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032 - A Voyage to Lilliput · Blue Fairy Book

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Speaker 1: A Voyage to Lilliput of The Blue Fairy Book. This
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Speaker 1: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
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Speaker 1: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
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Speaker 1: LibriVox dot org. Recording by Betsy Bush in Marquette, Michigan,
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Speaker 1: July two thousand seven. The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew
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Speaker 1: Lang A Voyage to Lilliput, Chapter one. My father had
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Speaker 1: a small estate in Nottinghamshire, and I was the third
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Speaker 1: of four sons. He sent me to Cambridge at fourteen
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Speaker 1: years old, and after studying there three years, I was
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Speaker 1: bound apprentice to mister Bates, a famous surgeon in London
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Speaker 1: there as my father now and then sent me small
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Speaker 1: sums of money. I spent them in learning navigation and
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Speaker 1: other arts useful to those who travel, as I always
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Speaker 1: believed it would be some time or other my fortune
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Speaker 1: to do. Three years after my leaving him, my good master,
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Speaker 1: mister Bates recommended me as ship's surgeon to the Swallow
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Speaker 1: on which I voyaged three years. When I came back,
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Speaker 1: I settled in London, and having taken part of a
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Speaker 1: small house, I married Miss Mary Burton, daughter of mister
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Speaker 1: Edmund Burton Hosier, but my good master Bates died two
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Speaker 1: years after, and as I had few friends, my business
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Speaker 1: began to fail, and I determined to go again to sea.
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Speaker 1: After several voyages, I accepted an offer from Captain W. Pritchard,
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Speaker 1: master of the Antelope, who was making a voyage to
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Speaker 1: the South Sea. We set sail from Bristol May fourth,
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Speaker 1: sixteen ninety nine, and our voyage at first was very prosperous,
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Speaker 1: but in our passage to the East Indies, we were
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Speaker 1: driven by a vibe bill storm to the northwest of
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Speaker 1: Van Diamond's Land. Twelve of our crew died from hard
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Speaker 1: labor and bad food, and the rest were in a
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Speaker 1: very weak condition. On the fifth of November, the weather
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Speaker 1: being very hazy, the seamen spied a rock within a
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Speaker 1: hundred and twenty yards of the ship, but the wind
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Speaker 1: was so strong that we were driven straight upon it
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Speaker 1: and immediately split. Six of the crew, of whom I
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Speaker 1: was one letting down. The boat got clear of the ship,
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Speaker 1: and we rowed about three leagues till we could work
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Speaker 1: no longer. We therefore trusted ourselves to the mercy of
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Speaker 1: the waves, and in about half an hour the boat
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Speaker 1: was upset by a sudden squall. What became of my
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Speaker 1: companions in the boat, or those who escaped on the
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Speaker 1: rock or were left in the vessel, I cannot tell,
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Speaker 1: but I conclude they were all lost. For my part,
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Speaker 1: I swam as fortune directed me, and was pushed forward
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Speaker 1: by wind and tide. But when I was able to
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Speaker 1: struggle no longer, I found myself within my depth. By
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Speaker 1: this time, the storm was much abated. I reached the
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Speaker 1: shore at last about eight o'clock in the evening, and
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Speaker 1: advanced nearly half a mile inland, but could not discover
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Speaker 1: any sign of inhabitants. I was extremely tired, and with
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Speaker 1: the heat of the weather, I found myself much inclined
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Speaker 1: to sleep. I lay down on the grass, which was
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Speaker 1: very short and soft, and slept sounder than ever I
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Speaker 1: did in my life for about nine hours. When I woke,
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Speaker 1: it was just daylight. I attempted to rise, but could not,
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Speaker 1: for as I happened to be lying on my back,
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Speaker 1: I found my arms and legs were fastened on each
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Speaker 1: side to the ground, and my hair, which was long
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Speaker 1: and thick, tied down in the same manner. I could
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Speaker 1: only look upward. The sun began to grow hot, and
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Speaker 1: the light hurt my eyes. I heard a confused noise
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Speaker 1: about me, but could see nothing except the sky. In
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Speaker 1: a little time I felt something alive and moving on
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Speaker 1: my left leg, which, advancing gently over my breast, came
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Speaker 1: almost up to my chin. When bending my eyes downward,
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Speaker 1: I perceived it to be a human creature not six
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Speaker 1: inches high, with a bow and arrow in his hands
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Speaker 1: and a quiver at his back. In the meantime, I
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Speaker 1: felt at least forty more Following the first I was
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Speaker 1: in the utmost astonishment, and roared so loud that they
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Speaker 1: all ran back in a fright, and some of them
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Speaker 1: were hurt with the falls they got by leaping from
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Speaker 1: my sides upon the ground. However, they soon returned, and
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Speaker 1: one of them, who ventured so far as to get
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Speaker 1: a full sight of my face, lifted up his hands
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Speaker 1: in admiration. I lay all this while in great uneasiness,
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Speaker 1: but at length struggling to get loose. I succeeded in
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Speaker 1: breaking the strings that fastened my left arm to the ground,
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Speaker 1: and at the same time, with a violent pull that
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Speaker 1: gave me extreme pain, I a little loosened the strings
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Speaker 1: that tied down my hair, so that I was just
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Speaker 1: able to turn my head about two inches, but the
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Speaker 1: creatures ran off a second time before I could seize them.
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Speaker 1: Whereupon there was a great shout, and in an instant
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Speaker 1: I felt above a hundred arrows discharged on my left hand,
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Speaker 1: which pricked me like so many needles. Moreover, they shot
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Speaker 1: another flight into the air, of which some fell on
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Speaker 1: my face, which I immediately covered with my left hand.
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Speaker 1: When this shower of arrows was over, I groaned with
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Speaker 1: grief and pain, and then, striving again to get loose,
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Speaker 1: they discharged another flight of arrows, larger than the first,
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Speaker 1: and some of them tried to stab me with their spears,
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Speaker 1: but by good luck, I had on a leather jacket
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Speaker 1: which they could not pierce. By this time I thought
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Speaker 1: it most prudent to lie still till night. When my
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Speaker 1: left hand, being already loose, I could easily free myself.
