officer of very high rank, marched with some others on to Gulliver's
chest and held up to his eyes a paper which Gulliver understood to be
an order from the King of the country. The officer made a long speech,
often pointing towards something a long way off, and (as Gulliver
afterwards learned) told him that he was to be taken as a prisoner to
the city, the capital of the country.
Gulliver asked, by signs, that his bonds might be loosed. The officer
shook his head and refused, but he allowed some of his soldiers to
slack the cords on one side, whereby Gulliver was able to feel more
comfortable. After this, the little people drew out the arrows that
still stuck in his hands and face, and rubbed the wounds with some
pleasant-smelling ointment, which so soothed his pain that very soon
he fell sound asleep. And this was no great wonder, for, as he
afterwards understood, the King's physicians had mixed a very strong
sleeping draught with the wine that had been given him.
Gulliver awoke with a violent fit of sneezing, and with the feeling of
small feet running away from off his chest.
Where was he? Bound still, without doubt, but no longer did he find
himself lying on the ground. It puzzled him greatly that now he lay on
a sort of platform. How had he got there?
Soon he began to realize what had happened; and later, when he
understood the language, he learned all that had been done to him
while he slept. Before he dropped asleep, he had heard a rumbling as
of wheels, and the shouts of many drivers. This, it seemed, was caused
by the arrival of a huge kind of trolley, a few inches high, but
nearly seven feet long, drawn by fifteen hundred of the King's largest
horses.
On this it was meant that he should be taken to the city. By the use
of strong poles fixed in the ground, to which were attached many
pulleys, and the strongest ropes to be found in the country, nine
hundred men managed to hoist him as he slept. They then put him on the
trolley, where they again tied him fast.
It was when they were far on their way to the city that Gulliver
awoke. The trolley had stopped for a little to breathe the horses, and
one of the officers of the King's Guard who had not before seen
Gulliver, climbed with some friends up his body. While looking at his
face, the officer could not resist the temptation of putting the point
of his sword up Gulliver's nose, which tickled him so that he woke,
sneezing violently.
III
GULLIVER IS TAKEN AS A PRISONER TO THE CAPITAL OF LILLIPUT
The city was not reached till the following day, and Gulliver had to
spend the night lying where he was, guarded on each side by five
hundred men with torches and bows and arrows, ready to shoot him if he
should attempt to move.
In the morning, the King and all his court, and thousands of the
people, came out to gaze on the wonderful sight. The trolley, with
Gulliver on it, stopped outside the walls, alongside a very large
building which had once been used as a temple, but the use of which
had been given up owing to a murder having been committed in it.
The door of this temple was quite four feet high and about two feet
wide, and on each side, about six inches from the ground, was a small
window. Inside the building the King's blacksmiths fastened many
chains, which they then brought through one of these little windows
and padlocked round Gulliver's left ankle. Then his bonds were cut,
and he was allowed to get up. He found that he could easily creep
through the door, and that there was room inside to lie down.
His chains were nearly six feet long, so that he could get a little
exercise by walking backwards and forwards outside. Always when he
walked, thousands of people thronged around to look at him; even the
King himself used to come and gaze by the hour from a high tower which
stood opposite.
One day, just as Gulliver had crept out from his house and had got on
his feet, it chanced that the King, who was a very fine-looking man,
taller than any of his people, came riding along on his great white
charger. When the horse saw Gulliver move it was terrified, and
plunged and reared so madly that the people feared that a terrible
accident was going to happen, and several of the King's guards ran in
to seize the horse by the head. But the King was a good horseman, and
managed the animal so well that very soon it got over its fright, and
he was able to dismount.
Then he gave orders that food should be brought for Gulliver, twenty
little carts full, and ten of wine; and he and his courtiers, all
covered with gold and silver, stood around and watched him eating.
