Gulliver's Travels a short retelling in chapters. Foreign literature abridged. All works of the school curriculum in a brief summary

Jonathan Swift's novel Gulliver's Travels tells the adventures of the hero of the same name. He is a navigator. Often his ship is in disaster, and the main character finds himself in amazing countries. In the land of Lilliputians, Gulliver is a giant, in the land of giants - vice versa. On the floating island, the hero saw what excessive ingenuity can lead to...

Swift's novel shows the political structure of England, contemporary to Jonathan, namely its morals and way of life of the people inhabiting it. Moreover, the author does this ironically. He also ridicules the vices of the people inhabiting his native country.

Summary of Gulliver's Travels in parts

Part 1. Gulliver in the land of Lilliputians

The main character of the work, Lemuel Gulliver, is a sea traveler. He is sailing on a ship. The first country he enters is Lilliput.

The ship is in distress. Gulliver comes to his senses already on the shore. He feels that he is tied hand and foot by very small people.

The Mountain Man, as the Lilliputians call the main character, is peaceful towards the local population. For this reason, he is fed and provided with housing.

The head of the Lilliputian state himself comes out to talk with Gulliver. During the conversation, the emperor talks about the war with a neighboring state. Gulliver, in gratitude for the warm welcome, decides to help the little people. He attracts the entire enemy fleet into the bay, on the shores of which the Lilliputians live. For this act he was awarded the highest award in the state.

The local population further calls Gulliver “the horror and joy of the Universe.” One fine day he becomes displeasing to the emperor, and the hero has to emigrate to Blefuscu (a nearby state). But even in the neighboring state, Gulliver is a burden to the residents... He eats a lot... Then the hero builds a boat and sails into the open sea. While traveling, purely by chance he encounters a ship belonging to England and returns home. Gulliver brings Lilliputian sheep with him to his homeland, which, according to him, have bred well.

Part 2. Gulliver in the land of giants

Gulliver cannot sit at home; as they say, the wind of wanderings calls him. He goes on a sea voyage again and this time ends up in the land of giants. He is immediately brought before the king. The king of this country cares about the well-being of his subjects. Gulliver notices that the people inhabiting the land of giants are not very developed...

The king's daughter paid special attention to Gulliver's person. She considers him her living toy. She even creates all the conditions for his life. It’s funny for her to watch her living toy, but he is offended and even, at times, hurt by the games.

The whole country of giants is disgusting to Gulliver. And in their faces he notices all the little things. And it’s a shame not to notice a hair that looks like a hundred-year-old oak log.

Perhaps the greatest hostility towards Gulliver is felt by the royal dwarf, the former favorite of the royal daughter. After all, Gulliver is now a rival for him. Out of anger, he takes revenge on Gulliver. He puts him in a cage with a monkey, who almost tortured the main character to death.

Gulliver himself tells the king about the structure of life in England. And no matter how well His Majesty treats him, he wants with all his might to return to his homeland.

And again His Majesty chance bursts into Gulliver’s fate. The eagle grabs the main character's house and takes him to the open sea, where Gulliver is picked up by a ship from England.

Part 3. Gulliver in the land of scientists

The life of the main character is filled with events. By coincidence, he ends up on an island that floats in the sky, and then descends to the capital of this island, which is located on the ground.

What catches the traveler's eye? This is terrible poverty, wretchedness. But, as strange as it may seem, in this world of devastation and chaos it is possible to identify islands where prosperity and order flourish. Why is this happening?

This state of affairs is caused by the reforms of the country's government, which in no way improve the lives of ordinary citizens.

Almost all people are academics. They are so passionate about their research that they do not notice anything around them.
The trouble with academics is that their scientific projects are not implemented. Scientific discoveries are “discovered” only on paper. Therefore, the country is falling into decline... You could say that all these people are reinventing the wheel. But life doesn’t stand still!

Picture or drawing Swift - Gulliver's Travels

Other retellings for the reader's diary

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  The main characters of the story are the guys Kolya and Misha. Kolya’s mom is forced to leave for a couple of days. She believes that her son is already an adult, and therefore he can be left at home alone. In order for the boy to have what to eat, his mother teaches him how to cook porridge correctly.

Everyone knows the image of a sailor who is tied to the ground with ropes by little men. But in Jonathan Swift's book Gulliver's Travels, the main character does not stop at visiting the country of Lilliput. A work from a children's fairy tale turns into a philosophical reflection on humanity.

Teacher, publicist, philosopher, and also a priest, Jonathan Swift was originally from Ireland, but wrote in English, therefore he is considered an English writer. During his life he created 6 volumes of works. Gulliver's Travels was finally published in 1726-1727 in London, while Swift spent several years creating his work.

The author published the novel without indicating his authorship, and the book immediately became popular, although it was subject to censorship. The most widespread publication was the translation of the French writer Pierre Desfontaines, after which the novel was translated not from English, but from French.

Later, continuations and imitations of Gulliver's story, operettas and even short children's versions of the novel began to appear, mainly devoted to the first part.

