It grows in the most arid soil.

The fruit is said to be sweet and wholesome." In a moment, my little active Jack was climbing the rocks to gather some of these figs; but he had not remarked that they were covered with thousands of slender thorns, finer than the finest needles, which terribly wounded his fingers.

He returned, weeping bitterly and dancing with pain.

Having rallied him a little for his greediness, I extracted the thorns, and then showed him how to open the fruit, by first cutting off the pointed end, as it lay on the ground; into this I fixed a piece of stick, and then pared it with my knife.

The novelty of the expedient recommended it, and they were soon all engaged eating the fruit, which they declared was very good.
In the mean time, I saw Ernest examining one of the figs very attentively.