After the King had gone away the people of the city crowded round, and
some of them began to behave very badly, one man even going so far as
to shoot an arrow at Gulliver which was not far from putting out one
of his eyes. But the officer in command of the soldiers who were on
guard ordered his men to bind and push six of the worst behaved of the
crowd within reach of Gulliver, who at once seized five of them and
put them in his coat pocket. The sixth he held up to his mouth and
made as if he meant to eat him, whereupon the wretched little creature
shrieked aloud with terror, and when Gulliver took out his knife, all
the people, even the soldiers, were dreadfully alarmed. But Gulliver
only cut the man's bonds, and let him run away, which he did in a
great hurry. And when he took the others out of his pocket, one by
one, and treated them in the same way, the crowd began to laugh. After
that the people always behaved very well to Gulliver, and he became a
great favorite. From all over the kingdom crowds flocked to see the
Great Man Mountain.
In the meantime, as Gulliver learned later, there were frequent
meetings of the King's council to discuss the question of what was to
be done with him. Some of the councilors feared lest he might break
loose and cause great damage in the city. Some were of opinion that to
keep and feed so huge a creature would cause a famine in the land, or,
at the least, that the expense would be greater than the public funds
could bear; they advised, therefore, that he should be killed--shot in
the hands and face with poisoned arrows. Others, however, argued that
if this were done it would be a very difficult thing to get rid of so
large a dead body, which might cause a pestilence to break out if it
lay long unburied so near the city.
Finally, the King and his council gave orders that each morning the
surrounding villages should send into the city for Gulliver's daily
use six oxen, forty sheep, and a sufficient quantity of bread and
wine.
It was also commanded that six hundred persons should act as his
servants; that three hundred tailors were to make for him a suit of
clothes; and that six professors from the University were to teach him
the language of the country.
When Gulliver could speak the language, he learned a great deal about
the land in which he now found himself. It was called Lilliput, and
the people, Lilliputians. These Lilliputians believed that their
kingdom and the neighboring country of Blefuscu were the whole world.
Blefuscu lay far over the sea, to these little people dim and blue on
the horizon, though to Gulliver the distance did not seem to be more
than a mile. The Lilliputians knew of no land beyond Blefuscu. And as
for Gulliver himself, they believed that he had fallen from the moon,
or from one of the stars; it was impossible, they said, that so big a
race of men could live on the earth. It was quite certain that there
could not be food enough for them. They did not believe Gulliver's
story. He must have fallen from the moon!
Almost the first thing that Gulliver did when he knew the language
fairly well, was to send a petition to the King, praying that his
chains might be taken off and that he might be free to walk about. But
this he was told could not then be granted. He must first, the King's
council said, "swear a peace" with the kingdom of Lilliput, and
afterwards, if by continued good behavior he gained their confidence,
he might be freed.
Meantime, by the King's orders, two high officers of state were sent
to search him, Gulliver lifted up these officers in his hand and put
them into each of his pockets, one after the other, and they made for
the King a careful list of everything found there.
Gulliver afterward saw this inventory. His snuff-box they had
described as a "huge silver chest, full of a sort of dust." Into that
dust one of them stepped, and the snuff, flying up in his face, caused
him nearly to sneeze his head off. His pistols they called "hollow
pillars of iron, fastened to strong pieces of timber," and the use of
his bullets, and of his powder (which he had been lucky enough to
bring ashore dry, owing to his pouch being water-tight), they could
not understand, while of his watch they could make nothing. They
called it "a wonderful kind of engine, which makes an incessant noise
like a water-wheel." But some fancied that it was perhaps a kind of
animal. Certainly it was alive.
All these things, together with his sword, which he carried slung to a
belt round his waist, Gulliver had to give up, first, as well as he
could, explaining the use of them. The Lilliputians could not
understand the pistols, and to show his meaning, Gulliver was obliged
to fire one of them. At once hundreds of little people fell down as if
they had been struck dead by the noise. Even the King, though he stood
his ground, was sorely frightened. Most of Gulliver's property was
returned to him; but the pistols and powder and bullets, and his
sword, were taken away and put, for safety, under strict guard.
As the King and his courtiers gained more faith in Gulliver, and
became less afraid of his breaking loose and doing some mischief,
they began to treat him in a more friendly way than they had hitherto
done, and showed him more of the manners and customs of the country.
Some of these were very curious.
