Page 137 - Child's own book

Blefuscu, The two mighty empires of Lilliput and Blefuscu
have been engaged in a most obstinate war for thirty-six
moons, which began thus:—The grandfather of our present
Emperor, when a boy, was Gating an egg, and, breaking the
shell at the broadest end, happened to cut his finger; upon
wliich the Emperor, his father, published an edict, ordering all
his subjects, on pain of death, to break their eggs at the narrow
end. At that time, paTtof Blefuscu was tributary to the crown
of Lilliput; and the Blefuscudians would not conform to the
law, but continued to break the large end of their eggs, and
war was declared to compel them to tlieir duty. In short, the
Blefuscudians have prepared a mighty fleet to make a descent
upon us; and his Majesty, knowing your strength* relies solely
on your assistance ” After considering the subjcct for some
time, I proposed io seize the fleet of the enemy in their own
port; and his Lilliputian Majesty, delighted with the project,
ordered me to be provided with all that was necessary for its
execution.
When my preparations were made, and I had learned that the
channel, which separated the two countries, was not more than
eight hundred yards wide* and at high water only six feet of
European measure deep, I put off my coat, shoes, and stock­
ings* and walked into the sea* about half an hour before high
water. I waded with what haste I could, and swam, in the
middle about thirty yards, till I felt ground. I arrived at the
fleet in less than half an hour. The enemy were sn frighted
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 ship, I tied all the cords
together at the end. While 1 was thus employed, the enemy
discharged several thousand arrows, many of whieh stuck in