Learning English

Crowds
Fire! Fire!

Gulliver
[waking up] Eh… Ooh…

Young girl
Dr Gulliver, wake up! The palace is on fire! 

Gulliver
What…? Eugh…

Young girl
You must help us! Hurry!

Gulliver
What? I'm coming.

Gulliver narrator
The tiny Lilliputians were running here and there, passing buckets of water the size of thimbles. They were useless against the huge flames.

Flimnap
Quick, Gulliver, you've got to help us! Where's your jacket? You can use it to smother the flames.

Gulliver
I haven't got it! I was in such a rush…

Flimnap
Oh no.

Gulliver
Wait. I've got an idea! I drank a lot of wine last night and I really need to…

[sound of rushing water] 

Queen
Ugh! It's splashing on me! What a terrible smell!

Gulliver narrator
The fire was out in minutes. I didn't wait for thanks but hurried home to sleep.

I was a hero, or so I thought. I learnt much later that the Queen was horrified by the way I'd extinguished the fire, even though Flimnap explained to her that if it hadn't been for me, the palace would have burnt down. She refused to return to her rooms, even though they were thoroughly cleaned, and she swore to have revenge.

In the meantime, before I heard how angry the Queen was, I continued to enjoy the hospitality of the Lilliputians. They made me shirts and bed linen. Three hundred cooks prepared my daily food. I ate a lot to impress the King but later learnt that Skyresh used this against me, persuading the King that I was bankrupting the country.

I got used to my life of comfort in Lilliput and ideas about escape faded away. But late one evening, Flimnap arranged to meet me outside the city walls.

We met in secret in the light of the moon.

Flimnap
Gulliver, you are in serious danger. No one knows I am here. I've come to warn you as you are my friend. Skyresh and the Queen are plotting your downfall. They've drawn up a list of your crimes…

Gulliver
Crimes? What crimes?

Flimnap
They're accusing you of high treason.

Gulliver
Treason!! But… What did I do against the state? I'm a hero in Lilliput!

Flimnap
Well…

Gulliver narrator
As I found out, Skyresh had been plotting against me.

Skyresh
The law clearly states that whoever passes water in the palace is committing an act of high treason…

Flimnap
Yes, Skyresh, but the palace would have burnt down if Gulliver hadn't urinated on it!

Skyresh
It was a malicious act, meant to shame the Queen!

King
It's true… the Queen is extremely unhappy about the whole situation.

Skyresh
Yes, your majesty. There are rumours…

King
Rumours? About what?

Skyresh
About Gulliver and the wives of some of the ministers…

Flimnap
Those are just rumours. There's no proof.

Gulliver narrator
I was outraged.

Gulliver
But I saved the palace. I knew Skyresh hated me from the start. I don't know why…

Flimnap
Yes, and he hates you even more now you've defeated the Blefuscu navy. He's admiral of the Lilliput fleet and your victory makes him look weak. He now has the support of the Queen and several other ministers. It's serious, Gulliver.

Gulliver
What are they going to do?

Flimnap
Punish you…

Skyresh
We'll set his house on fire so that he burns to death. We'll fire poisoned arrows at his face and hands and smear his shirts and sheets with deadly poison so that he dies in agony…

Flimnap
Your Majesty! He has saved us from invasion!

King
It does seem a little harsh, Skyresh. I have always been a fair and just ruler. We won't execute him. We'll just blind him. My doctors will put poisoned arrows into his eyes as he is lying down.

Skyresh
But your Majesty, we'll still have to feed him! In fact, he might eat more when he's blind…

King
We'll feed him less and less each day so that he becomes weak and dies of starvation.

Skyresh
Very well, your Majesty. There is no time to lose. I will arrange for the blinding to take place in three days…

Gulliver narrator
The King's judgement seemed neither fair nor just. I used to trust the Lilliputians, but now? Time was short.

As the sun rose the following day, I swam across to Blefuscu. There on the beach, I spotted… a rowing boat… of my size!

The Blefuscans helped me make huge oars and ten days later, I was ready.

I set off with six tiny cows and sheep in my pockets and not a moment too soon. In the distance I could see the Lilliputian ships setting sail - for Blefuscu! They were coming after me.

I longed for England and my family. After a day at sea, I spotted an English ship returning from Japan. The captain did not believe my amazing stories, but was amazed when I showed him the miniature sheep and cows.

On arriving back in England, I was delighted to be reunited with my family. But as time went on, I wanted to return to the waves and I set sail once again on a new voyage. Little did I know I would soon face terrible horrors…