The author was able to stand up and survey the scene. It looked like a huge garden marked in 40 foot squares. Like a mini-Hobbit town from Lord of the Rings. (The author didn't say that, I did). He had not peed in two days and went into great detail about not wanting to offend his captors so he went as far as his chain would allow to go and went. Do you think there was a rainbow?
A prince came to see him -- he was taller then the rest and past his prime at 28 (ha!). Tall is relative when your peers are less than six inches tall. "...his head a light helmet of gold, adorned with jewels and a plume on the crest." A plume of what -- a hummingbird?
The little people tried to communicate with the author including priests and lawyers. "...as I conjectured by their habits." They must have been praying for his soul and charging him every 10 minutes. Some little people shot arrows at him and the Colonel ordered all six to be sent into the author's hand for punishment! They were terrified, the author aka "Great Man Mountain" cut them all free and let them go. A good move.
Then he has countless little people assigned to feed him, take care of him and haul off his daily poop and pee (yuck) -- hundreds all for one man! They decided to do keep him alive as his corpse would be too large to dispose of. And smelly, I'd guess.
They inventoried his pockets and he amazed them with his sword, guns and pocket watch. "... the god that he worships... as he seldom did anything without consulting it." Even there time rules so much.
The author started to learn their language and the first thing he asked for was to be free - his liberty. He did keep a few things hidden -- glasses, telescope, etc. because he did not want to lose them.
Key Point: Every man wants to be free (have liberty)
One thing to remember: Greatness (the prince) is relative. He was taller than most of the little people but still tiny compared to the captive author.
One more thing: Things are just things. A pocket (or purse) full of junk may be like treasure to others. What are we filling our pockets, purses, lives with that would be better used giving to someone else?
2 comments:
You are funny! Was it only the smell of decay that kept Gulliver alive? Could they really have killed him anyway? Was he so fascinating to them that they were willing to spend so much time and energy and products on him? Should they put him in a zoo and charge people to come and see him? At least he would be earning his keep.
I think they may have been too primitive to actually kill Gulliver because it seems like he could really get away if he tried but maybe he is more interested in what will happen next so he's decided to stick around. I don't know. Think of a human in a zoo. How sad. People staying at you, making faces/jokes, little privacy. Zoos have always made me a little sad. I think it would drive a human mad. Maybe like that tiger in SF?
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