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Speaker 1: And as for the inhabitants, I thought I might be
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Speaker 1: a match for the greatest army they could bring against me,
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Speaker 1: if they were all of the same size as him.
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Speaker 1: I saw when the people observed that I was quiet,
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Speaker 1: they discharged no more arrows. But by the noise I heard,
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Speaker 1: I knew that their numbers was increased, and about four
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Speaker 1: yards from me for more than an hour there was
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Speaker 1: a knocking like people at work. Then, turning my head
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Speaker 1: that way as well as the pegs and strings would
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Speaker 1: let me, I saw a stage set up about a
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Speaker 1: foot and a half from the ground, with two or
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Speaker 1: three ladders to mount it. From this, one of them,
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Speaker 1: who seemed to be a person of quality, made me
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Speaker 1: a long speech of which I could not understand a word,
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Speaker 1: though I could tell from his manner that he sometimes
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Speaker 1: threatened me and sometimes spoke with pity and kindness. I
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Speaker 1: answered in few words, but in the most submissive manner,
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Speaker 1: and being almost famished with hunger, I could not help
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Speaker 1: showing my impatience by putting my finger frequently to my
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Speaker 1: mouth to signify that I wanted food. He understood me
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Speaker 1: very well, and, descending from the stage, commanded that several
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Speaker 1: ladders should be set against my sides, on which more
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Speaker 1: than a hundred of the inhabitants mounted, and walked toward
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Speaker 1: my mouth with baskets full of food, which had been
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Speaker 1: sent by the king's order. When the first received tidings
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Speaker 1: of me, there were legs and shoulders like mutton, but
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Speaker 1: smaller than the wings of a lark. I ate them
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Speaker 1: two or three at a mouthful, and took three loaves
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Speaker 1: at a time. They supplied me as fast as they could,
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Speaker 1: with a thousand marks of wonder at my appetite. I
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Speaker 1: then made a sign that I wanted something to drink.
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Speaker 1: They guessed that a small quantity would not suffice me,
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Speaker 1: and being a most ingenious people, they slung up one
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Speaker 1: of their largest hogsheads, then rolled it toward my hand
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Speaker 1: and beat out the top. I drank it off at
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Speaker 1: a draft, which I might well do, for it did
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Speaker 1: not hold half a pint. They brought me a second hogshead,
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Speaker 1: which I drank and made signs for more, but they
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Speaker 1: had none to give me. However, I could not wonder
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Speaker 1: enough at the daring of these tiny mortals who ventured
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Speaker 1: to mount and walk upon my body while one of
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Speaker 1: my hands was free, without trembling at the very sight
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Speaker 1: of so huge a creature, as I must have seemed
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Speaker 1: to them. After some time there appeared before me a
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Speaker 1: person of high rank from his Imperial Majesty. His Excellency,
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Speaker 1: having mounted my right leg, advanced to my face with
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Speaker 1: about a dozen of his retinue, and spoke about ten minutes,
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Speaker 1: often pointing forward, which, as I afterward found, was toward
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Speaker 1: the capital city, about half a mile distant, whither it
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Speaker 1: was demanded by his Majesty that I should be conveyed.
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Speaker 1: I made a sign with my hand that was loose,
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Speaker 1: putting it to the other, but over his Excellency's head,
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Speaker 1: for fear of hurting him or his train, to show
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Speaker 1: that I desired my liberty. He seemed to understand me
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Speaker 1: well enough, for he shook his head, though he made
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Speaker 1: other signs to let me know that I should have
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Speaker 1: meat and drink enough, and very good treatment. Then I
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Speaker 1: once thought of attempting to escape, But when I felt
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Speaker 1: the smart of their arrows on my face and hands,
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Speaker 1: which were all in blisters, and observed likewise that the
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Speaker 1: number of my enemies increased, I gave tokens to let
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Speaker 1: them know that they might do with me what they pleased.
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Speaker 1: Then they daubed my face and hands with a sweet
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Speaker 1: smelling ointment, which in a few minutes removed all the
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Speaker 1: smarts of the arrows. The relief from pain and hunger
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Speaker 1: made me drowsy, and presently I fell asleep. I slept
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Speaker 1: about eight hours, as I was told afterward, and it
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Speaker 1: was no wonder for the physicositions by the Emperor's orders
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Speaker 1: had mingled a sleeping draft in the hogsheads of wine.
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Speaker 1: It seems that when I was discovered sleeping on the
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Speaker 1: ground after my landing, the Emperor had early notice of
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Speaker 1: it and determined that I should be tied in the
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Speaker 1: manner I have related, which was done in the night
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Speaker 1: while I slept, that plenty of meat and drink should
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Speaker 1: be sent me, and a machine prepared to carry me
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Speaker 1: to the capital city. Five hundred carpenters and engineers were
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Speaker 1: immediately set to work to prepare the engine. It was
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Speaker 1: a frame of wood raised three inches from the ground,
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Speaker 1: about seven feet long and four feet wide, moving upon
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Speaker 1: twenty two wheels. But the difficulty was to place me
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Speaker 1: on it. Eighty poles were erected for this purpose, and
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Speaker 1: very strong cords fastened to bandages which the workmen had
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Speaker 1: tied round my neck, hands, body and legs. Nine hundred
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Speaker 1: of the strongest men were employed to draw up these
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Speaker 1: cords by pulleys fastened eye the poles, and in less
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Speaker 1: than three hours I was raised and slung into the engine,
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Speaker 1: and there tied fast. Fifteen hundred of the Emperor's largest horses,
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Speaker 1: each about four inches and a half high, were then
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Speaker 1: employed to draw me toward the capital. But while all
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Speaker 1: this was done, I still lay in a deep sleep,
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Speaker 1: and I did not wake till four hours after we
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Speaker 1: began our journey. The Emperor and all his court came
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Speaker 1: out to meet us when we reached the capital, but
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Speaker 1: his great officials would not suffer his majesty to risk
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Speaker 1: his person by mounting on my body. Where the carriage stopped,
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Speaker 1: there stood an ancient temple, supposed to be the largest
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Speaker 1: in the whole kingdom, and here it was determined that
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Speaker 1: I should lodge near the great gate, through which I
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Speaker 1: could easily creep. They fixed ninety one chains, like those
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Speaker 1: which hung to a lady's watch, which were locked to
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Speaker 1: my left leg with thirty six padlocks, and when the
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Speaker 1: workmen found it was impossible for me to break loose,
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Speaker 1: they cut all the strings that bound me. Then I
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Speaker 1: rose up, feeling as melancholy as ever I did in
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Speaker 1: my life, But the noise and astonishment of the people
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Speaker 1: on seeing me rise and walk were inexpressible. The chains
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Speaker 1: that held my left leg were about two yards long
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Speaker 1: and gave me not only freedom to walk backward and
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Speaker 1: forward in a semicircle, but to creep in and lie
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Speaker 1: at full length inside the temple. The Emperor, advancing toward
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Speaker 1: me from among the courtiers, all most magnificently clad, surveyed
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Speaker 1: me with great admiration, but kept beyond the length of
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Speaker 1: my chain. He was taller, by about the breadth of
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Speaker 1: my nail, than any of his court, which alone was
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Speaker 1: enough to strike awe into the beholders and graceful and majestic.
