The Blue Fairy Book
and told him that, seeing what a great and warlike hero he was, he
was about to make him an offer. In a certain wood of his kingdom there
dwelled two giants who did much harm; by the way they robbed, murdered,
burned, and plundered everything about them; “no one could approach them
without endangering his life. But if he could overcome and kill these
two giants he should have his only daughter for a wife, and half his
kingdom into the bargain; he might have a hundred horsemen, too, to back
him up.” “That’s the very thing for a man like me,” thought the little
tailor; “one doesn’t get the offer of a beautiful princess and half a
kingdom every day.” “Done with you,” he answered; “I’ll soon put an end
to the giants. But I haven’t the smallest need of your hundred horsemen;
a fellow who can slay seven men at a blow need not be afraid of two.”
The little tailor set out, and the hundred horsemen followed him. When
he came to the outskirts of the wood he said to his followers: “You wait
here, I’ll manage the giants by myself”; and he went on into the wood,
casting his sharp little eyes right and left about him. After a while
he spied the two giants lying asleep under a tree, and snoring till
the very boughs bent with the breeze. The little tailor lost no time in
filling his wallet with stones, and then climbed up the tree under
which they lay. When he got to about the middle of it he slipped along a
branch till he sat just above the sleepers, when he threw down one stone
after the other on the nearest giant. The giant felt nothing for a long
time, but at last he woke up, and pinching his companion said: “What did
you strike me for?” “I didn’t strike you,” said the other, “you must be
dreaming.” They both lay down to sleep again, and the tailor threw down
a stone on the second giant, who sprang up and cried: “What’s that for?
Why did you throw something at me?” “I didn’t throw anything,” growled
the first one. They wrangled on for a time, till, as both were tired,
they made up the matter and fell asleep again. The little tailor began
his game once more, and flung the largest stone he could find in his
wallet with all his force, and hit the first giant on the chest. “This
is too much of a good thing!” he yelled, and springing up like a madman,
he knocked his companion against the tree till he trembled. He gave,
however, as good as he got, and they became so enraged that they tore up
trees and beat each other with them, till they both fell dead at once on
the ground. Then the little tailor jumped down. “It’s a mercy,” he said,
“that they didn’t root up the tree on which I was perched, or I should
have had to jump like a squirrel on to another, which, nimble though I
am, would have been no easy job.” He drew his sword and gave each of
the giants a very fine thrust or two on the breast, and then went to
the horsemen and said: “The deed is done, I’ve put an end to the two of
them; but I assure you it has been no easy matter, for they even tore up
trees in their struggle to defend themselves; but all that’s of no use
against one who slays seven men at a blow.” “Weren’t you wounded?” asked
the horsemen.
“No fear,” answered the tailor; “they haven’t touched a hair of my
head.” But the horsemen wouldn’t believe him till they rode into the
wood and found the giants weltering in their blood, and the trees lying
around, torn up by the roots.
The little tailor now demanded the promised reward from the King, but he
repented his promise, and pondered once more how he could rid himself
of the hero. “Before you obtain the hand of my daughter and half my
kingdom,” he said to him, “you must do another deed of valor. A unicorn
is running about loose in the wood, and doing much mischief; you must
first catch it.” “I’m even less afraid of one unicorn than of two
giants; seven at a blow, that’s my motto.” He took a piece of cord and
an axe with him, went out to the wood, and again told the men who had
been sent with him to remain outside. He hadn’t to search long, for the
unicorn soon passed by, and, on perceiving the tailor, dashed straight
at him as though it were going to spike him on the spot. “Gently,
gently,” said he, “not so fast, my friend”; and standing still he waited
till the beast was quite near, when he sprang lightly behind a tree; the
unicorn ran with all its force against the tree, and rammed its horn so
firmly into the trunk that it had no strength left to pull it out again,
and was thus successfully captured. “Now I’ve caught my bird,” said the
tailor, and he came out from behind the tree, placed the cord round its
neck first, then struck the horn out of the tree with his axe, and when
everything was in order led the beast before the King.
Still the King didn’t want to give him the promised reward and made a
third demand. The tailor was to catch a wild boar for him that did a
great deal of harm in the wood; and he might have the huntsmen to help
him. “Willingly,” said the tailor; “that’s mere child’s play.” But he
didn’t take the huntsmen into the wood with him, and they were well
enough pleased to remain behind, for the wild boar had often
received them in a manner which did not make them desire its further
acquaintance. As soon as the boar perceived the tailor it ran at him
with foaming mouth and gleaming teeth, and tried to knock him down; but
our alert little friend ran into a chapel that stood near, and got out
of the window again with a jump. The boar pursued him into the church,
but the tailor skipped round to the door, and closed it securely. So the
raging beast was caught, for it was far too heavy and unwieldy to spring
out of the window. The little tailor summoned the huntsmen together,
that they might see the prisoner with their own eyes. Then the hero
betook himself to the King, who was obliged now, whether he liked it or
not, to keep his promise, and hand him over his daughter and half his
kingdom. Had he known that no hero-warrior, but only a little tailor
stood before him, it would have gone even more to his heart. So the
wedding was celebrated with much splendor and little joy, and the tailor
became a king.
