The author, by showing his good behavior and letting the little people have their way, was on his way to his liberty (so he thinks). Apparently, the little folks are quite heroic and brave and perform great feats of acrobatics requiring quite a bit of skill. The author helped create a 'stage' from sticks and his handkerchief so they could 'play' mock wars with horses running around. They loved it until a horse got his hoof stuck in a hole and took a tumble. Fortunately no one was hurt but that was the end of that.
I had to laugh when they had the author stand up so everyone could ride underneath him and "... his breeches were at the time in so ill a condition... (there were) opportunities for laughter and admiration". Oh PLEASE. Only a man, would think of the admiration comment!
By this time, no one, not even the horses were afraid of the author and everyone liked him except a guy name Skyresh Bolgolam -- there is always one.
So then, he was 'given' his freedom. Freedom from being chained but he still had to do the little peoples' bidding. He had to measure their lands for them (about 12 square miles) and be prepared to fight their enemies, those from the Island of Blefusch. One look those Blefuschians would have of the author would send them running, I am sure. Unless they were really big too. Or maybe they could fly? Hmmm... I think that's another story!
KEY POINT: Freedom is always conditional.
ONE THING TO REMEMBER: You can be very small yet still very brave.
ONE MORE THING: The more you are around something, the more 'normal' it seems. Like not being afraid of a man, 12 times bigger than you. Sometimes being in the midst of something day and night, you lose the wonder of it all. Like when people who have lived in the Black Hills all their life don't appreciate it's incredible beauty, like it's no big thing. It is a big thing.
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