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Speaker 1: The better to behold him, I lay down on my side,
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Speaker 1: so that my face was level with his, and he
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Speaker 1: stood three yards off. However, I have had him since
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Speaker 1: many times in my hand, and therefore cannot be deceived.
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Speaker 1: His dress was very simple, but he wore a light
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Speaker 1: helmet of gold, adorned with jewels and a plume. He
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Speaker 1: held his sword drawn in his hand to defend himself
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Speaker 1: if I should break loose. It was almost three inches long,
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Speaker 1: and the hilt was of gold enriched with diamonds. His
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Speaker 1: voice was shrill, but very clear. His Imperial Majesty spoke
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Speaker 1: often to me, and I answered, but neither of us
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Speaker 1: could understand a word. Chapter two. After about two hours,
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Speaker 1: the court retired, and I was left with a strong
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Speaker 1: guard to keep away the crowd, some of whom had
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Speaker 1: had the impudence to shoot their arrows at me as
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Speaker 1: I sat by the door of my house. But the
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Speaker 1: Colonel ordered six of them to be seized and delivered
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Speaker 1: bound into my hands. I put five of them into
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Speaker 1: my coat pocket, and as to the sixth, I made
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Speaker 1: a face as if I would eat him alive. The
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Speaker 1: poor man screamed terribly, and the Colonel and his officers
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Speaker 1: were much distressed, especially when they saw ME take out
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Speaker 1: my pen knife. But I soon set them at ease
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Speaker 1: for cutting the strings he was bound with. I put
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Speaker 1: him gently on the ground, and away he ran. I
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Speaker 1: treated the rest in the same manner, taking them one
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Speaker 1: by one out of my pocket, and I saw that
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Speaker 1: both the soldiers and people were delighted at this mark
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Speaker 1: of my kindness. Toward night, I got with some difficulty
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Speaker 1: into my house, where I lay on the ground, as
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Speaker 1: I had to do for a fortnight, till a bed
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Speaker 1: was prepared for me. Out of six hundred beds of
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Speaker 1: the ordinary measure, six hundred servants were appointed me, and
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Speaker 1: three hundred tailors made me a suit of clothes. Moreover
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Speaker 1: six of his Majesty's greatest scholars were employed to teach
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Speaker 1: me their language, so that soon I was able to
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Speaker 1: converse after a fashion with the Emperor, who often honored
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Speaker 1: me with his visits. The first words I learned were
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Speaker 1: to desire that he but it pleased to give me
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Speaker 1: my liberty, which I every day repeated on my knees.
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Speaker 1: But he answered that this must be a work of time,
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Speaker 1: and that first I must swear a piece with him
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Speaker 1: and his kingdom. He told me also that by the
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Speaker 1: laws of the nation, I must be searched by two
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Speaker 1: of his officers, and that as this could not be
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Speaker 1: done without my help, he trusted them in my hands,
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Speaker 1: and whatever they took from me should be returned. When
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Speaker 1: I left the country, I took up the two officers
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Speaker 1: and put them into my coat pockets. These gentlemen, having pen,
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Speaker 1: ink and paper about them, made an exact list of
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Speaker 1: everything they saw, which I afterward translated into English, and
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Speaker 1: which ran as follows. In the right coat pocket of
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Speaker 1: the great Man Mountain, we found only one great piece
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Speaker 1: of coarse cloth, large enough to cover the carpet of
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Speaker 1: Your Majesty's Chief room of state. In the left pocket
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Speaker 1: we saw a huge silver chest with a silver cover,
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Speaker 1: which we could not lift. We desired that it should
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Speaker 1: be opened, and one of us stepping into it, found
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Speaker 1: himself up to the mid leg in a sort of dust,
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Speaker 1: some of which flying into our faces, sent us both
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Speaker 1: into a fit of sneezing. In his right waistcoat pocket
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Speaker 1: we found a number of white, thin substances, folded one
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Speaker 1: over another, about the size of three men, tied with
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Speaker 1: a strong cable, and marked with black figures which we
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Speaker 1: humbly conceived to be writings. In the left there was
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Speaker 1: a sort of engine, from the back of which extended
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Speaker 1: twenty long poles with which we conjecture the man Mountain
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Speaker 1: combs his head. In the smaller pocket on the right
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Speaker 1: side were several round, flat pieces of white and red
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Speaker 1: metal of different sizes. Some of the white, which appeared
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Speaker 1: to be silver, were so large and heavy that my
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Speaker 1: comrade and I could hardly lift them. From another pocket
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Speaker 1: hung a huge silver chain with a wonderful kind of
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Speaker 1: n enjine fastened to it a globe half silver and
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Speaker 1: half of some transparent metal. For on the transparent side
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Speaker 1: we saw certain strange figures and thought we could touch them,
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Speaker 1: till we found our fingers stopped by the shining substance.
