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 1 My name is Gulliver

3 Dear reader, my name is Lemuel Gulliver. I live in London, with

my wife and children. I have travelled all over the world and I
have had the most incredible adventures. I have seen things that
you will find difficult to believe: people no bigger than this book;
other people taller than the tallest tree; a country in the clouds
above us; and animals more civilised than humans.
I want to talk about my adventures, tell you about the mysteries
and dangers that surround us. You may think that I am exaggerating
or that I am mad. But please remember, as you read, that I am
an honest man and that my words are true.

I studied medicine at Cambridge University and got a job as a

doctor on a ship called The Antelope. In May 1699 we left England
for the South Seas. The journey went well until a violent storm
sent us completely off course and we found ourselves somewhere
in the East Indies. Here, our ship hit some rocks. The rocks
wrecked the ship and we had no choice but to abandon it. As I
threw myself into the sea I thought that this was the end.
But luck was with me. I can swim quite well and I did not want
to end my days without a fight. I swam and swam until I saw land.
I arrived on the beach, alone and exhausted and fell down
and slept.

y
Glossar
exhausted: very tired rocks:
mad: crazy; not normal South Seas: sea in South-East Asia
off course: in the wrong direction storm: very bad weather
wrecked: broke

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 2 Meeting the little people

4 The next day I woke up with the sun on my face. I remembered

that I was in a new land and I wanted to explore it. But when I
tried to get up it was impossible. There were hundreds of strings,
tied to every part of my hair and clothes. I could not move.
Whats happening? I asked myself.
What strange place is this? Who has tied me to the ground?
Then I felt something on my leg. It was moving up my leg and
walking on my body. I looked down and saw the most incredible
thing. A tiny man, no more than fifteen centimetres tall, was
standing on my chest! Then there was another and then another.
Lots of tiny people were standing on me. Where was I? Who were
these people?
Hekinah degul, the first one shouted. What did it mean? I
had no idea.
Hekinah degul. Hekinah degul, the others repeated after him.
I was afraid and I shouted so loudly that they all ran away.
I then managed to free my left arm from the strings. But soon
the tiny people came back. This time they had bows and arrows
and I knew that they wanted to attack me.
Tolgo phonac, one of them shouted. Hundreds of tiny arrows
hit my hand. They were like needles. Then they moved to attack
my face.
I made a sign to show them that I surrendered and the arrows
finally stopped.

y
Glossar
bows and arrows: strings:
chest: front of the body surrendered: (here) accepted the
explore: look around situation; no longer resisted
needles: tiny: very, very small

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 After lying still for a while, I realised that I was very, very hungry.
I put my fingers slowly to my mouth to show that I wanted food.
The tiny people seemed to understand and they brought me lots
to eat and drink, climbing up to my mouth using ladders.
I fell asleep almost immediately. (I later understood that my
food had drugs in it. And I slept for many hours.) When I woke
up I heard strange noises. I was on a vehicle and hundreds of
horses were pulling me into a city. Thousands of the tiny people
were there, including their emperor, who was waiting to see
me.
They cut the strings holding me but tied my left foot with a
chain so I could not escape. Then they gave me their biggest
building, a temple, as a home and everyone came to see me.
But I felt unhappy and alone. I did not know these people,
I did not know where I was.

DIFFERENT
Gulliver feels very different from these people.
Make a list of all the things that are different
for Gulliver in this strange land.
Have you ever felt very different from everyone else?
Tell a friend.

y
Glossar
chain: ladder:
drugs: (here) medicine to make you still: not moving
sleep temple: building used for religious
emperor: important person, like a king purposes
vehicle: type of transport
while: (here) short period of time
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