hand was free, he could easily get rid of the rest of
his bonds. As soon as the little people saw that he struggled no more,
they ceased shooting at him; but he knew from the increasing sound of
voices that more and more of the little soldiers were coming round
him.

Soon, a few yards from him, on the right, he heard a continued sound
of hammering, and on turning his head to that side as far as the
strings would let him, he saw that a small wooden stage was being
built. On to this, when it was finished, there climbed by ladders four
men, and one of them (who seemed to be a very important person, for a
little page boy attended to hold up his train) immediately gave an
order. At once about fifty of the soldiers ran forward and cut the
strings that tied Gulliver's hair on the left side, so that he could
turn his head easily to the right.

Then the person began to make a long speech, not one word of which
could Gulliver understand, but it seemed to him that sometimes the
little man threatened, and sometimes made offers of kindness.

As well as he could, Gulliver made signs that he submitted. Then,
feeling by this time faint with hunger, he pointed with his fingers
many times to his mouth, to show that he wanted something to eat.

They understood him very well. Several ladders were put against
Gulliver's sides, and about a hundred little people climbed up and
carried to his mouth all kinds of bread and meat. There were things
shaped like legs, and shoulders, and saddles of mutton. Very good they
were, Gulliver thought, but very small, no bigger than a lark's wing;
and the loaves of bread were about the size of bullets, so that he
could take several at a mouthful. The people wondered greatly at the
amount that he ate.

When he signed that he was thirsty, they slung up on to his body two
of their biggest casks of wine, and having rolled them forward to his
hand they knocked out the heads of the casks. Gulliver drank them both
off at a draught, and asked for more, for they held only about a small
tumblerful each. But there was no more to be had.

As the small people walked to and fro over his body, Gulliver was
sorely tempted to seize forty or fifty of them and dash them on the
ground, and then to make a further struggle for liberty. But the pain
he had already suffered from their arrows made him think better of it,
and he wisely lay quiet.

Soon another small man, who from his brilliant uniform seemed to be an
officer