CHAPTER 5 Learning to live alone
I still needed a lot of things.“Well，”I said，“I'm going to have to make them.”So，every day，I worked.
First of all，I wanted to make my cave bigger.I carried out stone from the cave，and after many days' hard work I had a large cave in the side of the hill.Then I needed a table and a chair，and that was my next job.I had to work on them for a long time.I also wanted to make places to put all my food，and all my tools and guns.But every time I wanted a piece of wood，I had to cut down a tree.It was long，slow，difficult work，and during the next months I learnt to be very clever with my tools.There was no hurry.I had all the time in the world.
I also went out every day，and I always had my gun with me.Sometimes I killed a wild animal，and then I had meat to eat.
But when it got dark，I had to go to bed because I had no light.I couldn't read or write because I couldn't see.For a long time，I didn't know what to do.But in the end，I learnt how to use the fat of dead animals to make a light.
The weather on my island was usually very hot，and there were often storms and heavy rain.The next June，it rained all the time，and I couldn't go out very often.I was also ill for some weeks，but slowly，I got better.When I was stronger，I began to go out again.The first time I killed a wild animal，and the second time I caught a big turtle.
I was on the island for ten months before I visited other parts of it.During those months I worked hard on my cave and my house and my fence.Now I was ready to find out more about the rest of the island.
First，I walked along the side of a little river.There，I found open ground without trees.Later，I came to more trees with many different fruits.I decided to take a lot of the fruit，and to put it to dry in the sun for a time.Then I could keep it for many months.
That night I went to sleep in a tree for the second time，and the next day I went on with my journey.Soon I came to an opening in the hills.In front of me，everything was green，and there were flowers everywhere.There were also a lot of different birds and animals.I saw that my house was on the worst side of the island.But I didn't want to move from there.It was my home now.I stayed away for three days，and then I came home.But I often went back to the other，greener side of the island.
And so my life went on.Every month I learnt to do or to make something new.But I had troubles and accidents too.Once there was a terrible storm with very heavy rain.The roof of my cave fell in，and nearly killed me！I had to build it up again with many pieces of wood.
