expressing his gratitude, the bishop's son set out to find that happy man. He traveled all over the world In all the countries, he tried wearing the clothes of the people he thought were happy, such as emperors, kings, princes, nobles, etc. But he still couldn’t be happy! After that, he put the people he thought were happy, Such as artist, soldier, businessman's clothes tried on himself, but it still didn't work. He was depressed and went home with his head down. But on this day, by chance, he passed the countryside and saw a farmer plowing Tian, ​​while singing, looked very happy. He thought, this should be a very happy person. If he is unhappy, there are really no happy people in this world. So he walked on Go, greet the farmer and say, 'Hey, Mr. Farmer, are you happy?' The farmer replied, 'Well, I'm happy.' The bishop's son said, 'Don't you need anything?' The farmer Replied: "No need!" The bishop's son asked again: "What if someone asks you to be a king instead of a farmer?" The farmer replied: "I absolutely don't agree!" The bishop's son immediately Said: "Then can you sell me the clothes you wear?" The farmer curiously replied: "Ah! Clothes, where do I have any clothes!'"

lightning strike
This vivid story told by Paganel was greatly appreciated by all.It's just that people have different opinions on the understanding of this story.Geographers use general academic discussions to summarize: each has its own point of view, and each is right.However, there is one thing that everyone agrees on very much, that is, no matter what setbacks you encounter, you should not be discouraged; since you have nowhere to live now, you can only endure it and take shelter on this big tree.

Everyone talked and chatted together, and before they knew it, the night was getting late.After experiencing so many thrilling things that day, everyone felt that they should lie in bed and have a good rest. The singing of the little birds on the "Ombi" tree also stopped at this moment.They probably had a good night's sleep among the thick leaves.

Before going to bed, Sir Glenarvan, Paganel, and Robert Jr. deliberately climbed to the observation post on the top of the tree, looked around the surrounding environment, and made a final survey of the vast ocean flood.At this time, it was already nine o'clock in the evening, the sky was covered with thick fog, and on the western horizon, the sun was slowly setting.In this world where water and sky are connected, there is a vast mist, and the stars on the night are also blurred, and people can only vaguely see their positions.Taking this opportunity, Paganel told Robert Jr. beside him about some constellations in the sky.Such as "Antarctic Cross", "Magellan Star Cluster", "Sagittarius"... It's a pity that the "Orion Constellation" has not yet appeared.

In the sky at this time, there are dark clouds billowing in the east, so don't think too much, it must be raining heavily there.These dark clouds rolled in, and before long, half of the sky was completely occupied by them. On the contrary, the ground was in a still environment: the water surface did not ripple, the leaves did not tremble, and even the surrounding air seemed to stop flowing.

"The stuffiness of the air proves that a storm is coming," Paganel said.

"Son, are you afraid of thunder and lightning?" Sir Glenarvan asked little Robert with concern.

"Sir, I'm not afraid of anything!" answered the boy bravely.

"That's all right, there will be lightning and thunder soon!"

"Looking at the situation, the momentum of this storm is really not small." Paganel added.

"Mr. Paganel, I'm not really afraid of storms. It's just that the downpour drenched us. No matter what you say, a man's nest in a tree is not a permanent solution." Sir Glenarvan Said.

"Oh, sir, can you look at things with an open mind?" Paganel said sarcastically.

"I'm open-minded, but can I not get drenched?"

"Although the body will get wet, if you look at it with an open-minded heart, you will still feel warm."

"Okay, I'll listen to you, let's go down now! In order to make our friends more open-minded, we wrapped ourselves tightly in cloaks!"

After a while, the dark clouds covered the entire sky tightly; when the dark clouds in the sky merged with the mist emerging from the water, a dull sound came from the distant sky unconsciously.

"Let's go down quickly, beware of the thunder attack!" Sir Glenarvan urged immediately.

When the three of them climbed below, they saw countless shimmering lights flickering.The faint light was emitted by countless small light spots on the water surface. On the water surface, they danced chaotically, moving up and down...

"Are these phosphorescences?" asked Sir Glenarvan.

"No," Paganel added, "phosphoworms, fireflies. In Argentina, they're considered cheap, live diamonds. Like the rich women of Buenos Aires. , make these fireflies into decorations and wear them on your body.”

"Ah! What are you talking about! These bugs can be like fire!" Little Robert asked with a look of surprise.

"Yes, little Robert!"

Little Robert stretched out his hand and immediately caught a firefly.Paganel was right. This kind of firefly is actually a kind of bumblebee, and the local Indians call it "Duke Duke".There are two spots in front of the firefly's wings, where the light on the body comes from.Moreover, the light intensity of fireflies is very bright, so you can use it to read books in the dark.Paganel pointed the firefly to his watch and saw clearly that it was ten o'clock at night.