One of the sports of which they were most fond was rope-dancing, and
there was no more certain means of being promoted to high office and
power in the state than to possess great cleverness in that art.
Indeed, it was said that the Lord High Treasurer had gained and kept
his post chiefly through his great skill in turning somersaults on the
tight rope. The Chief Secretary for private affairs ran him very
close, and there was hardly a Minister of State who did not owe his
position to such successes. Few of them, indeed, had escaped without
severe accidents at one time or another, while trying some specially
difficult feat, and many had been lamed for life. But however many and
bad the falls, there were always plenty of other persons to attempt
the same or some more difficult jump.
Taught by his narrow escape from a serious accident when his horse
first saw Gulliver, the King now gave orders that the horses of his
army, as well as those from the Royal stables, should be exercised
daily close to the Man Mountain. Soon they became so used to the sight
of him that they would come right up to his foot without starting or
shying. Often the riders would jump their chargers over Gulliver's
hand as he held it on the ground; and once the King's huntsman, better
mounted than most of the others, actually jumped over his foot, shoe
and all--a wonderful leap.
Gulliver saw that it was wise to amuse the King in this and other
ways, because the more his Majesty was pleased with him the sooner was
it likely that his liberty would be granted. So he asked one day that
some strong sticks, about two feet in height, should be brought to
him. Several of these he fixed firmly in the ground, and across them,
near the top, he lashed four other sticks, enclosing a square space of
about two and a half feet. Then to the uprights, about five inches
lower than the crossed sticks, he tied his pocket-handkerchief, and
stretched it tight as a drum.
When the work was finished, he asked the King to let a troop exercise
on this stage. His Majesty was delighted with the idea, and for
several days nothing pleased him more than to see Gulliver lift up the
men and horses, and to watch them go through their drill on this
platform. Sometimes he would even be lifted up himself and give the
words of command; and once he persuaded the Queen, who was rather
timid, to let herself be held up in her chair within full view of the
scene. But a fiery horse one day, pawing with his hoof, wore a hole in
the handkerchief, and came down heavily on its side, and after this
Gulliver could no longer trust the strength of his stage.
IV
GULLIVER IS FREED, AND CAPTURES THE BLEFUSCAN FLEET
By this time Gulliver's clothes were almost in rags. The three hundred
tailors had not yet been able to finish his new suit, and he had no
hat at all, for that had been lost as he came ashore from the wreck.
So he was greatly pleased one day when an express message came to the
King from the coast, saying that some men had found on the shore a
great, black, strangely-shaped mass, as high as a man; it was not
alive, they were certain. It had never moved, though for a time they
had watched, before going closer. After making certain that it was not
likely to injure them, by mounting on each other's shoulders they had
got on the top, which they found was flat and smooth, and, by the
sound when stamped upon, they judged that it was hollow. It was
thought that the object might possibly be something belonging to the
Man Mountain, and they proposed by the help of five horses to bring it
to the city.
Gulliver was sure that it must be his hat, and so it turned out. Nor
was it very greatly damaged, either by the sea or by being drawn by
the horses over the ground all the way from the coast, except that two
holes had been bored in the brim, to which a long cord had been fixed
by hooks. Gulliver was much pleased to have it once more.
Two days after this the King took into his head a curious fancy. He
ordered a review of troops to be held, and he directed that Gulliver
should stand with his legs very wide apart, while under him both horse
and foot were commanded to march. Over three thousand infantry and one
thousand cavalry passed through the great arch made by his legs,
colors flying and bands playing. The King and Queen themselves sat in
their State Coach at the saluting point, near to his left leg, and all
the while Gulliver dared not move a hair's-breadth, lest he should
injure some of the soldiers.
Shortly after this, Gulliver was set free. There had been a meeting of
the King's Council on the subject, and the Lord High Admiral was the
only member in favor of still keeping him chained. This great officer
to the end was Gulliver's bitter enemy, and though on this occasion he
was out-voted, yet he was allowed to draw up the conditions which
Gulliver was to sign before his chains were struck off.
The conditions were:
First, that he was not to quit the country without leave granted under
the King's Great Seal.
