The Real Robinson Crusoe

Alexander Selkirk was born in Scotland in 1676. He was not an easy man. He got angry quickly, and he was often in trouble. But he was a very good sailor, so in 1703 he joined a ship called the Cinque Ports and sailed to the Pacific Ocean.

The trip went badly. After a year at sea, the ship was in terrible condition. Water came in through the wood, and Selkirk was sure of one thing: this ship was going to sink. In September 1704, the ship stopped at a small green island far from Chile. No people lived there. Selkirk had a big argument with the captain. He shouted: "This ship is not safe! I would rather stay on this island than sail on it!"

The captain was happy to say goodbye. Selkirk went to the beach with a gun, a knife, some tools, a cooking pot, a little food — and his Bible. Then he watched the ship sail away. Suddenly he understood what he had done. He ran into the water and shouted, "Come back! I'm sorry!" But the ship did not come back. Selkirk was alone. He did not know it, but he was lucky: a few weeks later, the ship sank in the sea. Most of the sailors died.

The first months were the hardest. Selkirk stayed on the beach all day and watched the sea. He waited for a ship, but no ship came. He was sad, angry and afraid. He said later that his own thoughts were the biggest danger. To stay strong, he read his Bible out loud every day — so he could still hear English words.

Then he moved into the green hills, and life got better. There were wild goats on the island, so he could eat meat and drink milk, and he made clothes from their skins. There were vegetables and fruit trees. He built two huts from wood: one for sleeping, one for cooking. He had one big problem: at night, rats came and bit his feet. So Selkirk gave meat to the wild cats of the island. The cats became his friends. They slept around his bed — and the rats stayed away.

Selkirk became strong and fast. When he had no more gunpowder for his gun, he hunted the goats on foot — he could run them down barefoot in the mountains. Two times, ships came to the island. But they were Spanish ships, and Spain was the enemy. Selkirk had to hide. One time, the Spanish sailors saw him and hunted him. He climbed a big tree and stayed very quiet. The men stood under his tree — and did not look up. Then they sailed away.

On 2 February 1709 — after four years and four months — two English ships arrived at the island. The sailors went to the beach and saw a strange, wild man. He wore clothes made of goat skins. His hair was long. He could not speak well at first, because he had not talked to a person for four years. It was Selkirk. He was rescued at last.

The English captain was surprised. This wild man was healthier and stronger than his own sailors! He liked Selkirk and gave him work on the ship. In 1711, Selkirk came home to Britain with money in his pocket. He became famous. People wrote about him, and in pubs everyone wanted to hear his story.

But going home was not easy. Rooms felt too small. People were too loud. Selkirk told people that he was happier on the island, when he had nothing. In 1719, the writer Daniel Defoe wrote a book about a man alone on an island: Robinson Crusoe. It became one of the most famous books in the world — and many people believe Selkirk's story was behind it. Selkirk went back to the sea. He died on a ship in 1721. Today, his island has a new name: Robinson Crusoe Island.