Genre, direction

"Gulliver's Travels" can be classified as a fantastic satirical-philosophical novel. The main character meets fairy-tale characters and becomes a guest in non-existent worlds.

The novel was written in the era of Enlightenment or Late Classicism, for which the travel genre was very popular. The works of this direction are distinguished by their instructive character, attention to detail and the absence of controversial characters.

The essence

The main character Lemuel Gulliver ends up in Lilliput as a result of a shipwreck, where little people mistake him for a monster. He saves them from the inhabitants of the neighboring island of Blefuscu, but despite this, the Lilliputians are going to kill him, which is why Gulliver has to escape from them.

During his second journey, Lemuel ends up in Brobdingnag, the land of giants. The girl Gryumdalklich takes care of him. Little Gulliver ends up with the king, where he gradually realizes the insignificance of humanity. The navigator gets home by accident when a giant eagle flies away with a box that was the traveler's temporary home.

The third journey takes Gulliver to the country of Balnibarbi, to the flying city of Laputa, where he observes with surprise the stupidity of the inhabitants, disguised as learning. On the mainland in the capital Lagado, he visits an academy where he sees the mindless inventions of local scientists. On the island of Glubbdobbrib, summoning the souls of deceased historical figures, he learns the truth about them, hidden by historians. On the island of Luggnagg he meets the Struldbrugs, tormented by immortality, after which he returns to England through Japan.

The fourth journey takes Gulliver to an island where intelligent Houyhnhnms horses use the labor of wild Yahoo creatures. The main character is expelled because he looks like a Yahoo. For a long time Lemuel cannot get used to people whose company becomes unbearable for him.

The main characters and their characteristics

1. Lemuel Gulliver- native of Nottinghamshire. He is married to Mary Burton and has two children. To earn money, Lemuel becomes a surgeon on a ship, and then a captain of the ship. Like most Enlightenment protagonists, he is inquisitive. The traveler easily adapts to new conditions, quickly learns the languages ​​of each place he finds himself in, and also embodies the conventional average hero.
2. Lilliputians. The word “Lilliputian” itself was coined by Swift. Residents of Lilliput and Blefuscu are 12 times smaller than an ordinary person. They are convinced that their country is the largest in the world, which is why they behave quite fearlessly with Gulliver. Lilliputians are an organized people, capable of doing difficult work quite quickly. They are ruled by a king named Golbasto Momaren Evlem Gerdaylo Shefin Molly Olly Gu. The Lilliputians are at war with the Blefuscans over a dispute over which side the egg should be broken from. But even in Lilliput itself there are disputes between the tremexene and slemexene parties, supporters of high and low heels. Gulliver's most ardent opponents are Galbet Skyresh Bolgolam and Lord Chancellor of the Treasury Flimnap. The Lilliputians represent a parody of the English monarchy.
3. Giants. Residents of the island of Brobdingnag, on the contrary, are 12 times larger than the average person. They treat Gulliver with care, especially the daughter of farmer Gryumdalklich. The giants are ruled by a just king, who is horrified by Gulliver's stories about gunpowder. These people are not familiar with murder and war. Brobdingnag is an example of a utopia, an ideal state. The only unpleasant character is the royal dwarf.
4. Residents of Balnibarbi. To keep the inhabitants of the flying island of Laputa distracted from thinking about the Universe, the servants have to smack them with sticks. Everything around them: from clothes to food, is connected with astronomy and geometry. The Laputians rule the country, having the right to crush any rebellion that arises at any time under the weight of the island. There are also people on earth who consider themselves smarter than everyone else, which is not true. The inhabitants of the island of Glabbdobbrib know how to summon the souls of dead people, and on the island of Luggnegg immortal struldbrugs are sometimes born, distinguished by a large spot on their heads. After 80 years of age, they experience civil death: they are no longer capable of functioning, are forever aging, and are incapable of friendship and love.
5. Houyhnhnms. The island of Houyhnhnmia is inhabited by horses that can speak their own intelligent language. They have their own homes, families, meetings. Gulliver translates the word “Houyhnhnm” as “the crown of creation.” They don't know what money, power and war are. They do not understand many human words, since for them the concepts of “weapons”, “lies” and “sin” do not exist. Houyhnhnms write poetry, do not waste words, and die without sorrow.
6. Yahoo. The Houyhnhnms are served as domesticated animals by ape-like savages, the Yahoos, who feed on carrion. They lack the ability to share, love, hate each other and collect shiny stones (a parody of man's passion for money and jewelry). There is a legend among the Houyhnhnms that the first Yahoos came here from overseas and were ordinary people, like Gulliver.

Topics and issues

The main theme of the work is man and the moral principles by which he tries to live. Swift raises questions about who a person is, what he looks like from the outside, whether he is doing the right thing and what his place in this world is.

