1. Reading Lesson

The Battle

I communicated to his majesty a project I had formed of seizing the enemy's whole fleet, which lay at anchor in the harbor. I consulted the most experienced seamen upon the depth of the channel; they told me that in the middle, at high water, it was seventy glumgluffs deep which is about six feet of European measure; and the rest of it fifty glumgluffs at most. I walked over toward the northeast coast, took out my small perspective glass and viewed the enemy's fleet at anchor, consisting of about fifty men-of-war, and a great number of transports.

I then came back to my house and gave order for a great quantity of the strongest cable and bars of iron. The cable was about as thick as packthread, and the bars of the length and size of a knitting needle. I trebled the cable to make it stronger, and for the same reason I twisted three of the iron bars together, binding the extremities into a hook. Having thus fixed fifty hooks into as many cables, I went back to the northeast coast, and, putting off my coat, shoes, and stockings, walked into the sea in my leather jerkin, about an hour before high water. I waded with what haste I could and swam in the middle about thirty yards, until I felt ground. The enemy were so frightened when they saw me that they leaped out of their ships and swam to shore, where there could not be fewer than thirty thousand souls. I then took my tackling, and fastening a hook to the hole at the prow of each, I tied all the cords together at the end.

While I was thus employed, the enemy discharged several thousand arrows, many of which stuck in my hands and face; and, besides the excessive smart, gave me much disturbance in my work.

I had now fastened all the hooks, and taking the knot in in my hand began to pull; but not a ship would stir, for they were all too fast held by their anchors, so that the boldest part of my enterprise remained. I therefore let go the cord, and leaving the hooks fixed to the ships, I resolutely cut with my knife the cables that fastened the anchors, receiving above two hundred shots in my face and hands; then I took up the knotted end of the cables, to which my hooks were tied, and with great ease drew fifty of the enemy's largest men-of-war after me.

The Blefuscudians, who had not the least imagination of what I intended, were at first confounded with astonishment. They had seen me cut the cables, and thought my design was only to let the ships run adrift; but when they perceived the whole fleet moving in order, and saw me pulling at the end, they set up such a scream of grief and despair that it is almost impossible to describe. When I had got out of danger, I stopped to pick out the arrows that stuck in my hands and face. I then took off my spectacles, and waiting about an hour till the tide was a little fallen, I waded through the middle with my cargo, and arrived safe at the royal port of Lilliput.

The Emperor and his whole court stood on the shore; they saw the ships move forward in a large half-moon, but could not discern me, who was up to my breast in water. I came in a short time within hearing; and holding up the end of the cable by which the fleet was fastened, I cried in a loud voice, "Long live the most puissant Emperor of Lilliput!"

2. Study

Why do you think Gulliver decided to aid in the war of the Lilliputians? What were his plans for aiding them?

What is meant by high water? How large were the ships? What helps you to decide that? What difficulties did Gulliver have to overcome?

Imagine the feelings of the emperor and his court, who were watching Puissant means powerful. What effect do you suppose this battle had upon the war?

3. Word Studies

1. Find all the words you can which are used to name ships, or articles belonging with them.

2. Read these sentences: a. Gulliver formed a project to seize the ships. 6. His enterprise was a bold one. c. The enemy thought his design was to let the ships drift.

What do the words project, enterprise, design mean? Use each in a sentence of your own.

3. Think of other words that mean nearly the same as these: communicated seamen.

astonishment discern.

See if your words can be used in the story. 4. Use these words in sentences: tied, tide.

4. Story Telling

Tell the story of the capture of the fleet. Make two or three topics to help you remember it. Do not begin your sentences with "and" or "why" when you talk.

5. Written Composition

1. Imagine the conversation between two or three Lilliputians as they watched Gulliver at work with the fleet.

2. Imagine what a group of the people of Blefuscu were saying.

Write one of these conversations. Perhaps you will use the comma according to the rule you learned in the last chapter. Remember the quotation marks.

6. Drawing

Make a picture of Gulliver bringing the ships to shore.

7. Reading Lesson

Gulliver's Food and Clothing

It may divert the curious reader to give some account of my manner of living in this country, during a residence of nine months and thirteen days. Having a head mechanically turned, and being likewise forced by necessity, I made for myself a chair and table convenient enough out of the largest trees in the royal park.

Two hundred sempstresses were employed to make me shirts, and linen for bed and table, all out of the strongest and coarsest kind they could get; which, however, they were forced to quilt together in several folds, for the thickest was some degrees finer than lawn. Their linen is usually three inches wide, and three feet make a piece. The sempstresses took my measure as I lay on the ground, one standing at my neck, and one at my mid-leg, with a strong cord extended, that each held by the hand, while the third measured the length of the cord with a rule an inch long. Then they measured my right thumb, and desired no more; for by a mathematical computation, that twice around the thumb is once around the wrist, and so on to the neck and waist, and by the help of my old shirt, which I displayed on the ground before them for a pattern, they fitted me exactly.

Three hundred tailors were employed in the same manner to make me clothes; but they had another contrivance for taking my measure. I kneeled down, and they raised a ladder from the ground to my neck; upon this ladder one of them mounted, and let fall a plumb line from my collar to the floor, which just answered the length of my coat; but the waist and arms I measured myself. When the clothes were finished, which .was done in my house, for the largest of theirs would not have been able to hold them, they looked like the patchwork made by the ladies in England, only that mine were all of a color.

I had three hundred cooks to dress my victuals, in the little convenient huts built about my house, where* they and their families lived and prepared me two dishes apiece. I took up twenty waiters in my hand, and placed them on the table; a hundred or more attended below upon the ground, some with dishes of meat, and some with barrels of wine and other liquors slung on their shoulders, all of which the waiters above drew up as I wanted, as we draw the bucket up a well in Europe.

8. Study

Be ready to tell the class how you think Gulliver made his table and chair.

What measure of ours is nearest like the rule the sempstress used? What is the rule beginning, "Twice around the thumb, once around the wrist "? Is it true?

What is a plumb line?

What do you think of the ways these people found of caring for Gulliver?

How would Gulliver's presence affect the work of the people? Show reasons for your answer.

9. Word Study

Find words meaning about the same as these: divert extended displayed contrivance.

10. Drawing

Draw pictures showing Gulliver and his servants during a meal.

11. Written Compositions

. 1. Could we have made one of the Lilliputians as comfortable as they made Gulliver? Write your opinion and tell how it might be done, or why you think we could not do it. Think of these points: food, clothing, house, furniture, language, amusements.

2. Imagine yourself one of Gulliver's tailors, cooks, or other servants. Write a letter in which you describe your queer experiences with him.