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Speaker 1: This engine made an incessant noise like a water mill,
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Speaker 1: and we conjecture it is either some unknown animal or
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Speaker 1: the god he worships, but probably the latter, as he
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Speaker 1: told us that he seldom did anything without consulting it.
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Speaker 1: This is a list of what we found about the
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Speaker 1: body of the man Mountain, who treated us with great civility.
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Speaker 1: I had one private pocket which escaped their search, containing
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Speaker 1: a pair of spectacles in a small spyglass, which, being
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Speaker 1: of no consequence to the Emperor, I did not think
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Speaker 1: myself bound in honor to discover Chapter three. My gentleness
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Speaker 1: and good behavior gained so far on the Emperor and
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Speaker 1: his court, and indeed on the people in general, that
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Speaker 1: I began to have hopes of gets my liberty. In
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Speaker 1: a short time. The natives came, by degrees to be
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Speaker 1: less fearful of danger from me. I would sometimes lie
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Speaker 1: down and let five or six of them dance on
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Speaker 1: my hand, And at last the boys and girls ventured
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Speaker 1: to come and play at hide and seek in my hair.
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Speaker 1: The horses of the army and of the royal stables
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Speaker 1: were no longer shy, having been daily led before me,
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Speaker 1: and one of the Emperor's huntsmen on a large corsair
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Speaker 1: took my foot, shoe and all, which was indeed a
18:28
Speaker 1: prodigious leap. I amused the Emperor one day in a
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Speaker 1: very extraordinary manner. I took nine sticks and fixed them
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Speaker 1: firmly in the ground in a square. Then I took
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Speaker 1: four other sticks and tied them parallel at each corner,
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Speaker 1: about two feet from the ground. I fastened my handkerchief
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Speaker 1: to the nine sticks that stood erect, and extended it
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Speaker 1: on all sides till it was as tight as the
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Speaker 1: top of a drum. And I desired the Emperor to
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Speaker 1: let a troop of his best horse, twenty four in number,
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Speaker 1: come exercise upon this plane. His Majesty approved of the proposal,
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Speaker 1: and I took them up one by one with the
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Speaker 1: proper officers to exercise them. As soon as they got
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Speaker 1: into order, they divided into two parties, discharged blunt arrows,
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Speaker 1: drew their swords, fled and pursued, and in short showed
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Speaker 1: the best military discipline I ever beheld. The parallel sticks
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Speaker 1: secured them and their horses from falling off the stage,
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Speaker 1: and the Emperor was so much delighted that he ordered
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Speaker 1: this entertainment to be repeated several days, and persuaded the
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Speaker 1: Empress herself to let me hold her in her chair
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Speaker 1: within two yards of the stage, whence she could view
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Speaker 1: the whole performance. Fortunately, no accident happened. Only once a
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Speaker 1: fiery horse, pawing with his hoof, struck a hole in
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Speaker 1: my handkerchief and overthrew his rider and himself. But I
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Speaker 1: immediately relieved them both, and covering the hole with my hand,
19:52
Speaker 1: I set down the troop with the other as I
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Speaker 1: had taken them up. The horse that fell was strained
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Speaker 1: in the shoulder, but the rider was not hurt, and
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Speaker 1: I repaired my handkerchief as well as I could. However,
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Speaker 1: I would not trust to the strength of it any
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Speaker 1: more in such dangerous enterprises. I had sent so many
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Speaker 1: petitions for my liberty that His Majesty at length mentioned
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Speaker 1: the matter in a full council, where it was opposed
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Speaker 1: by none except Skyrish bogelam Admiral of the Realm, who
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Speaker 1: was pleased, without any provocation, to be my mortal enemy. However,
20:25
Speaker 1: he agreed at length, though he succeeded in himself drawing
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Speaker 1: up the conditions on which I should be set free.
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Speaker 1: After they were read, I was requested to swear to
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Speaker 1: perform them in the method prescribed by their laws, which
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Speaker 1: was to hold my right foot in my left hand,
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Speaker 1: and place the middle finger of my right hand on
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Speaker 1: the crown of my head, and my thumb on the
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Speaker 1: top of my right ear. But I have made a
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Speaker 1: translation of the conditions which I here offer to the
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Speaker 1: public goal based mammarin evlam gerdayle chefim Muliuli gou, most mighty,
