INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS
Robinson Crusoe: An Adaptation
(Genre: Adventure Story)
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The British writer Daniel Defoe published Robinson Crusoe in 1719. In this classic
adventure story, the sailor Robinson Crusoe is washed up on a deserted island. The
following is an adaptation of an early chapter from the novel—the chapter has been
shortened and some language has been changed. In this episode of the story, Crusoe
finds himself stranded.
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The storm-waves must have carried
me to shore and deposited me there,
half dead, for when I awoke, the sea
was tranquil, and I was alone. Where
was I?
I saw the ship foundering on her
side, close enough to swim. When I
climbed aboard, all was silent. I was
the only one left.
Wet, cold, hungry, and thirsty, I went
to the storeroom and devoured as
many biscuits as I could find. Then, I
lashed together a raft from pieces of the
ship, loading it with wood, tools, and as
much food as it would carry. Paddling
with a shattered board, I spotted a little
cove just down the shore, where a
small freshwater stream flowed into
the sea.
Initially, I slept in a makeshift tent of
canvas sails, but after retrieving more
wood, a small cabin began to take
shape. One morning, I stepped out of
my little home and was astonished to
see that the shipwreck was swept away.
I was grateful I had made hay while the
sun shone.
Eventually I discovered that I was on
a minute island, inhabited by nothing
Unit 9
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Crusoe drew this map of his home on the deserted island.
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but a few white goats. They were easy
to tame, and I soon had plenty of milk
and, as the herd grew, plenty of meat.
Once I had food, water, and shelter,
the true darkness of my situation
descended upon me. As weeks became
months, I longed for a human voice, or
even a printed word. Though I kept
myself occupied—fashioning furniture,
cultivating a garden—the loneliness
was overwhelming.
One morning, I stepped outside my
“castle” to a beach wiped smooth by an
overnight rainstorm. Strolling toward
the stream, I stopped short. Excitement,
relief, and a strange dread all came
upon me at once.
There, in the sand, was a flawless
human footprint.
Reading Literature: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
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INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS
The Jungle Book: An Adaptation
(Genre: Adventure Story)
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The British author Rudyard Kipling wrote many famous stories for children and
adults, including Just So Stories. Many of his tales take place in India, where he spent
his childhood. This first chapter from The Jungle Book tells how wolves took care of
Mowgli the orphan. Again, this is a shortened version of the original text, and some
language has been changed.
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Father Wolf nuzzled Mother Wolf
and gently licked their new cubs
before setting out to hunt. Outside
his den awaited Tabaqui, the Jackal.
“Good morning, Father Wolf.”
Tabaqui bowed altogether too
politely. Father Wolf narrowed his
eyes, for Tabaqui was full of
mischief. “I have news that Shere
Khan, the vicious tiger, has relocated
into this valley. Surely he’ll drive
you out of your home!”
“I’ll believe it when I see him,”
Father Wolf growled. With a
mysterious cackle, Tabaqui
loped away.
Father Wolf wasn’t far down the
path when the bushes rustled. He
froze. It was something big . . . Shere
Khan? As the leaves parted, he
leaped to attack, only realizing in
mid-air what he saw.
“A man cub!” he shouted. A boy,
just grown enough to walk, looked
him straight in the face and giggled
before boldly waddling into the den,
where he snuggled down against
Mother Wolf.
Unit 9
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“I’ve never seen a man-cub so
fearless,” Mother Wolf said, oddly
charmed by the hairless, helpless
thing.
Suddenly, they heard Tabaqui’s high
voice shouting, “He went this way!”
With a snarl, the enormous head
and shoulders of Shere Khan filled
the entrance. Father Wolf’s fur stood
furiously on end, but he bowed
politely. “What does the honorable
Shere Khan desire?”
“My prey!” Shere Khan growled.
“The little man-cub there.”
“He’s ours now,” Mother Wolf said.
The tiger’s roar shook the cave
with thunder, but Mother and
Father Wolf stood unmoving, eyes
like green moons in the darkness.
Shere Khan might have challenged
Father Wolf alone, but not Father
and Mother together. Defeated, he
slunk away, calling, “My teeth will
find that boy in the end!”
The little man-cub giggled.
“He is a brave child,” said Father
Wolf. “Perhaps brave enough to fight
Shere Khan one day.”
Reading Literature: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
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INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS
Comprehension Check
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1. Make a prediction about the themes of these stories based on what you have read.
What theme might the two stories share?
2. Which sentence from “Robinson Crusoe: An Adaptation” best matches
the information in the map?
Copyright © by William H. Sadlier, Inc. Permission to duplicate classroom quantities granted to users of
a. “I saw the ship foundering on her side, close enough to swim.”
b. “Paddling with a shattered board, I spotted a little cove just down
the shore, where a small freshwater stream flowed into the sea.”
c. “One morning, I stepped out of my little home and was astonished to
see that the shipwreck was swept away.”
d. “There, in the sand, was a flawless human footprint.”
3. In paragraph 4 of “Robinson Crusoe: An Adaptation,” Crusoe says, “I was
grateful I had made hay while the sun shone.” What does the adage “make
hay while the sun shines” mean?
a. Minimize your risks if you are in an uncertain business.
b. Do not take your health for granted.
c. Young people do not realize how happy they are until after they grow old.
d. Take opportunities while you have them, because they might not last.
Unit 9
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Reading Literature: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
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INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS
4. Which statement best contrasts “Robinson Crusoe: An Adaptation”
and “The Jungle Book: An Adaptation”?
a. Robinson Crusoe is a story about man’s complete power over nature,
while The Jungle Book is a story about the power of nature over man.
b. Robinson Crusoe is about someone who survives entirely on his own,
while The Jungle Book is about a boy who is rescued by other creatures.
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c. The animal characters in The Jungle Book struggle against each other,
but Robinson Crusoe struggles with nature itself.
d. Both stories involve a confrontation with a villain.
Copyright © by William H. Sadlier, Inc. Permission to duplicate classroom quantities granted to users of
5. What information does the map tell you that the passage does not? What
information does the passage tell you that the map does not?
Unit 9
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Reading Literature: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
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