Great Scenes from Great Novels - 
Gulliver is shipwrecked at Lilliput 
Jonathan Swift
(Abridged and Simplified)
I was a surgeon in two ships and made several voyages to the East and West Indies. After three years I engaged myself as a surgeon on the good ship 'Antelope', which was making a voyage to the South Sea. 

 We set sail from Briston on May 4th, 1699 and came without accident to the South Sea. But in our passage from the South Sea to the East Indies we were driven by a violent storm to the north - west of Van Dimen's Land. Twelve of our crew died of hard work and hunger. The rest were in a very weak condition

 On the fifth of November, the sailors saw a dangerous rock at some distance from the ship. The wind was strong. The ship made straight for the rock, struck against it, and split in two.

 Six of the crew, of whom I was one, let down a boat into the sea and tried hard to get clear of the ship and the rock. We were tired and could not walk for long. So we let the boat go as the wave drove it. But suddenly a strong wind overturned the boat. 

 I cannot tell what became of my companions in the boat, but I think they were all lost.

 I swam for life as fate directed me. When I was almost exhausted and was going to drown, my feet touched firm ground. I had to walk nearly a mile in water before I reached dry land. 

 I was very tired and much in need of sleep. The weather was warm and I lay down on the grass, which was short and soft. I went to sleep at once.

 I must have slept for nine hours. When I awoke, it was just daylight. I attempted to rise, but it was no use. I could not move a limb. My arms and legs were tied to the ground. My hair, which was long and thick, was tied down in the same way.

  I could also feel several threads across my body. I could only look upwards, and the sunlight hurt my eyes. I heard a confused noise about me, but, from my position, I could see nothing except the sky.

 In a little while, I felt something alive moving on my left leg. It then moved up my stomach and chest. It came up to my chin managed to turn my eyes down and saw that it was a human creature about six inches high with a bow and arrow in his hands.

 Soon forty such creatures moved up my legs and chest. I was greatly astonished and roared so loud that all ran back in fear. However, one of them soon returned and boldly walked right up to my face. 

 He lifted his hands and eyes in wonder and shouted something. His voice sounded thin to me. "Hekinah degul!". The others repeated the words many times. What did they mean by it? I did not know.

 I was on my back all this time and was beginning to feel uneasy. A number of strings held my arms tight. When I struggled to get free, I broke a number of strings around my arm. 

 I gave a violent pull and loosened the strings that tied down my hair on the left side. I was able to turn my head about two inches. The creatures ran off a second time before I could catch them.

 There was a great shout and after it stopped, one of them cried aloud, "Tolgo phonac! At once, a hundred arrows came flying at my left hand; they pricked me like needles. They shot another set of arrows into the air. 

 The arrows fell on my body. By good luck, I had put on a thick coat and I was not hurt. Some more came towards my face but I covered it at once with my left hand. There were pains all over my arms and neck. I would lie quiet and not move; that would be a wise thing.

 They did not shoot any more arrows. By now the noise was louder and their numbers were many. I heard a kind of knocking for more than half an hour. 

 I turned my head; they were building a platform, about a foot and a half from the ground. One of them climbed it and made a speech. He talked at me in a language I could not understand.

 He gave orders to cut the strings that held the left side of my head. This allowed me to turn it to the right and to see the person I have mentioned. He appeared to be of middle age, and about twice as big as my little finger. He seemed an important person. 

 With some great difficulty I made him understand that I intended no harm to them. I was very hungry, for I had not eaten anything for some hours before I left the ship. I put a finger of my left hand often into my mouth to show that I wanted food.

 The 'Hurgo', or great lord, as I later discovered he was, understood me and commanded that several ladders should be set up against my sides. On these more than a hundred of the little people climbed up on to my body. 

 They walked towards my mouth with baskets full of meat. Their king, the king of Lilliput, ordered the food for me. There were shoulders and legs of different animals; the pieces were very small. 

 I ate them, two or three at a mouthful and took three loaves of bread at a time. The little men fed me very well; all the time they gave cries of wonder at my size and appetite.

 I then signalled to them that I wanted drink. They knew that a small quality would not satisfy me. They rolled up one of their largest barrels close to my hand, and knocked out the top of it. I drank it all at once, for it did not hold half a pint and tasted like wine.

 They brought me a second barrel. This too I drank in the same way. Then I made signs for more. They, however, had none to give me

 When I had performed these wonders, they shouted for joy and danced up on my body. They made me a sign to throw down the two barrels, but they first warned the people below to stand out of the way. When they saw the barrels in the air, there was a great joy.

 When they were passing backwards and forwards on me, I wanted to catch forty or fifty of them and throw them on the ground. But the thought of my arrow wounds, and the promise I had made to do them no harm soon drove out these thoughts. 

 After some time, once of the king's officers came before me. He climbed up my leg and came right up to my face. Behind him came a dozen of his followers. He showed me his orders from the king. 

 Then he spoke me. But I could not understand anything of what he said. He often pointed forward, which, as I discovered later, was towards the capital city, about half a mile distant. It had been agreed by the Emperor that I was to be taken there.

 I answered in a few words but the king's officer did not understand anything. So by making signs I expressed that I wished to be freed from the bonds. The King's officer understood this well but refused.

 I was to be carried only as a prisoner. However, he made other signs to let me know that I should have meat and drink, and be well treated

 I thought once more that I might make attempt to break the strings that held me prisoner. But when I remembered the sting of their arrows on my face and hands, which were swollen, and in which many of the arrows were still stuck, I made signs to let them know that they might do with me as they pleased. 

 Soon after I heard a general shout, and felt great numbers of people on my left side. They cut the strings to such an extent that I was able to turn upon my right side. Then they rubbed a sweet smelling medicine on my hands and face. 

 This took away the pain. I felt very comfortable and fell asleep. I slept for eight hours, I was later told. I am not surprised, for they had mixed some sleep - giving medicine in the wine they had given me.




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