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Speaker 1: Emperor of Lilliput, Delight and terror of the universe, whose
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Speaker 1: dominions extend to the ends of the globe, Monarch of
21:06
Speaker 1: all monarchs, taller than the sons of men, whose feet
21:10
Speaker 1: pressed down to the center, and whose head strikes against
21:14
Speaker 1: the sun, at whose nod the princes of the Earth
21:17
Speaker 1: shake their knees. Pleasant as the spring, comfortable as the summer,
21:22
Speaker 1: fruitful as autumn, dreadful as winter, His most Sublime Majesty
21:28
Speaker 1: proposeth to the Man Mountain, lately arrived at our celestial dominions,
21:34
Speaker 1: the following articles, which by a solemn oath he shall
21:37
Speaker 1: be obliged to perform. First, the man Mountain shall not
21:43
Speaker 1: depart from our dominions without our license under the Great Seal. Second,
21:49
Speaker 1: he shall not presume to come into our metropolis without
21:52
Speaker 1: our express order, at which time the inhabitants shall have
21:56
Speaker 1: two hours warning to keep within doors. Third, the said
22:01
Speaker 1: man Mountain shall confine his walks to our principal high roads,
22:05
Speaker 1: and not offer to walk or lie down in a
22:07
Speaker 1: meadow or feel of corn. Fourth, as he walks the
22:12
Speaker 1: said roads, he shall take the utmost care not to
22:15
Speaker 1: trample upon the bodies of any of our loving subjects,
22:19
Speaker 1: their horses or carriages, nor take any of our subjects
22:23
Speaker 1: into his hands without their own consent. Fifth, if an
22:27
Speaker 1: express requires extraordinary speed, the man Mountain shall be obliged
22:32
Speaker 1: to carry in his pocket the messenger and horse a
22:35
Speaker 1: six days journey, and return the said messenger, if so required,
22:39
Speaker 1: safe to our imperial presence. Six he shall be our
22:44
Speaker 1: ally against our enemies in the island of Blefescue, and
22:48
Speaker 1: do his utmost to destroy their fleet, which is now
22:51
Speaker 1: preparing to invade us. Lastly, upon his solemn oath to
22:56
Speaker 1: observe all the above articles, the said man Mountain shall
23:00
Speaker 1: have a daily allowance of meat and drink sufficient for
23:02
Speaker 1: the support of one thousand, seven hundred twenty four of
23:05
Speaker 1: our subjects, with free access to our royal person and
23:09
Speaker 1: other marks of our favor, given at our palace at
23:13
Speaker 1: Bel Farouik, the twelfth day of the ninety first moon
23:16
Speaker 1: of our reign. I swore to these articles with great cheerfulness,
23:21
Speaker 1: whereupon my chains were immediately unlocked, and I was at
23:24
Speaker 1: full liberty. One morning, about a fortnight after I had
23:28
Speaker 1: obtained my freedom, Reldresul, the Emperor's secretary for private affairs,
23:33
Speaker 1: came to my house, attended only by one servant. He
23:38
Speaker 1: ordered his coach to wait at a distance, and desired
23:41
Speaker 1: that I should give him an hour's audience. I offered
23:43
Speaker 1: to lie down that he might the more conveniently reach
23:46
Speaker 1: my ear, but he chose rather to let me hold
23:49
Speaker 1: him in my hand. During our conversation, he began with
23:53
Speaker 1: compliments on my liberty, but he added that save for
23:57
Speaker 1: the present state of things at court, perhaps I might
23:59
Speaker 1: not have obtained it so soon. For he said, however
24:04
Speaker 1: flourishing we may seem to foreigners, we are in danger
24:07
Speaker 1: of an invasion from the island of Blefscue, which is
24:10
Speaker 1: the other great empire of the universe, almost as large
24:14
Speaker 1: and as powerful as this of His Majesty. For as
24:18
Speaker 1: to what we have heard you say that there are
24:21
Speaker 1: other kingdoms in the world inhabited by human creatures as
24:24
Speaker 1: large as yourself, our philosophers are very doubtful, and rather
24:28
Speaker 1: conjecture that you dropped from the moon or one of
24:31
Speaker 1: the stars. Perhaps a hundred mortals of your size would
24:35
Speaker 1: soon destroy all the fruit and cattle of His Majesty's dominions. Besides,
24:39
Speaker 1: our histories of six thousand moons make no mention of
24:42
Speaker 1: any other regions than the two mighty empires of Lilliput
24:46
Speaker 1: and Blefescue, which, as I was going to tell you,
24:50
Speaker 1: are engaged in a most obstinate war, which began in
24:53
Speaker 1: the following manner. It is allowed on all hands that
24:57
Speaker 1: the primitive way of breaking eggs was upon the lawe
25:00
Speaker 1: larger end. But His present Majesty's grandfather, while he was
25:03
Speaker 1: a boy, going to eat an egg and breaking it
25:06
Speaker 1: according to the ancient practice, happened to cut one of
25:09
Speaker 1: his fingers. Whereupon the Emperor his father made a law
25:13
Speaker 1: commanding all his subjects to break the smaller end of
25:15
Speaker 1: their eggs. The people so highly resented this law that
25:19
Speaker 1: there have been six rebellions raised on the account, wherein
25:24
Speaker 1: one emperor lost his life and another his crown. It
25:27
Speaker 1: is calculated that eleven hundred persons have at different times
25:31
Speaker 1: suffered rather than break their eggs at the smaller end.
25:35
Speaker 1: But these rebels, the big Indians, have found so much
25:38
Speaker 1: encouragement at the Emperor of Blefscue's court, to which they
25:42
Speaker 1: always fled for refuge, that a bloody war, as I said,
25:45
Speaker 1: has been carried on between the two empires for six
25:48
Speaker 1: and thirty moons. And now the Blefscudians have equipped a
25:52
Speaker 1: large fleet and are preparing to descend upon us. Therefore,
25:56
Speaker 1: His Imperial Majesty, placing great confidence in your valor and strength,
26:01
Speaker 1: has commanded me to set the case before you. I
26:05
Speaker 1: desired the Secretary to present my humble duty to the
26:07
Speaker 1: Emperor and to let him know that I was ready,
26:11
Speaker 1: at the risk of my life, to defend him against
26:13
Speaker 1: all invaders. It was not long before I communicated to
26:18
Speaker 1: His Majesty the plan I formed for seizing the enemy's
26:22
Speaker 1: whole fleet. The Empire of Blefescue is an island parted
26:26
Speaker 1: from Lilliput only by a channel eight hundred yards wide.
26:31
Speaker 1: I consulted the most experienced seamen on the depth of
26:34
Speaker 1: the channel, and they told me that in the middle
26:36
Speaker 1: at high water, it was seventy glumguffs, about six feet
26:40
Speaker 1: of European measure. I walked toward the coast, where, lying
26:44
Speaker 1: down behind a hillock, I took out my spyglass and
26:48
Speaker 1: viewed the enemy's fleet at anchor, about fifty men of
26:52
Speaker 1: war and other vessels. I then came back to my
26:55
Speaker 1: house and gave orders for a great quantity of the
26:57
Speaker 1: strongest cables and bars of iron. The cable was about
27:01
Speaker 1: as thick as pack thread, and the bars of the
27:04
Speaker 1: length and size of a knitting needle. I troubled the
27:07
Speaker 1: cable to make it stronger, and for the same reason
27:10
Speaker 1: twisted three of the iron bars together, bending the ends
27:13
Speaker 1: into a hook. Having thus fixed fifty hooks to as
27:18
Speaker 1: many cables, I went back to the coast, and, taking
27:21
Speaker 1: off my coat, shoes and stockings, walked into the sea
27:24
Speaker 1: in my leather jacket. About half an hour before high water.
