n they had hitherto
done, and showed him more of the manners and customs of the country.
Some of these were very curious.

One of the sports of which they were most fond was rope-dancing, and
there was no more certain means of being promoted to high office and
power in the state than to possess great cleverness in that art.
Indeed, it was said that the Lord High Treasurer had gained and kept
his post chiefly through his great skill in turning somersaults on the
tight rope. The Chief Secretary for private affairs ran him very
close, and there was hardly a Minister of State who did not owe his
position to such successes. Few of them, indeed, had escaped without
severe accidents at one time or another, while trying some specially
difficult feat, and many had been lamed for life. But however many and
bad the falls, there were always plenty of other persons to attempt
the same or some more difficult jump.

Taught by his narrow escape from a serious accident when his horse
first saw Gulliver, the King now gave orders that the horses of his
army, as well as those from the Royal stables, should be exercised
daily close to the Man Mountain. Soon they became so used to the sight
of him that they would come right up to his foot without starting or
shying. Often the riders would jump their chargers over Gulliver's
hand as he held it on the ground; and once the King's huntsman, better
mounted than most of the others, actually jumped over his foot, shoe
and all--a wonderful leap.

Gulliver saw that it was wise to amuse the King in this and other
ways, because the more his Majesty was pleased with him the sooner was
it likely that his liberty would be granted. So he asked one day that
some strong sticks, about two feet in height, should be brought to
him. Several of these he fixed firmly in the ground, and across them,
near the top, he lashed four other sticks, enclosing a square space of
about two and a half feet. Then to the uprights, about five inches
lower than the crossed sticks, he tied his pocket-handkerchief, and
stretched it tight as a drum.

When the work was finished, he asked the King to let a troop exercise
on this stage. His Majesty was delighted with the idea, and for
several days nothing pleased him more than to see Gulliver lift up the
men and horses, and to watch them go through their drill on this
platform. Sometimes he would even be lifted up himself and give the
words of command; and once he persuaded the Que