Second, that he was not to come into the city without orders; at which
times the people were to have two hours' notice to keep indoors.
Third, that he should keep to the high roads, and not walk or lie down
in a meadow.
Fourth, that he was to take the utmost care not to trample on anybody,
or on any horses or carriages, and that he was not to lift any persons
in his hand against their will.
Fifth, that if at any time an express had to be sent in great haste,
he was to carry the messenger and his horse in his pocket a six-days'
journey, and to bring them safely back.
Sixth, that he should be the King's ally against the Blefuscans, and
that he should try to destroy their fleet, which was said to be
preparing to invade Lilliput.
Seventh, that he should help the workmen to move certain great stones
which were needed to repair some of the public buildings.
Eighth, that he should in "two moons' time" make an exact survey of
the kingdom, by counting how many of his own paces it took him to go
all round the coast.
Lastly, on his swearing to the above conditions, it was promised that
he should have a daily allowance of meat and drink equal to the amount
consumed by seventeen hundred and twenty-four of the Lilliputians, for
they estimated that Gulliver's size was about equal to that number of
their own people.
Though one or two of the conditions did not please him, especially
that about helping the workmen (which he thought was making him too
much a servant), yet Gulliver signed the document at once, and swore
to observe its conditions.
After having done so, and having had his chains removed, the first
thing he asked was to be allowed to see the city (which was called
Mildendo). He found that it was surrounded by a great wall about two
and a half feet high, broad enough for one of their coaches and four
to be driven along, and at every ten feet there were strong flanking
towers.
Gulliver took off his coat, lest the tails might do damage to the
roofs or chimneys of the houses, and he then stepped over the wall and
very carefully walked down the finest of the streets, one quite five
feet wide. Wherever he went, the tops of the houses and the attic
windows were packed with wondering spectators, and he reckoned that
the town must hold quite half a million of people.
In the center of the city, where the two chief streets met, stood the
King's Palace, a very fine building surrounded by a wall. But he was
not able to see the whole palace that day, because the part in which
were the royal apartments was shut off by another wall nearly five
feet in height, which he could not get over without a risk of doing
damage.
Some days later he climbed over by the help of two stools which he
made from some of the largest trees in the Royal Park, trees nearly
seven feet high, which he was allowed to cut down for the purpose. By
putting one of the stools at each side of the wall Gulliver was able
to step across. Then, lying down on his side, and putting his face
close to the open windows, he looked in and saw the Queen and all the
young Princes. The Queen smiled, and held her hand out of one of the
windows, that he might kiss it. She was very pleasant and friendly.
One day, about a fortnight after this, there came to call on him,
Reldresal, the King's Chief Secretary, a very great man, one who had
always been Gulliver's very good friend. This person had a long and
serious talk with Gulliver about the state of the country.
He said that though to the outward eye things in Lilliput seemed very
settled and prosperous, yet in reality there were troubles, both
internal and external, that threatened the safety of the kingdom.
There had been in Lilliput for a very long time two parties at bitter
enmity with each other, so bitter that they would neither eat, drink,
nor talk together, and what one party did, the other would always try
to undo. Each professed to believe that nothing good could come from
the other. Any measure proposed by the party in power was by the other
always looked upon as foolish or evil. And any new law passed by the
Government party was said by the Opposition to be either a wicked
attack on the liberties of the people, or something undertaken solely
for the purpose of keeping that party in, and the Opposition out, of
power. To such a pitch had things now come, said the Chief Secretary,
entirely owing to the folly of the Opposition, that the business of
the kingdom was almost at a standstill.
Meantime the country was in danger of an invasion by the Blefuscans,
who were now fitting out a great fleet, which was almost ready to sail
to attack Lilliput. The war with Blefuscu had been raging for some
years, and the losses by both nations of ships and of men had been
very heavy.
This war had broken out in the following way. It had always been the
custom in Lilliput, as far back as history went, for people when
breaking an egg at breakfast to do so at the big end. But it had
happened, said the Chief Secretary, that the present King's
grandfather, when a boy, had once when breaking his egg in the usual
way, severely cut his finger. Whereupon his father at once gave strict
commands that in future all his subjects should break their eggs at
the small end.