The author raises the problem of the depravity of society. People have forgotten what it means not to fight, to do good and to be reasonable. In the first part of Gulliver's Travels, attention is paid to the problem of pettiness of government, in the second - to the problem of the insignificance and cruelty of man in general, in the third - to the problem of the loss of common sense, in the fourth - to the problem of achieving an ideal, as well as the decline of human morals.

main idea

The work of Jonathan Swift is an illustration of the fact that the world is diverse and incomprehensible; people still have to unravel the meaning of the universe. In the meantime, an imperfect and weak person has a gigantic conceit, considers himself a higher being, but not only cannot know everything, but often risks becoming worse than animals.

Many people have lost their humanity by inventing weapons, quarreling and deceiving. Man is petty, cruel, stupid and ugly in his behavior. The writer does not simply unfoundedly accuse humanity of all possible sins, but offers alternative options for existence. His main idea is the need to correct society through a consistent rejection of the vices of ignorance.

What does it teach?

The main character becomes a kind of observer from the outside. The reader, getting acquainted with the book, understands with him that a person needs to remain human. You should objectively assess your impact on the world around you, lead a reasonable life and not plunge into vices that gradually turn a person into a savage.

People should think about what humanity has come to and try to change the world, at least in a situation where it depends on each of them.

Criticism

The novel "Gulliver's Travels" was subjected to severe criticism, despite the fact that at first it was accepted as an ordinary fairy tale. According to reviewers, Jonathan Swift insults man, which means he insults God. The fourth part of the work suffered the most: the author was accused of hatred of people and bad taste.

For years, the church banned the book and state officials shortened it to cut down on dangerous political speculation. However, for the Irish people, the dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral remained a legendary fighter for the rights of the oppressed poor; ordinary townspeople did not forget about his social activities and literary talent.

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“Once we were playing cards with the horse guard Narumov.” After
games Tomsky told the amazing story of his grandmother, who knows
the secret of the three cards, allegedly revealed to her by the famous Saint Germain, will certainly
winners if you bet on them in a row. After discussing this story,
the players went home. This story seemed implausible
everyone, including Hermann, a young officer who had never played,
but, without stopping, he followed the game until the morning. Grandma
Tomsky, the old countess, sits in her dressing room, surrounded by maids.
Her pupil is also here behind the hoop. Tomsky comes in, he starts it up
small talk with the countess, but quickly leaves. Lizaveta Ivanovna,
the countess's pupil, left alone, looks out the window and sees a young
officer, whose appearance makes her blush. From this lesson
she is distracted by the countess, who gives the most contradictory orders and
this requires their immediate execution. Lizanka's life in the house
the wayward and selfish old woman is intolerable. It's literally her fault
in everything that irritates the countess. Endless nagging and whims
irritated the proud girl, who was looking forward to her
deliverer. That's why the appearance of the young officer she saw
for several days in a row standing on the street and looking at her window,
made her blush. This young man was none other than
Hermann. He was a man with strong passions and a fiery imagination,
whom only strength of character saved him from the delusions of his youth.
Tomsky's anecdote fired his imagination, and he wanted to know the secret
three cards. This desire became an obsession that involuntarily led him
to the house of the old countess, in one of the windows of which he noticed Lizaveta
Ivanovna. This minute became fatal. Hermann begins to exert
signs of attention to Lisa to enter the countess's house. He secretly conveys
a letter to her with a declaration of love. Lisa answers. Hermann in a new letter
demands a date. He writes to Lizaveta Ivanovna every day and finally
gets his way: Lisa makes an appointment for him in the house at a time when
her mistress will be at the ball, and explains how to sneak in unnoticed
to the house. Having barely waited for the appointed time, Hermann enters the house
and makes his way into the Countess's office. After waiting for the countess to return, Hermann
goes to her bedroom. He begins to beg the Countess to open it for him.
the secret of three cards; seeing the old woman's resistance, he begins to demand,
starts making threats and finally pulls out a gun. Seeing the gun, the old woman
falls from his chair in fear and dies. Turning back together
with the countess from the ball Lizaveta Ivanovna is afraid to meet her in her room
Hermann and even feels some relief when there is no one in it
it doesn't turn out. She indulges in reflection when Hermann suddenly enters.
and reports the death of the old woman. Lisa learns that her love is not the goal
Hermann and that she became the unwitting culprit in the death of the countess. Repentance
torments her. At dawn, Hermann leaves the Countess's house. Three days later
day Hermann attends the funeral service of the Countess. When saying goodbye to the deceased
It seemed to him that the old woman looked at him mockingly. Upset
He spends the day in feelings, drinks a lot of wine and falls asleep soundly at home.
Waking up late at night, he hears someone entering his room and recognizes
old countess She reveals to him the secret of three cards, three, seven
and an ace, and demands that he marry Lizaveta Ivanovna, after which
disappears. Three, seven and ace haunted Hermann's imagination.
Unable to resist temptation, he goes to the company of a famous
player Chekalinsky and bets a huge amount on three. His map
wins. The next day he bet on seven, and again he won.
The next evening, Hermann is again standing at the table. He played the card
but instead of the expected ace, he had the queen of spades in his hand. To him
it seems that the lady narrowed her eyes and grinned... Image on the map
strikes him with her resemblance to the old countess.

