By hard swimming , for the sea still ran high , he managed to reach it , and pulled himself out of the water , more dead than alive . Then he flung himself down on the ground and fell fast asleep . When he awoke he got up to explore the island , and see if there were any men upon it ; but though he found streams and fruit trees in abundance , there was no trace either of man or beast . Then , tired with his wanderings he sat down and began to think . For perhaps the first time in his life his thoughts did not instantly turn to money . It was not on his lost treasures that his mind dwelt , but on his conduct to his parents : his laziness and disobedience as a boy ; his forgetfulness of them as a man . ` If wild animals were to come and tear me to pieces , ' he said to himself bitterly , ` it would be only what I deserve ! My gains are all at the bottom of the sea -- well ! lightly won , lightly lost -- but it is odd that I feel I should not care for that if only my pipes were left me . ' Then he rose and walked a little further , till he saw a tree with great red apples shining amidst the leaves , and he pulled some down , and ate them greedily . After that he stretched himself out on the soft moss and went to sleep . In the morning he ran to the nearest stream to wash himself , but to his horror , when he caught sight of his face , he saw his nose had grown the colour of an apple , and reached nearly to his waist . He started back thinking he was dreaming , and put up his hand ; but , alas ! the dreadful thing was true . ` Oh , why does not some wild beast devour me ? ' he cried to himself ; ` never , never , can I go again amongst my fellow-men ! If only the sea had swallowed me up , how much happier it had been for me ! ' And he hid his head in his hands and wept . His grief was so violent , that it exhausted him , and growing hungry he looked about for something to eat . Just above him was a bough of ripe , brown nuts , end he picked them and ate a handful .
To his surprise , as he was eating them , he felt his nose grow shorter and shorter , and after a while he ventured to feel it with his XXXXX , and even to look in the stream again !
end gains ground hand moss nuts pipes stream waist wanderings