27:28
Speaker 1: I waited with what haste I could, swimming in the
27:32
Speaker 1: middle about thirty yards till I felt ground, and thus
27:35
Speaker 1: arrived at the fleet in less than half an hour.
27:39
Speaker 1: The enemy was so frightened when they saw me that
27:42
Speaker 1: they leaped out of their ships and swam ashore, where
27:45
Speaker 1: there could not be fewer than thirty thousand. Then, fastening
27:49
Speaker 1: a hook to the hole at the prow of each ship,
27:52
Speaker 1: I tied all the cords together at the end. Meanwhile,
27:56
Speaker 1: the enemy discharged several thousand arrows, many of which stuck
28:00
Speaker 1: in my hands and face. My greatest fear was for
28:03
Speaker 1: my eyes, which I should have lost if I had
28:06
Speaker 1: not suddenly thought of the pair of spectacles which had
28:09
Speaker 1: escaped the Emperor's searchers. These I took out and fastened
28:13
Speaker 1: upon my nose, and thus armed went on with my
28:16
Speaker 1: work in spite of the arrows, many of which struck
28:19
Speaker 1: against the glasses of my spectacles, but without any other
28:22
Speaker 1: effect than slightly disturbing them. Then, taking the knot in
28:26
Speaker 1: my hand, I began to pull, But not a ship
28:29
Speaker 1: would stir, for they were too fast held by their anchors.
28:33
Speaker 1: Thus the boldest part of my enterprise remained. Letting go
28:37
Speaker 1: the cord, I resolutely cut with my knife the cables
28:39
Speaker 1: that fastened the anchors, receiving more than two hundred shots
28:43
Speaker 1: in the face and hands. Then I took up again
28:46
Speaker 1: the knotted end of the cables to which my hooks
28:49
Speaker 1: were tied, and with great ease drew fifty of the
28:52
Speaker 1: enemy's largest men of war after me. When the Bliffescudians
28:57
Speaker 1: saw the fleet moving in order and me pulling at
29:00
Speaker 1: the end, they set up a scream of grief and
29:03
Speaker 1: despair that it is impossible to describe. When I had
29:07
Speaker 1: got out of danger, I stopped awhile to pick out
29:09
Speaker 1: the arrows that stuck in my hands and face, and
29:12
Speaker 1: rubbed on some of the same ointment that was given
29:15
Speaker 1: me at my arrival. I then took off my spectacles,
29:18
Speaker 1: and after waiting about an hour till the tide was
29:21
Speaker 1: a little fallen, I waded on to the royal port
29:24
Speaker 1: of Lilliput. The Emperor and his whole court stood on
29:28
Speaker 1: the shore awaiting me. They saw the ships move forward
29:31
Speaker 1: in a large half moon, but could not discern me, who,
29:35
Speaker 1: in the middle of the channel, was under water up
29:38
Speaker 1: to my neck. The Emperor concluded that I was drowned
29:42
Speaker 1: and that the enemy's fleet was approaching in a hostile manner.
29:46
Speaker 1: But he was soon set at ease, for the channel
29:48
Speaker 1: growing shallower every step I made, I came in a
29:51
Speaker 1: short time within hearing, and holding up the end of
29:54
Speaker 1: the cable by which the fleet was fastened, I cried,
29:57
Speaker 1: in a loud voice, long live the most puicant Emperor
30:01
Speaker 1: of Lilliput. The Prince received me at my landing with
30:04
Speaker 1: all possible joy, and made me a nardle on the spot,
30:08
Speaker 1: which is the highest title of honor among them. His
30:12
Speaker 1: Majesty desired that I would take some opportunity to bring
30:15
Speaker 1: all the rest of his enemy's ships into his ports,
30:18
Speaker 1: and seemed to think of nothing less than conquering the
30:21
Speaker 1: whole empire of Bleffescue and becoming the sole monarch of
30:25
Speaker 1: the world. But I plainly protested that I would never
30:28
Speaker 1: be the means of bringing a free and brave people
30:31
Speaker 1: into slavery. And though the wisest of the ministers were
30:34
Speaker 1: of my opinion, my open refusal was so opposed to
30:37
Speaker 1: his Majesty's ambition that he would never forgive me. And
30:41
Speaker 1: from this time a plot began between himself and those
30:44
Speaker 1: of his ministers who were my enemies, that nearly ended
30:48
Speaker 1: in my utter destruction. About three weeks after this exploit,
30:52
Speaker 1: there arrived an embassy from Bluffescue with humble offers of peace,
30:56
Speaker 1: which was soon concluded on terms very advantageous to our Emperor.
31:01
Speaker 1: There were six ambassadors with a train of about five
31:04
Speaker 1: hundred persons, all very magnificent. Having been privately told that
31:09
Speaker 1: I had befriended them, they made me a visit, in
31:12
Speaker 1: paying me many compliments on my valor and generosity, invited
31:16
Speaker 1: me to their kingdom in the Emperor their Master's name.
31:20
Speaker 1: I asked them to present my most humble respects to
31:23
Speaker 1: the Emperor their Master, whose royal person I resolved to
31:26
Speaker 1: attend before I returned to my own country. Accordingly, the
31:30
Speaker 1: next time I had the honor to see our Emperor,
31:32
Speaker 1: I desired his general permission to visit the Blufscudian Monarch.
31:37
Speaker 1: This he granted me, but in a very cold manner,
31:40
Speaker 1: of which I afterward learned the reason. When I was
31:44
Speaker 1: just preparing to pay my respects to the Emperor of Blethescue,
31:47
Speaker 1: a distinguished person at court to whom I had once
31:50
Speaker 1: done a great service, came to my house very privately
31:54
Speaker 1: at night, and without sending his name desired admission. I
31:58
Speaker 1: put his lordship into my coat pocket, and giving orders
32:01
Speaker 1: to a trusty servant to admit no one. I fastened
32:04
Speaker 1: the door, placed my visitor on the table, and sat
32:07
Speaker 1: down by it. His Lordship's face was full of trouble,
32:11
Speaker 1: and he asked me to hear him with patience in
32:14
Speaker 1: a matter that highly concerned my honor and my life.