Jonathan Swift described four parts of the novel, four fantastic journeys. “Gulliver’s Adventures” is a utopian work, the author of which wanted to depict contemporary England and, with the help of satire, ridicule certain things. The main character constantly sails from real-life port cities, and ends up in exotic countries with their own laws, traditions, and way of life. Gulliver learns a lot of new things during his travels, and also tells residents of strange countries about his homeland.

Travel to Lilliput

This is where Gulliver's adventures begin. The summary of the first part of the novel tells that the little people warmly greeted the “Man-Mountain”. Lilliputians do everything to make both parties comfortable; especially for their guest, they pass several laws regulating his communication with local residents. The dwarfs provide Gulliver with housing and food, which is not so easy, because the guest’s diet is equal to 1,728 Lilliputian portions.

The traveler has a pleasant conversation with the emperor, telling him about his homeland. All the main characters of Gulliver's Adventures are amazed at the absurdity that reigns in England, because their political system is built differently. The Lilliputians tell the guest about their war with Blefuscu, and he helps them defeat the enemy empire. But among the court retinue there are those who present all the good deeds of Gulliver to the emperor from the bad side. They demand the death of the intruder, but in the end they only decide to gouge out his eyes. Gulliver runs away to Blefuscu, where he is greeted with joy, but they also want to get rid of the giant as quickly as possible. The hero builds himself a boat and sails away to his homeland.

Journey to the Land of Giants

In the second part of the novel, already in the country where giants live, Gulliver's adventures continue. The summary of the work tells that here, in comparison with the previous plot, the main character and the local population change places. Gulliver demonstrates the ability to adapt to any circumstances, even the most fantastic life situations. The hero gets into various troubles and, in the end, comes to the royal palace, where he becomes the ruler's favorite interlocutor. Here the writer again compares the laws and traditions of the utopian state with the laws of his country. No matter how good it is to be away, home is better, and the hero again sets off for his native shores.

Travel to the flying island of Laputa

The third part of Swift's novel continues the amazing adventures of Gulliver. The summary tells the reader about the unusual life of the Laputans, who love to keep up with news and politics so much that due to excessive worry and fear living in their minds, they cannot sleep peacefully. Here the writer gave many examples of absurdity. First, there are the clappers, whose job is to attract the listeners' attention to the conversation. Secondly, the poverty of the continent to which Gulliver descends from the flying island is shown. Thirdly, a visit to the Academy of Projectors, where Swift described in all its glory scientists who allow themselves to be led by the nose. Tired of miracles, the hero goes home again.

Travel to the country of the Houyhnhnms

The fourth part concludes Gulliver's adventures. The summary tells about an amazing state in which noble, highly moral and respectable horses live, and they are served by vile and evil Yahoos that look like people. The main character likes this utopian country and wants to stay here forever, but the Houyhnhnms expel Gulliver from their state because, although he is noble, he looks like a Yahoo. The idea of ​​tolerance turns out to be alien even to these kind creatures, and the main character goes home.

Travel to Lilliput

Gulliver's father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire. He had 5 sons. Gulliver is the third among them. He studied at Cambridge very diligently, but the costs of education for his father, a poor husband, were too great a burden, and after three years the son had to give up his studies and go to science as a London surgeon. From time to time his father sent his son some money, and he spent it on studying navigation and mathematics, because they are useful for those who decide to travel. He thought that sooner or later such a fate would present itself to him.

Soon Gulliver moved to Leiden, where he carefully studied medicine. Returning home, he became a doctor on the ship “Swallow”. He served there for three years, constantly traveling. Arriving in England, he settled in London, rented part of a small house and married Mary Burton, the second daughter of a store owner.

But two years later, Gulliver’s medical practice began to improve, and, after consulting with his wife, he decided to go to sea again. For six years he worked as a doctor on two ships, visited India and the West Indies, took a closer look at the customs of people and studied foreign languages.

The last trip was not very happy, and he decided to settle at home, with his wife and children. I waited three years for things to improve, but in the end

On May 4, 1699, he sailed from Bristol on the Antelope. But already on November 5, a squall crashed the ship against a rock.

Gulliver swam at random. Finally, extremely exhausted, he felt the ground under his feet. But after walking for a mile, I did not come across any signs of housing or people. Terribly tired, he fell asleep soundly for a full 9 hours.

During the day he wanted to get up, but he could not even move: his arms, legs and long hair were tied to the ground. The whole body was entangled in thin ropes. Gulliver could only look up, and the sun blinded him. There was some noise around. Soon the living thing was on his chest. He was a little man about six inches tall, with a bow and arrow in his hands and a quiver over his shoulders. Following him were about fifty of the same little men. Gulliver exclaimed in surprise - and they scattered in fear. But soon they returned, and one of them decided to appear in front of Gulliver’s face and shouted: “Gekina degul! But Gulliver did not understand anything.