After a time the Queen heard her husband saying one night in his sleep:
“My lad, make that waistcoat and patch these trousers, or I’ll box your
ears.” Thus she learned in what rank the young gentleman had been born,
and next day she poured forth her woes to her father, and begged him to
help her to get rid of a husband who was nothing more nor less than a
tailor. The King comforted her, and said: “Leave your bedroom door open
to-night, my servants shall stand outside, and when your husband is
fast asleep they shall enter, bind him fast, and carry him on to a
ship, which shall sail away out into the wide ocean.” The Queen was
well satisfied with the idea, but the armor-bearer, who had overheard
everything, being much attached to his young master, went straight to
him and revealed the whole plot. “I’ll soon put a stop to the business,”
said the tailor. That night he and his wife went to bed at the usual
time; and when she thought he had fallen asleep she got up, opened the
door, and then lay down again. The little tailor, who had only pretended
to be asleep, began to call out in a clear voice: “My lad, make that
waistcoat and patch those trousers, or I’ll box your ears. I have killed
seven at a blow, slain two giants, led a unicorn captive, and caught a
wild boar, then why should I be afraid of those men standing outside my
door?” The men, when they heard the tailor saying these words, were so
terrified that they fled as if pursued by a wild army, and didn’t dare
go near him again. So the little tailor was and remained a king all the
days of his life.
A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT
CHAPTER I
My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire, and I was the third
of four sons. He sent me to Cambridge at fourteen years old, and after
studying there three years I was bound apprentice to Mr. Bates, a famous
surgeon in London. There, as my father now and then sent me small sums
of money, I spent them in learning navigation, and other arts useful to
those who travel, as I always believed it would be some time or other my
fortune to do.
Three years after my leaving him my good master, Mr. Bates, recommended
me as ship’s surgeon to the “Swallow,” on which I voyaged three years.
When I came back I settled in London, and, having taken part of a
small house, I married Miss Mary Burton, daughter of Mr. Edmund Burton,
hosier.
But my good master Bates died two years after; and as I had few friends
my business began to fail, and I determined to go again to sea. After
several voyages, I accepted an offer from Captain W. Pritchard, master
of the “Antelope,” who was making a voyage to the South Sea. We set sail
from Bristol, May 4, 1699; and our voyage at first was very prosperous.
But in our passage to the East Indies we were driven by a violent storm
to the north-west of Van Diemen’s Land. Twelve of our crew died from
hard labor and bad food, and the rest were in a very weak condition.
On the 5th of November, the weather being very hazy, the seamen spied
a rock within 120 yards of the ship; but the wind was so strong that we
were driven straight upon it, and immediately split. Six of the crew,
of whom I was one, letting down the boat, got clear of the ship, and we
rowed about three leagues, till we could work no longer. We therefore
trusted ourselves to the mercy of the waves; and in about half an hour
the boat was upset by a sudden squall. What became of my companions in
the boat, or those who escaped on the rock or were left in the vessel,
I cannot tell; but I conclude they were all lost. For my part, I swam as
fortune directed me, and was pushed forward by wind and tide; but when
I was able to struggle no longer I found myself within my depth. By this
time the storm was much abated. I reached the shore at last, about eight
o’clock in the evening, and advanced nearly half a mile inland, but
could not discover any sign of inhabitants. I was extremely tired, and
with the heat of the weather I found myself much inclined to sleep. I
lay down on the grass, which was very short and soft, and slept sounder
than ever I did in my life for about nine hours. When I woke, it was
just daylight. I attempted to rise, but could not; for as I happened to
be lying on my back, I found my arms and legs were fastened on each side
to the ground; and my hair, which was long and thick, tied down in the
same manner. I could only look upward. The sun began to grow hot, and
the light hurt my eyes. I heard a confused noise about me, but could
see nothing except the sky. In a little time I felt something alive
and moving on my left leg, which, advancing gently over my breast, came
almost up to my chin, when, bending my eyes downward, I perceived it to
be a human creature, not six inches high, with a bow and arrow in his
hands, and a quiver at his back. In the meantime I felt at least forty
more following the first. I was in the utmost astonishment, and roared
so loud that they all ran back in a fright; and some of them were
hurt with the falls they got by leaping from my sides upon the ground.
However, they soon returned, and one of them, who ventured so far as to
get a full sight of my face, lifted up his hands in admiration. I lay
all this while in great uneasiness; but at length, struggling to get
loose, I succeeded in breaking the strings that fastened my left arm
to the ground; and at the same time, with a violent pull that gave me
extreme pain, I a little loosened the strings that tied down my hair, so
that I was just able to turn my head about two inches. But the creatures
ran off a second time before I could seize them, whereupon there was a