32:18
Speaker 1: You are aware, he said that Skyrish Bogolam has been
32:22
Speaker 1: your mortal enemy ever since your arrival, and his hatred
32:26
Speaker 1: is increased since your great success against Blefescue, by which
32:29
Speaker 1: his glory as admiral is obscured. This lord and others
32:34
Speaker 1: have accused you of treason, and several councils have been
32:37
Speaker 1: called in the most private manner on your account. Out
32:40
Speaker 1: of gratitude for your favors, I procured information of the
32:44
Speaker 1: whole proceedings, venturing my head for your service. And this
32:48
Speaker 1: was the charge against you. First, that you, having brought
32:52
Speaker 1: the imperial fleet of Blefscue into the royal port, were
32:55
Speaker 1: commanded by His Majesty to seize all the other ships
32:58
Speaker 1: and put to death all the Bigendian exiles, and also
33:02
Speaker 1: all the people of the Empire who would not immediately
33:05
Speaker 1: consent to break their eggs at the smaller end. And
33:08
Speaker 1: that like a false traitor to his most serene Majesty,
33:12
Speaker 1: you excused yourself from the service on pretense of unwillingness
33:15
Speaker 1: to force the consciences and destroy the liberties and lives
33:19
Speaker 1: of an innocent people. Again, when ambassadors arrived from the
33:24
Speaker 1: court of Bleffescue, like a false trader, you aided and
33:27
Speaker 1: entertained them, though you knew them to be servants of
33:30
Speaker 1: a prince lately in open war against his imperial Majesty. Moreover,
33:34
Speaker 1: you are now preparing, contrary to the duty of a
33:37
Speaker 1: faithful subject, to voyage to the court of Bluffescue. In
33:41
Speaker 1: the debate on this charge, my friend continued, his Majesty
33:44
Speaker 1: often urged the services you have done him, while the
33:47
Speaker 1: Admiral and Treasurer insisted that you should be put to
33:50
Speaker 1: a shameful death. But Realdrizzle, Secretary for Private Affairs, who
33:55
Speaker 1: has always proved himself, your friend, suggested that if his
33:59
Speaker 1: Majesty would please to spare your life and only give
34:02
Speaker 1: orders to put out both your eyes, justice might in
34:05
Speaker 1: some measure be satisfied. At this, Bogolum rose up in fury,
34:11
Speaker 1: wondering how the Secretary dared to desire to preserve the
34:14
Speaker 1: life of a traitor, and the treasurer, pointing out the
34:17
Speaker 1: expense of keeping you, also urged your death. But his
34:22
Speaker 1: Majesty was graciously pleased to say that, since the council
34:25
Speaker 1: thought the loss of your eyes too easy a punishment,
34:28
Speaker 1: some other might afterward be inflicted. And the Secretary, humbly,
34:33
Speaker 1: desiring to be heard again, said that as to expense,
34:36
Speaker 1: your allowance might be gradually lessened, so that for want
34:40
Speaker 1: of sufficient food, you should grow weak and faint, and
34:42
Speaker 1: die in a few months, when his Majesty's subjects might
34:46
Speaker 1: cut your flesh from your bones and bury it, leaving
34:48
Speaker 1: the skeleton for the admiration of posterity. Thus, through the
34:53
Speaker 1: great friendship of the Secretary, the affair was arranged. It
34:57
Speaker 1: was commanded that the plan of starving you by degrees
35:00
Speaker 1: should be kept a secret, but the sentence of putting
35:03
Speaker 1: out your eyes was entered on the books. In three days,
35:06
Speaker 1: your friend, the Secretary, will come to your house and
35:09
Speaker 1: read the accusation before you, and point out the great
35:12
Speaker 1: mercy of his Majesty that only condones you to the
35:15
Speaker 1: loss of your eyes, which he does not doubt you
35:18
Speaker 1: will submit to humbly and gratefully. Twenty of His Majesty's
35:22
Speaker 1: surgeons will attend to see the operation well performed, by
35:25
Speaker 1: discharging very sharp pointed arrows into the balls of your
35:28
Speaker 1: eyes as you lie on the ground. I leave you,
35:32
Speaker 1: said my friend, to consider what measures you will take,
35:35
Speaker 1: and to escape suspicion, I must immediately return as secretly
35:38
Speaker 1: as I came. His lordship did so, and I remained
35:42
Speaker 1: alone in great perplexity. At first I was bent on resistance,
35:47
Speaker 1: for while I had liberty, I could easily with stones
35:50
Speaker 1: pelt the metropolist pieces. But I soon rejected that idea
35:53
Speaker 1: with horror, remembering the oath I had made to the
35:56
Speaker 1: Emperor and the favors I had received from him. Last,
36:00
Speaker 1: having his Majesty's leave to pay my respects to the
36:03
Speaker 1: Emperor of Blefescue, I resolved to take this opportunity. Before
36:08
Speaker 1: the three days had passed, I wrote a letter to
36:10
Speaker 1: my friend the Secretary, telling him of my resolution, and
36:13
Speaker 1: without waiting for an answer, went to the coast, and,
36:16
Speaker 1: entering the channel between wading and swimming, reached the port
36:20
Speaker 1: of Bleffiscue, where the people who had long expected me
36:23
Speaker 1: led me to the capital. His Majesty, with the royal
36:26
Speaker 1: family and great officers of the court came out to
36:29
Speaker 1: receive me, and they entertained me in a manner suited
36:32
Speaker 1: to the generosity of so great a prince. I did not, however,
36:37
Speaker 1: mention my disgrace with the Emperor of Lilliput, since I
36:40
Speaker 1: did not suppose that Prince would disclose the secret while
36:43
Speaker 1: I was out of his power. But in this it
36:46
Speaker 1: soon appeared I was deceived. Chapter five. Three days after
36:52
Speaker 1: my arrival, walking out of curiosity to the northeast coast