Finally, after much effort, the giant was lucky to break the ropes and remove the pegs from the ground that tied his left hand. At that very moment, he felt that a hundred arrows, prickly as needles, were piercing him. Some little men tried to stab them in the sides with spears. Fortunately, they were not able to pierce the buffalo jacket. Noticing that Gulliver was moving, the little men stopped shooting. Turning his head, the giant saw a platform about one and a half feet high with two or three ladders. One of the men from this regiment, apparently some important person, turned to Gulliver, then they cut the ropes with which his head was bandaged. The speaker was middle-aged and seemed taller than the three who accompanied him.

Gulliver was almost starving because he ate his last meal several hours before he left the ship. He made signs to ask for food. Gurgo (this was the title of the nobleman) understood him. Soon hundreds of Lilliputian natives were already bringing him food. Then Gulliver gave a sign that he was thirsty, and three barrels were rolled up to him, each containing half a pint of light wine.

A little later, a venerable official, an envoy of the Imperial Majesty, appeared before Gulliver. The State Council decided to transport the giant to the capital. Gulliver was to be taken there as a prisoner. The giant was inclined to sleep, he slept for a long time, because a sleeping potion was added to the barrels of wine.

Lilliputians are outstanding mathematicians and achieved personal success in mechanics thanks to the support and encouragement of the emperor. 500 carpenters and engineers built a huge carriage for Gulliver. But the greatest difficulty was in lifting it and placing it on the platform. To do this, the natives dug 80 pillars one foot high, tied strong ropes (no thicker than twine) with hooks at the ends to them, and they touched them with ropes that were wrapped around the giant’s neck, arms, legs and torso. 900 strong men pulled the ropes, and three hours later Gulliver was already lying on the platform, tightly tied to it. During this operation he slept deeply. 1500 of the strongest horses were pulled half a mile from the place where Gulliver lay.

On the square where the lucky man stopped, there was an ancient temple, considered the most important in the entire state. It was used for various public needs. Gulliver was destined for housing. But he could barely get through there. The giant was imprisoned on 91 chains the size of a lady's watch chain. But Gulliver was convinced that he could not break it, and he was upset.

The scenery was pleasant. The whole area seemed like a continuous garden. To the left, Gulliver saw a city that resembled a theater set.

The emperor had already left the tower and was approaching Gulliver on horseback. By doing this he put himself in danger. On his orders, food and drinks were brought to the giant. The emperor was almost a whole fingernail taller than all the courtiers. His Majesty repeatedly addressed Gulliver, but he did not understand him. When the emperor returned to the city, a guard was assigned to the giant to protect him from the crowd. For if he was sitting at the door of his home, some decided to shoot, and one arrow almost hit him in the left eye. The colonel on guard decided that the greatest punishment would be to hand over Gulliver's rowdies. And he, having received a knife, cut the ropes with which the prisoners were tied, and released them. It made a good impression.

That night Gulliver had to crawl into the room and lie down to sleep right on the ground. Two weeks later, by order of the emperor, the bed was made: 600 mattresses of regular size were brought on carts.

When Gulliver's arrival became known throughout the country, all the natives came to see him. “The villages were almost completely deserted, and if the emperor had not issued special orders and regulations, the country’s agriculture would have declined greatly.”

Meanwhile, the emperor repeatedly convened the State Council, where they discussed the future fate of Gulliver. It was very expensive to maintain. It could even lead to famine in the country. More than once at court they were inclined to think of starving Gulliver to death or showering his face and hands with poisoned arrows, from which he could quickly die. But such a huge corpse, rotting, would cause various problems, which would subsequently spread throughout the country.

When two officers reported to the emperor about the incident with the hooligans, he immediately issued a decree obliging all villages 900 yards from the capital to supply cows, sheep and other livestock for Gulliver in the morning, along with an appropriate amount of bread, wine and various drinks. 600 people were assigned to serve. The scientists were tasked with teaching the giant their language, and soon he was able to communicate with the emperor. The first thing he asked for was will. The emperor replied that everything has its time. However, he promised that they would treat Gulliver well, but they would search him, because the weapon, if it was suitable for such a big man, must be very dangerous. Gulliver agreed and put the two officials who would conduct the search in his pocket. Two pockets were not searched, since Gulliver states there are things only he needs. Officials compiled a detailed list of what they found. When it was read to the emperor, first of all he demanded that the giant unsheath his saber and pistol. Gulliver warned the emperor not to be afraid and fired into the air. This made an impression much more than the saber. Thus Gulliver remained armed. He also gave away a watch, as well as coins, a folding knife, a razor, a snuff box, a handkerchief and a notebook.

The natives gradually stopped being afraid of Gulliver. He learned their language well and could already talk to them. One day the emperor had the idea to please the giant with the spectacle of the games there. The most entertaining thing for him was the rope dancers. “Only candidates for some high position or those who want to prevent great favor at court participate in this game.” “When someone, having either died or fallen out of favor (which happens quite often), vacates a position, then five or six candidates ask the emperor for permission to entertain him and the court with dancing on a rope, and the one who jumps faster and does not fall, gets a position."