This greatly angered the people, who thought that the King had no
right to give such an order, and they refused to obey. As a
consequence no less than six rebellions had taken place: thousands of
the Lilliputians had had their heads cut off, or had been cast into
prison, and thousands had fled for refuge to Blefuscu, rather than
obey the hated order.
These "Big endians," as they were called, had been very well received
at the Court of Blefuscu, and finally the Emperor of that country had
taken upon himself to interfere in the affairs of Lilliput, thus
bringing on war.
The Chief Secretary ended the talk by saying that the King, having
great faith in Gulliver's strength, and depending on the oath which he
had sworn before being released, expected him now to help in defeating
the Blefuscan fleet.
Gulliver was very ready to do what he could, and he at once thought of
a plan whereby he might destroy the whole fleet at one blow. He told
all his ideas on the subject to the King, who gave orders that
everything he might need should be supplied without delay. Then
Gulliver went to the oldest seamen in the navy, and learned from them
the depth of water between Lilliput and Blefuscu. It was, they said,
nowhere deeper than seventy _glumgluffs_ (which is equal to about six
feet) at high water, and there was no great extent so deep.
After this he walked to the coast opposite Blefuscu, and lying down
there behind a hillock, so that he might not be seen should any of the
enemy's ships happen to be cruising near, he looked long through a
small pocket-telescope across the channel. With the naked eye he could
easily see the cliffs of Blefuscu, and soon with his telescope he made
out where the fleet lay--fifty great men-of-war, and many transports,
waiting for a fair wind.
Coming back to the city, he gave orders for a great length of the
strongest cable, and a quantity of bars of iron. The cable was little
thicker than ordinary pack-thread, and the bars of iron much about the
length and size of knitting-needles. Gulliver twisted three of the
iron bars together and bent them to a hook at one end. He trebled the
cable for greater strength, and thus made fifty shorter cables, to
which he fastened the hooks.
Then, carrying these in his hand, he walked back to the coast and
waded into the sea, a little before high water. When he came to
mid-channel, he had to swim, but for no great distance.
As soon as they noticed Gulliver coming wading through the water
towards their ships, the Blefuscan sailors all jumped overboard and
swam ashore in a terrible fright. Never before had any of them seen or
dreamt of so monstrous a giant, nor had they heard of his being in
Lilliput.
Gulliver then quietly took his cables and fixed one securely in the
bows of each of the ships of war, and finally he tied the cables
together at his end. But while he was doing this the Blefuscan
soldiers on the shore plucked up courage and began to shoot arrows at
him, many of which stuck in his hands and face. He was very much
afraid lest some of these might put out his eyes; but he remembered,
luckily, that in his inner pocket were his spectacles, which he put
on, and then finished his work without risk to his eyes.
On pulling at the cables, however, not a ship could he move. He had
forgotten that their anchors were all down. So he was forced to go in
closer and with his knife to cut the vessels free. While doing this he
was of course exposed to a furious fire from the enemy, and hundreds
of arrows struck him, some almost knocking off his spectacles. But
again he hauled, and this time drew the whole fifty vessels after him.
The Blefuscans had thought that it was his intention merely to cast
the vessels adrift, so that they might run aground, but when they saw
their great fleet being steadily drawn out to sea, their grief was
terrible. For a great distance Gulliver could hear their cries of
despair.
When he had got well away from the land, he stopped in order to pick
the arrows from his face and hands, and to put on some of the ointment
that had been rubbed on his wounds when first the Lilliputians fired
into him. By this time the tide had fallen a little, and he was able
to wade all the way across the channel.
The King and his courtiers stood waiting on the shore. They could see
the vessels steadily drawing nearer, but they could not for some time
see Gulliver, because only his head was above water. At first some
imagined that he had been drowned, and that the fleet was now on its
way to attack Lilliput.
There was great joy when Gulliver was seen hauling the vessels; and
when he landed, the King was so pleased that on the spot he created
him a _Nardac_, the highest honor that it was in his power to bestow.