لیلیپوت در جنگ

Chapter 3

Lilliput at war

The island of Blefuscu is only about a kilometre to the north of Lilliput. I knew that just beyond the narrow sea separating the two countries there were at least fifty warships ready to a eta ck us, with many other smaller ships. But I kept away from that side of the coast, so that the people of Blefuscu would not see me. I had a secret plan.

From the King’s workmen I ordered fifty heavy metal hooks, each fastened to a piece of strong rope. I took off my coat and shoes, and walked into the sea with the hooks and ropes in my hands. The water was deep in the middle, so I had to swim for a few metres. But it only took me half an hour to get to Blefuscu.

When the Blefuscans saw me, they were so frightened that they jumped out of their ships and swam to the beach. I then used one hook for each ship, and tied all the ropes together at one end. While I was doing this, the enemy shot thousands of arrows at me, which caused me a lot of pain. I was afraid of getting an arrow in my eyes, but I suddenly remembered I still had an old pair of reading glasses in my pocket, so I put them on and continued my work. When I was ready, I started walking into the shallow water away from Blefuscu. As I walked through the waves, I pulled the enemy’s warships behind me. When the people of Blefuscu realized chat all their warships were disappearing, their cries were terrible to hear.

As I came nearer to Lilliput, I saw the King and all his lords and ladies standing on the beach. They could only see Blefuscu’s warships coming closer, as I was swimming and my head was occasionally under the water. Therefore, they supposed that I had drowned, and that the Blefuscan ships were attacking. But when they saw me walking out of the sea, they welcomed me warmly with cries of astonishment and delight. The King himself came down to the water to meet me.

‘Everyone in Lilliput is grateful to you!’ he cried. ‘For your bravery, you will be one of my lords from now on.’

‘Thank you, sir,’ I replied.

‘And now,’ he continued, ‘go back and steal all the enemy’s ships, so that we can defeat Blefuscu for ever!

We’ll destroy the Big-Endians, and I’ll become King of the whole world!’

But I would not agree to this plan.

‘Sir,’ I replied, ‘I will never help to take a brave nation’s freedom away. Lilliput and Blefuscu should live in peace now.’

The King could not persuade me, and unfortunately he never forgot that I had refused to do what he wanted. Although I had saved his country from attack by Blefuscan warships, he preferred to remember my refusal.

From this time on, I heard from my friends that there were secret conversations in the palace between the King and some of his lords, who were jealous of me. These conversations nearly led to my death in the end.

About three weeks later, the King of Blefuscu sent his officials to ask for peace between the two countries. After the Blcfuscans had arranged everything with the Lilliputian officials, they came to visit me. They had heard how I had prevented the King from destroying all their ships. After thanking me, they invited me to visit their country.

However, when I asked the King of Lilliput if I could visit Blefuscu, he agreed, but very coldly. I learnt later that he and some of his lords considered I was wrong to have a conversation with enemies of Lilliput. Now I was beginning to understand how difficult and dangerous political life can be.

A few days later I had another chance to help the King. I was woken at midnight by the cries of hundreds of Lilliputians outside my house.

‘Fire! Fire!’ they shouted. ‘The Queen’s rooms in the palace are burning! Come quickly, Man-Mountain!’

So I pulled on my clothes and hurried to the palace. A large part of the building was in flames. People were climbing ladders up the walls, and throwing water on the flames, but the fire was burning more strongly every minute. At least the Queen and her ladies had escaped, but there seemed to be no way of saving this beautiful palace. Suddenly I had an idea. The evening before, I had drunk a lot of good wine, and very luckily I had not made water since then. In three minutes I managed to put out the whole fire, and the lovely old building was safe.

I went home without waiting for the King’s thanks, because I was not sure what he would say. Although I had certainly saved the palace, I knew it was a crime, punishable by death, to make water anywhere near the palace. I heard later that the Queen was so angry that she refused to enter any of the damaged rooms ever again, and promised to take her revenge on me.