They had one more entertainment: the emperor puts three silk threads (blue, red, green) on the table; they are awarded to those whom he wants to designate with special affection. Challengers must crawl under or jump over a horizontal stick, depending on whether the emperor raises or lowers it. Whoever completes all the tasks the longest and with the greatest speed receives a thread as a reward, which he wears instead of a belt.

Two or three days before Gulliver's dismissal, a messenger arrived to His Majesty with a message that they had found a strange thing on the shore, which probably referred to the Burning Man. Gulliver was delighted and realized that it was his hat.

Two days after this, the emperor came up with an original entertainment: he ordered Gulliver to become like the Colossus of Rhodes, spread his legs, and under him he lined up an army and led a ceremonial march. 3,000 infantry and 1,000 horsemen took part in the parade.

Finally, His Majesty raised the issue of granting freedom to Gulliver in the cabinet of ministers, but Skyresh Bolgolam, one of the officials, became the mortal enemy of the giant and objected to this. Forced to agree with the majority of the ministers, he drew up the text of the conditions under which Gulliver was to be released. Gulliver had no right to leave the property without official permission. He will not enter the capital without warning the residents two hours in advance, and will not lie down in the meadows and fields. He has no right to accept Lilliputians in his arms without their consent. If the need arises, Gulliver must be an accomplice in the fight against the hostile island of Blefuscu, must help in the construction of imperial buildings and deliver urgent orders. This document was read by Gulliver and then his chains were solemnly removed.

Having received freedom, Gulliver asked permission to explore Mildendo, the capital of Lilliput. He advanced very carefully.

The imperial palace stood in the center of the capital, at the crossroads of two main streets. Gulliver really wanted to see the emperor's chambers, but for this he needed chairs built from the largest trees in the park. Then he saw the most diverse chambers that one could imagine. They had an empress and young princes surrounded by a retinue. Her Imperial Majesty smiled at Gulliver and tenderly extended her hand out the window for a kiss.

One morning the chief secretary in secret affairs, Feldresel, came to the Man of the Mountain. He told Gulliver that 70 months ago, two warring parties were formed in the empire, known as Tremekseniv and Slemekseniv, from high and low heels on shoes, how they differ from each other. His Majesty ordered government positions to be given only to those who wear low heels.

The hatred between both parties has reached such a point that members of one will neither eat, nor drink at the table, nor talk with members of the other.

But the Tremexens, or High Heels, are outnumbered. All power is still in the hands of the emperor, but the successor to the throne sympathizes with high heels. At least one of his heels is higher than the other. And amid these civil strife, there is also the threat of an attack from troops from Blefuscu, the second great power in the world, almost as big as Lilliput. For 36 months now, these states have been in a state of fierce war, and for this reason.

Lilliputians broke eggs at the blunt end before eating them. However, when His Majesty's grandfather broke an egg in this way and cut off his finger, they issued a decree that all subjects should break eggs only from the sharp end. The monarchs of Blefuscu always incited the people of Lilliput to revolt, and when the rebellions were suppressed, they gave shelter to exiles. Hundreds of volumes have been published on this controversy. The emperors of Blefuscu filed protests more than once, accusing the Lilliputian government of religious schism and violation of the main dogma of the great prophet Lastrog. But in the Al-Koran, the book of books, it is written: “Let all true believers break their eggs from the end that is most convenient.” And this is decided by the supreme judge of the empire. From this conflict a bloody war began. The enemy has built a large fleet and is preparing to land on the shores of Lilliput. The Emperor wanted Gulliver to support him in the war. But he did not consider it necessary to interfere in party feuds, but was ready to give his life defending his highness and the great power of Lilliput from enemy invasion.

The Blefuscu Empire is an island northeast of Lilliput. Having learned about the attack, Gulliver avoided showing himself on the shore. In Blefuscu they knew nothing about him. He asked the most experienced sailors about the depth of the strait. The giant went to the north-eastern shore, from where he could see Blefuscu, lay down behind the hillock and saw about fifty tall ships and a large force of transports standing at anchor. Gulliver ordered a roll of strong rope and many iron bars to be placed. The rope was as thick as our rope, and the beams were like weaving twigs. The giant wove the rope in three, and for the same purpose twisted three iron rods together, bending the ends with hooks. I attached 50 hooks to 50 ropes and headed to the north-eastern shore. Half an hour before the influx, he entered the water in his leather jacket, taking off his camisole, boots and stockings. In less than half an hour Gulliver arrived in the fleet. Seeing him, the enemies were so frightened that they jumped into the sea and swam to the shore, where at least 30 thousand of them gathered. Then Gulliver took his weapon, hooked the hooks into the holes that were in the bow of each ship, and tied the ropes from them together. While the giant was busy with this, the enemies fired thousands of arrows. He was more afraid of his eyes. Suddenly he remembered the glasses - the imperial caretakers had not noticed them during the search. Many of the arrows hit the lenses of the glasses, but did not cause them much harm. Then Gulliver decisively cut the anchor ropes, then, taking the ropes tied together with hooks, he easily trained 50 of the largest enemy warships.