Afterwards, the three descended from the tree, came to the major and the three sailors, and told them that there would be a thunderstorm in the evening, so they should be prepared.The companions all obeyed Sir's instructions, in case the thunderstorm came and the wind blew the big tree shaking and being thrown down, they just tied themselves tightly on the "hammock" on the tree.

Before going to bed, everyone said "good night" to each other, and fell asleep with an uneasy heart.

However, no one has a clue about the coming storm, and they are always afraid that this disaster will come.Everyone's heart was pounding with tension, even the bravest.

At nearly eleven o'clock the first thunderclap sounded suddenly, while the travelers were still awake.At this time, the thunder was not ringing nearby, but it was coming from the distant sky.Sir Glenarvan was the first to risk his life by poking his head out of the branches and leaves, trying to observe the situation outside.

Jazz saw that in the sky that was as dark as the bottom of a pot, a bright jagged gap split open on the edge of the sky, and the shadow was clearly reflected on the water surface, as if the water surface was split.

"How is the situation, sir?" Paganel asked.

"Hey, it seems that the storm is coming fiercely, and the momentum is not small!"

"Ah! This is really great!" Paganel said excitedly, "Now we can't hide from the rain, why not watch a rare natural wonder!"

"At this time, can you stop talking about strange things, can you?" the major contradicted.

"Oh, Major, you know. We can't get out of this storm, since it's coming so hard. It's better to be open-minded and enjoy this wonder of nature. I remember reading it, but I don't remember which book." Well, in 1793, here in Buenos Aires, Argentina, there was a storm that struck thunder 37 times! And there was one thunder that lasted 55 minutes!"

"Calculated with a watch in your hand?" the major asked angrily.

"Well... well, it's all irrelevant," continued Paganel. "My friends, scientists tell people not to take shelter under a tree during a storm. The reason is very simple. Tall trees are the most vulnerable to lightning strikes. Moreover, our 'Ombi' tree is the highest point in this vast ocean. So it is very certain that this tree will be struck by lightning!"

"Having said so much, this sentence is still serious!" the major continued.

"Ouch! Paganel, stop joking, the matter is serious!" Sir Glenarvan reminded.

"Ouch! It's really thundering!" cried Paganel.

At this time, the sound of thunder boomed from far to near, getting louder and louder, one boom followed by another.From the music point of view, these thunders have shifted from bass to alto, and a multi-part chorus has begun!Lightning jumped up and down in the air, constantly moving, like a sea of ​​fire.

The lightning in the sky is criss-crossed and various. Some lightning twists in the sky, like coral trees;

As a result, the world where water and sky were originally connected has now become a world of electric fire, and the reflection in the water has infinitely expanded the world of electric fire; the "Ombi" tree is in this world of electric fire. stands tall.

During the thunder and lightning, the faces of the people on the tree were illuminated; everyone watched in silence at this terrible scene: Sir Glenarvan looked so strong and resolute, watching quietly Everything; the major squinted his eyes indifferently and calmly; Paganel observed and studied everything with great interest; Little Robert looked a little panicked, clutching the branches tightly; on the faces of the other three sailors, the A look of disapproval and commonplace.

After a while, the long-awaited rain finally poured down.It was like a waterfall in the sky had been cracked, and the rain was pouring down, knocking out countless big puddles on the surface of the water...

At this time, there was lightning and thunder, and the torrential rain poured down like a torrent.Suddenly, a huge fireball appeared in the sky, fell from the sky, and exploded on the top of the "Wombi" tree with a "boom".

In the heavy rain, a strong smell of sulfur filled the air.

Austin suddenly let out a loud cry: "Ah! The tree is on fire!"

Austin was right.To the west of the "Ombie" tree, there was a raging fire, and there was a sound of crackling branches being burned.

With the help of the wind, the fire burns more and more vigorously.Everyone quickly got down from the branches and ran to the side where there was no fire.These travelers were in a hurry, rolling and climbing onto the slightly trembling branches one by one.

The creaking sound of burning, the flames jumping up and down like fire snakes, and some burnt branches are constantly falling down. This mess makes everyone have nowhere to hide.It seems that this big tree can't stay any longer.There are only two options before the traveler: drown or be burned.Comparing the two, it is better to choose a way to die less tragically!
"Dive, everybody!" cried Sir Glenarvan.

At this time, Wilson's clothes were on fire, and he was the first to jump into the water.But not long after, everyone heard his cry: "God, help me..."

Austin heard it, ran over in a hurry, and pulled him out of the water.

"What happened?"

