Learning English

Gulliver
Ooh, ouch! Hey! Help! Get off me!! Where am I?

Gulliver narrator
I'm lying on my back. I'm being pricked by lots of tiny sharp things. My arms and legs are tied to the ground – even my long hair is fastened.

Gulliver
I… can't… move!

Gulliver narrator
It's the strangest sight! Hundreds of tiny figures are prodding me with miniature spears. Others are fastening bits of string and hammering tiny pegs into the ground. The tiny figures are…

Gulliver
…humans?

Gulliver narrator
Yes little ones, no higher than six inches tall!

Gulliver
I must be dreaming!

Gulliver narrator
I shut my eyes and open them again. No… I'm not dreaming – I'm tied to the ground – I'm well and truly a prisoner.

My name is Gulliver. This story of my travels to distant lands may seem unbelievable, and in places, disturbing – but the lands I visited and the strange peoples I met are not imaginary, I didn't make them up. Please listen and remember… it is all true. 

Sailor
Dr Gulliver… the men, the men are feeling sick…

Gulliver narrator
I was a ship's doctor. We'd set sail from Bristol in England in 1699 and were heading for the East Indies. I'd left my wife and two children behind. A violent storm broke out…

…in the strong winds, we were shipwrecked on a large rock close to land.

I swam, battling with huge waves. 

On reaching the shore, I pulled myself up on some soft grass and fell asleep, exhausted.

And there, during the night I became a prisoner of the tiny people. I was so amazed when I saw the tiny human creatures prodding me that I roared and they all ran back terrified. They started to shoot arrows from their bows – onto my hands, my body… my face…

The arrows pricked me like hundreds of needles. I struggled violently and snapped the strings on my left arm and quickly covered my eyes to protect them.

Gulliver
No more… Stop!

Gulliver narrator
I fell back and lay still. Once they realised I wasn't going to attack them or move, they stood back and waited.

One of them, wearing fine clothes, so clearly important, ventured forward from the crowd.

Gulliver
Ah… Sir… Now… Don't worry… I'm not going to eat you… But…

Gulliver narrator
I pointed to my mouth…

Gulliver
I'm very hungry… I need food… food!

Gulliver narrator
The one in charge nodded his head.

A few minutes later ladders were put against my body and a long line of tiny people mounted them, carrying dishes of meat, baskets of tiny loaves of bread, and small barrels of wine slung over their shoulders.

Gulliver
This is… very good…!

Gulliver narrator
I ate and drank greedily. Those tiny morsels of food and drink were some of the most exquisite food I have ever tasted. The tiny natives were amazed at my appetite.

With my stomach full, I promptly nodded off.

When I woke up, I was moving. I later found out that the wine I had drunk had contained a sleeping drug and whilst I was sleeping, 900 of the tiny natives had lifted me onto a machine which was being pulled by a thousand tiny horses. I was taken to the city to meet the king, who greeted me warmly…

He was young and dignified, with strong features. He gave a long speech to me in his language, but I did not understand a word. But he pointed to the city and his people, with a sweep of his arm.

King
… Lilliput…

Gulliver narration
Some courtiers were also there. One had a wise and scholarly look and made friendly gestures to me. Her name, I later learnt, was Flimnap. She was the King's secretary. Another, who had a rather mean expression, drew his sword at various points and waved it in a rather threatening way in the air at me. This was Skyresh.

I was then transported to an empty, ruined temple, where I was lifted up with pulleys and chained to the gates. I was still a prisoner, but at least now I could, at last, stand up.

And so it was that I became a guest in the kingdom of Lilliput with its tiny inhabitants. The ruined temple became my home. The royal family came regularly to watch me from the tower. The King sent 30 scholars to teach me the Lilliputian language, which I learnt very quickly.

One night I couldn't sleep. I heard the whisper of voices close by. It was the King with his courtiers Flimnap and Skyresh… What Skyresh said worried me deeply…

Skyresh
I think that we should kill him…

King
Why do you say that, Skyresh?

Skyresh
He eats too much, your Majesty! It is costing us a fortune and if we continue to feed him like this, we'll have a famine in Lilliput.

King
How do you suggest we kill him?

Skyresh
Starve him!

Flimnap
That's barbaric!

Skyresh
Or we could shoot him with poisoned arrows.

King
What do you think, Flimnap?

Flimnap
He is a giant and the decay of his body could cause a plague which could spread throughout the kingdom.

King
That's very true… He asks for his freedom every day.

Skyresh
It's too dangerous! He could kill all of us!

Flimnap
He has so far been gentle and well behaved towards the people of Lilliput. He could be useful to us…

We can give him his freedom with certain conditions…

King
…which would be?

Flimnap
He becomes our ally in our war against Blefuscu and destroys their fleet.

King
Flimnap, you're right! We are facing a grave danger and this giant Gulliver could save us!

Gulliver narrator
I had heard enough. Lilliput was on the brink of war. The King would not kill me whilst I was useful to him, but what if he changed his mind? I had to escape!