The Blefuscians were dumbfounded. Noticing that the entire fleet was sailing after Gulliver, they heard a terrible cry. And the giant, safe and sound, arrived with his prey to the royal port of Lilliput.

The Emperor and his entire court almost lost heart when they saw the enemy fleet quickly approaching them. But soon the fears were dispelled, for with every step the strait became smaller and Gulliver was already visible. For this feat, he was awarded the title of nardak, the highest honorary award in the empire.

The ambition of monarchs knows no bounds, and the emperor expressed the desire that Gulliver would find an opportunity and bring the rest of the enemy ships to his ports. However, the giant tried to dissuade him from such an intention, citing numerous political arguments and considerations of justice, and resolutely refused to be an instrument of enslavement of an independent people. Wise ministers in the state took Gulliver's side.

The emperor did not forgive the giant for this. Since then, His Majesty and the enemy clique of ministers began an intrigue against Gulliver, which two months later almost led to his death.

Three weeks after these events, a delegation solemnly arrived from Blefuscu, asking for peace, and soon a treaty was signed on terms very favorable to the Emperor of Lilliput. After this, on behalf of their emperor, ambassadors from Blefuscu invited Gulliver to visit their state. At the very first reception with the Emperor of Lilliput, he asked for permission to visit Blefuscu. His Majesty did this reluctantly.

Then at midnight the footsteps of a thousand-strong crowd were heard at the door of Gulliver's house. Several courtiers, pushing through the crowd, begged Gulliver to go to the palace, because a fire had broken out in the chambers of the Imperial Majesty. He instantly jumped to his feet. Ladders had already been placed against the walls of the chambers and many buckets had been brought, but the water was not close. Gulliver could have easily put out the fire by covering the palace with his doublet, but he left it at home because he was in a hurry. And this luxurious palace would certainly have burned to the ground if a happy thought had not come to mind.

Gulliver went to relieve himself and did it so deftly that in about three minutes the entire fire went out. But the empress was terribly outraged by Gulliver's act. She settled in the most remote part of the palace, determined never to visit her former chambers, and solemnly promised revenge.

Gulliver intends in this section to describe Lilliput in detail and some general information. The average height of the natives is slightly less than six inches, and the size of both animals and plants exactly corresponds to this. But nature has adapted the eyes of Lilliputians to precisely this size, and they see perfectly, but only up close.

Lilliputians write not like Europeans - from left to right, not like Arabs - from right to left, not like Chinese - from top to bottom, but like English houses - diagonally, across the page.

They hide the dead, placing them head down, because they are of the opinion that after eleven thousand moons the dead will rise again. And at that time the earth should spread from bottom to top. And the Lilliputians will rise to their feet.

All crimes against the state are punished here extremely strictly, but if the innocence of the accused is proven in court, then the traffic driver is given over to a shameful execution, and a fine is deducted from his property in favor of the innocent, and the harmlessness is announced throughout the city.

They consider fraud a more serious crime than theft, and therefore punish it with death, because caution and vigilance can protect property from a thief, but honesty has nothing to defend against clever fraud.

There, anyone who submits sufficient evidence for 73 months to have strictly complied with all the laws of the land becomes entitled to certain benefits according to his condition and life and receives a proportionate amount of money from special funds. In addition, he is given the title of snilpel, i.e. of the lawyer, does not pass to the heirs.

When appointing someone to a public office, Lilliputians pay more attention to moral qualities than to abilities. They believe that truthfulness, justice, moderation, and other similar qualities are within the power of everyone and that these qualities, with experience and good intentions, make everyone capable of serving his country, except in cases where special knowledge is required. Lack of faith in divine providence also makes a person unfit for public office. The shameful custom of appointing to high positions those who dance well on a rope or crawl under a baton was first introduced by the grandfather of the current emperor.

Ingratitude is considered a criminal offense in Lilliput; according to the Lilliputians, the one who repays evil to a benefactor is an enemy to all other people to whom he owes nothing, and therefore he deserves death.

Their views on the responsibilities of parents and children are very different from those in Gulliver's country. Lilliputians believe that parents can be trusted less than anyone else with the upbringing of their children, and therefore in every city there are public educational institutions where all parents, except peasants and workers, must send their children and where they are raised and educated until they will be 20 months old, i.e. at the age when, according to Lilliputians, certain abilities are born. These schools come in several types, depending on the gender of the children and the condition of their parents. The teachers there are very experienced and prepare children for life in accordance with the social status of their parents and their own abilities and inclinations. Parents can only see their children twice a year, for no more than an hour each time. Kissing children is allowed only on dates and farewells, and the teacher carefully ensures that nothing is whispered to the children, they do not say affectionate words, and they do not bring toys, sweets, etc.