"My God! Crocodile! Crocodile!" Wilson cried out in horror.

Through the light of the fire on the tree, everyone saw a circle of animals with flat heads, big mouths, protruding eyes, and pimples all over the tree trunk.

It seems that it is dead!It's over!Must die!Either be burned to death or killed by a crocodile!Even the major, who has always been calm when things happen, couldn't help lowering his head and sighing softly:

"Now, there is really no hope at all!"

However, things in nature always drop from one thing to another.Sir Glenarvan and his party, in this environment where there is fire, water, and crocodiles attack, will there be a miracle?
At this time, the downpour of the storm also became weaker; suddenly, a strong whirlwind blew up on the water surface, and the whirlwind stirred up a cone-shaped water mist on the water surface; , the tip of the cone is facing down, and the bottom of the cone is facing up; this cone-shaped water mist is rolling, rolling up a column of water that soars to the sky, and moving rapidly at an astonishing speed.

In an instant, that jet of water rushed to the "Wombi" tree and surrounded the big tree.Then the big tree was blown upside down, and Sir Glenarvan originally thought that the big tree was really going to be bitten off by the crocodile.

In fact, the big tree was blown uprooted at this moment and fell to the surface of the water.

At this time, the people on the tree hugged the big tree tightly in order to survive.

The crocodile wandering under the tree was swept away by the water column.Only one crocodile climbed up, crawled on the tree trunk, opened its bloody mouth, and rushed towards these distressed travelers.Fortunately, Muradi had quick eyesight and quick hands, quickly grabbed a big burnt branch, and smashed it hard at the crocodile's waist.The crocodile's waist was broken immediately, and it stumbled and fell into the water, but its terrifying big tail was still sweeping across the water.

Jazz and his companions saw that the crocodile was dead, so they quickly crawled towards the air vent and hugged the tree trunk tightly.At this time, the "Wombi" tree was burning with a flame, flowing in the direction of the flood in the shadow of the night.The strong wind made the flames burn more and more vigorously, and the big tree rushed forward on the water like a boat with fire sails!
on the atlantic coast
The flaming 'Ombi' tree has been drifting for two hours on the endless stretch of water, but the trunk still hasn't touched land.Reassuringly, the fire burning on the tree has gradually been extinguished by this time.It can be seen that the great danger has been passed.Seeing this, the major said lightly: "It seems that we are not in great danger, and we can finally be rescued!"

The water flow still maintains a flow direction from southwest to northeast, and the flow speed is still very fast.A few remnants of lightning were still flashing intermittently in the sky; it didn't take long for the sky to be completely dark.

The rain that fell on the ground also became smaller and turned into a curtain of mist and rain; the blowing of the wind made the curtain of mist and rain dance around.Slowly, the curtain of rain was torn into clouds that raced away across the sky.

The big tree "Ombi" seems to be equipped with an engine at this time, flowing down the river, galloping like flying, and the travelers on the tree don't know how long it will float like this.At three o'clock in the morning, however, the major noticed, and had his traveling companions observe, that some branches seemed to have skimmed the bottom of the water.Austin then broke off a branch and stretched it out to explore the water. Sure enough, the water was really not too deep and could touch the bottom.About 10 minutes later, the big tree "Ombi" hit something, and with a bang, it stopped drifting.

"Ah! Land! Land!" cried Paganel, agitated.

Indeed, the "Ombi" tree touched a piece of land, so it fell down.No navigator in history was as excited as they found land.Robert Jr. and Wilson were the first to land on land, shouting "Long live" to the sky!At this happy moment, everyone heard a very familiar voice, accompanied by the sound of horseshoes.Everyone took a closer look and saw the figure of a tall Patagonian.

"Ah! Tarcafe!" cried little Robert first.

"Tarcaf!" Everyone shouted in unison.

"My friends!" cried the Patagonians, too.He knew that these travelers would definitely come down the river and come here.Because he himself was washed here by the current, he waited here, waiting for the arrival of these travelers.

Tarcalf stretched out his hand and hugged Robert Jr. tightly; Paganel also embraced Tarcalf from behind.Sir Glenarvan, Major MacNabbs, and the three sailors, very happy to see their guide survived the adventure, shook hands with him.Then Thalcaf led the travelers under the open shed of an abandoned "Erstansia".There, a great fire was burning, and great chunks of meat were roasting on it.While eating, the travelers cut up large pieces of meat, and they were really happy to eat!After eating, everyone's body is also warm.At this time, when everyone gathered together, they sighed that this time is really God's blessing, and they survived the catastrophe!Surprisingly, there is fire above, water below, and the dangerous situation of crocodile attack can escape from death!

(End of this chapter)