Gulliver's Travels: Part 6: Gunpowder
Come here and listen to my tale – for I am Gulliver, and I have seen many strange things in my life, and many parts of the world that should not be seen. The land of Lilliput with tiny people, no bigger than my foot... And now this land, Brobdingnag, where I am but a mouse beside the giants who live here.
And today, I was to meet the king of Brobdingnag.
Welcome, Gulliver. Tell me, how do you like my kingdom?
Your Majesty, your people have been extremely kind to me. I dine on delicious food with the Queen, and live in a beautiful house made just for me. Next week I'll have lived here for one year.
Well, I see. But...?
But, your Majesty, this is not my home. I miss my own people, and wish to return there.
Ah yes. The Queen has told me about a place called... England? Tell me, do you have laws in England?
Yes we do. And we have policies too, and political parties... the debates between our parties are magnificent!
Political parties! But you're so small. Oh, I say!
Yes, we have the Whigs and the Tories.
And which are you - a Whig or a Tory?
The more I talked about England, the more he just laughed. I needed to tell him something that would impress him – make him realise what a great nation we were. Then I thought of it.
There is one thing we have in England, that you don't have in Brobdingnag, Sir.
And what's that, little man?
Gunpowder.
Gunpowder?
Yes, for all your guns.
Explain.
England's armies are the envy of the world. And the secret of our power is gunpowder. You see, powder is rammed into a hollow iron tube, and then set alight, forcing the ball of metal, through the tube...
The king sat in silence.
We can destroy whole ranks of an army at once, sink down ships, attack cities and tear up their houses. It's glorious. And you can have the secret. I will offer it to you, to enforce your rule.
I am amazed, Gulliver.
Yes?
I am amazed at how a little insect like you, can have such inhuman ideas. The blood and desolation you speak of so familiarly, it comes from an evil source. Speak of this gunpowder no more.
No, your Majesty.
I seem to have offended him, for the king nor queen ever invited me back again. Nobody liked me at court. Only my dear friend Glumdalclitch still cared for me.
I need to get home.
But I love it here Gulliver. I've learned to write, to sing, to sew... and they pay me well. Soon, I'll have saved enough to buy a new farm for Mum and Dad. I don't want to go home, not yet.
Gulliver But I need to. Walk with me.
Gulliver narrator Glumdalclitch took me in my travelling box and we set off. Soon the court was far behind us and we walked through the strange land of Brobdingnag. It was vast - at least 6,000 miles across. There was no way I could escape alone. And the island was surrounded by rough seas - so much so, that no other nations ever came to trade here. I was stuck.
What's that? Wait... where... Glumdalclitch!!!!
Gulliver!!!
I was being carried high into the sky by... a bird! I looked out from my case and yes – a huge eagle was carrying my travelling box in its claws. We went higher and higher – and Brobdingnag grew smaller. And then we were over the sea – I saw the rough waves breaking beneath – before, with a great cry – he dropped my box – right down into the waters. I floated, and floated for hours until I fell asleep on the waters...
Hello, anyone there?
English voices? I had been rescued.
It's me, Gulliver! Gosh you're... small!
What? And why are you shouting?
Sorry. It's just... you wouldn't believe me.
The journey home took a month, and soon I was nearing my own front door. My dear wife ran out to embrace me.
My... my Gulliver?!
My... dear.
And so my second voyage was at an end. In truth, it took me some time to adjust to life with my own people. I had seen such strange things. Life was not the same.
Promise me you will never go to sea again.
I wish I could. But as you may guess, this was not my unfortunate destiny. On my next voyage, my life changed forever, and I saw the terrible things that man had created.