Gulliver did not notice any difference in their upbringing due to gender, except that physical exercise for girls was not so difficult.

Peasants and workers keep children at home because they will only have to plow and cultivate the land, and their upbringing is of little importance to society. However, shelters have been established for the old and infirm, and therefore begging is a craft unknown in the empire.

Next, Gulliver writes about the details of his life and way of life in the country where he stayed for 9 months and 13 days. He made himself a table and chair from the largest trees in the royal park. Two hundred seamstresses sewed shirts for him from the finest fabric; they must have cost several times. The measurements were taken from the thumb of his right hand, because in Lilliputians it is mathematically precisely calculated that the circumference of the thumb is twice the circumference of the wrist, apparently the wrist is twice the circumference of the neck, and apparently the neck is twice the circumference of the state.

Three hundred tailors sewed clothes. “When the camisole was ready, it resembled the blankets that English ladies sew from scraps of fabric, with the difference that it was all the same color.”

Three hundred cooks cooked food in small houses built near Gulliver's house. One plate of food was enough for one sip. Once he was treated to such a huge ham that he was bitten three times, but this was a rare case.

One day the emperor announced that he wanted to have lunch with Gulliver, accompanied by his wife and young princes and princesses. He ate more than usual, wanting to impress the yard. And Flimpen, Lord Chancellor of the Exchequer, the enemy of the giant, then noted that the maintenance of the Man of the Mountain had already cost His Majesty more than 1.5 million lust (the largest gold coin in Lilliput), and advised the emperor to get rid of Gulliver at the first opportunity.

And soon the stranger noticed that he was losing the favor of His Majesty.

In this section, Gulliver reports on the secret intrigues that were waged against him for two months.

It was when he was preparing to visit the Emperor of Blefuscu that one evening a venerable courtier arrived to him in complete secret and, without giving his name, demanded a meeting. He said that Gulliver was accused of treason and other crimes punishable by death, and showed the indictment. The Rada decided to gouge out both Gulliver's eyes, such punishment as would satisfy justice. And later, the emperor believed, it would be possible to punish him even more severely. In three days, a secretary will be sent to Gulliver, and he will read the indictment.

When His Highness left, Gulliver was left extremely worried and discouraged. Finally he settled on this decision. Having his Majesty's official permission to visit the Emperor of Blefuscu, he wrote a letter to the secretary, who was his friend, informing him that he was leaving. Without waiting for an answer, he went that same day to the seashore where the fleet was stationed. There he confiscated a warship, tied a rope to its bow, raised the anchors, undressed, put his clothes in the ship and, moving the ship behind him, reached the royal port of Blefuscu, where the people were already waiting for him. The Emperor of Blefuscu, accompanied by his august family and the most significant nobles, went to meet them. Gulliver told His Majesty that he had come to them in accordance with the promise and with the permission of the emperor, its owner, for the high honor of seeing such a powerful monarch.

Three days after arriving in Blefuscu, Gulliver noticed something like an overturned boat in the open sea at a distance of a piwl. He drove him to the shore. The boat was of enormous size, as the Blefuscians believed. Then Gulliver told the emperor that fate had sent him this boat to give him the opportunity to get to a place from where he could return to his homeland, and asked His Majesty to give him the materials necessary to equip the ship, and at the same time permission to leave. He agreed.

After some time, a messenger from Lilliput arrived in Blefuscu with a copy of the indictment. The Emperor of Blefuscu, after a three-day conference, sent a very polite reply with many apologies. He wrote that, as his brother well understood, it was not possible to send Gulliver bound, and that soon both monarchs would be able to breathe a sigh of relief, because the giant found a huge ship on the shore on which he could go to sea.

With this answer the messenger returned to Lilliput.

This forced Gulliver to hurry up and leave earlier than he had planned, and the courtyard willingly helped him with this. 500 craftsmen sewed two sails, Gulliver made rigging, and used a large stone instead of an anchor.

A month later, when everything was ready, His Majesty presented Gulliver with a full-length portrait of himself, which the giant immediately hid in his glove so as not to damage it. The boat was loaded with one hundred oxen and three hundred sheep carcasses, an adequate supply of bread and drinks, and as many ready-made dishes as four hundred cooks could prepare.

On September 24, 1701 at six o'clock in the morning Gulliver set sails. Soon he saw the ship. It is not easy to express the joy that overwhelmed him when he saw the English flag. On the ship, Gulliver met his old friend and told him everything that happened, but he did not believe him, thinking that the hardships he had experienced had darkened his friend’s mind. But Gulliver took cows and sheep from his pocket, which he took with him.

In England, he earned a lot of money by showing his cattle to various respectful and simply interesting people, and before setting off on his second trip, he sold them for six hundred pounds.

After staying with his wife and children for only two months, he said goodbye and boarded the merchant ship Adventure. The reader will be able to read the description of this journey in the second part of the journey.