36:56
Speaker 1: of the island, I observed at some distance in the
36:59
Speaker 1: sea something that looked like a boat overturned. I pulled
37:02
Speaker 1: off my shoes and stockings, and waiting two or three
37:05
Speaker 1: hundred yards, I plainly saw it to be a real boat,
37:08
Speaker 1: which I supposed might, by some tempest, have been driven
37:12
Speaker 1: from a ship. I returned immediately to the city for help,
37:16
Speaker 1: and after a huge amount of labor, I managed to
37:18
Speaker 1: get my boat to the royal port of Bluffescue, where
37:21
Speaker 1: a great crowd of people appeared, full of wonder at
37:24
Speaker 1: sight of so prodigious a vessel. I told the Emperor
37:28
Speaker 1: that my good fortune had thrown this boat in my
37:30
Speaker 1: way to carry me to some place whence I might
37:33
Speaker 1: return to my native country, and begged his orders for
37:36
Speaker 1: materials to fit it up and leave to depart, which,
37:39
Speaker 1: after many kindly speeches, he was pleased to grant. Meanwhile,
37:44
Speaker 1: the Emperor of Lilliput, uneasy at my long absence, but
37:47
Speaker 1: never imagining that I had the least notice of his designs,
37:51
Speaker 1: sent a person of rank to inform the Emperor of
37:54
Speaker 1: Bluffescue of my disgrace. This messenger had orders to represent
37:58
Speaker 1: the great mercy of his master, who was content to
38:01
Speaker 1: punish me with the loss of my eyes, and who
38:03
Speaker 1: expected that his brother of Bluffescue would have me sent
38:06
Speaker 1: back to Lilliput bound hand and foot, to be punished
38:09
Speaker 1: as a traitor. The Emperor of Bluffescue answered with many
38:13
Speaker 1: civil excuses. He said that as for sending me bound,
38:17
Speaker 1: his brother knew it was impossible. Moreover, though I had
38:20
Speaker 1: taken away his fleet, he was grateful to me for
38:23
Speaker 1: many good offices I had done him in making the peace,
38:26
Speaker 1: but that both their majesties would soon be made easy,
38:29
Speaker 1: for I had found a prodigious vessel on the shore
38:32
Speaker 1: able to carry me on the sea, which he had
38:35
Speaker 1: given orders to fit up, and he hoped in a
38:37
Speaker 1: few weeks both empires would be free from me. With
38:40
Speaker 1: this answer, the messenger returned to Lilliput, and I, though
38:44
Speaker 1: the Monarch of Bluffiescue secretly offered me his gracious protection
38:48
Speaker 1: if I would continue in his service, hastened my departure,
38:52
Speaker 1: resolving never more to put confidence in princes. In about
38:56
Speaker 1: a month I was ready to take leave. The Emperor
38:59
Speaker 1: of Bluffiescue, with the Empress and the royal family came
39:02
Speaker 1: out of the palace, and I lay down on my
39:04
Speaker 1: face to kiss their hands, which they graciously gave me.
39:08
Speaker 1: His majesty presented me with fifty purses of sprugs, their
39:12
Speaker 1: greatest gold coin, and his picture at full length, which
39:15
Speaker 1: I put immediately into one of my gloves to keep
39:18
Speaker 1: it from being hurt. Many other ceremonies took place at
39:21
Speaker 1: my departure. I stored the boat with meat and drink,
39:25
Speaker 1: and took six cows and two bowls alive, with as
39:28
Speaker 1: many ewes and rams, intending to carry them into my
39:31
Speaker 1: own country and to feed them on board. I had
39:34
Speaker 1: a good bundle of hay and a bag of corn.
39:36
Speaker 1: I would gladly have taken a dozen of the natives.
39:39
Speaker 1: But this was a thing the Emperor would by no
39:41
Speaker 1: means permit, And besides a diligent search into my pockets,
39:45
Speaker 1: his Majesty pledged my honor not to carry away any
39:48
Speaker 1: of his subjects, though with their own consent and desire.
39:52
Speaker 1: Having thus prepared all things as well as I was able,
39:55
Speaker 1: I set sail. When I had made twenty four leagues
39:58
Speaker 1: by my reckoning from the island of Bluffescue, I saw
40:02
Speaker 1: a sail steering to the northeast. I hailed her, but
40:06
Speaker 1: could get no answer. Yet I found I gained upon her,
40:09
Speaker 1: for the wind slackened, and in half an hour she
40:11
Speaker 1: spied me and discharged a gun. I came up with
40:14
Speaker 1: her between five and six in the evening September twenty sixth,
40:18
Speaker 1: seventeen o one. But my heart leaped within me to
40:21
Speaker 1: see her English colors. I put my cows and sheep
40:24
Speaker 1: into my coat pockets and got on board with all
40:27
Speaker 1: my little cargo. The captain received me with kindness and
40:31
Speaker 1: asked me to tell him what place I came from last.
40:34
Speaker 1: But at my answer he thought I was raving. However,
40:37
Speaker 1: I took my black cattle and sheep out of my pocket, which,
40:39
Speaker 1: after great astonishment, clearly convinced him. We arrived in England
40:44
Speaker 1: on the thirteenth of April seventeen o two. I stayed
40:48
Speaker 1: two months with my wife and family, but my eager
40:51
Speaker 1: desire to see foreign countries would suffer me to remain
40:54
Speaker 1: no longer. However, while in England I made great profit
40:58
Speaker 1: by showing my cattle to persons of quality and others,
41:01
Speaker 1: and before I began my second voyage, I sold them
41:04
Speaker 1: for six hundred pounds. I left fifteen hundred pounds with
41:07
Speaker 1: my wife and fixed her in a good house. Then,
41:10
Speaker 1: taking leave of her and my boy and girl, with
41:12
Speaker 1: tears on both sides, I sailed on board the adventure
41:17
Speaker 1: begin note, swift end note, and of a Voyage to
41:24
Speaker 1: Lilliput from The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lange