en, who was rather
timid, to let herself be held up in her chair within full view of the
scene. But a fiery horse one day, pawing with his hoof, wore a hole in
the handkerchief, and came down heavily on its side, and after this
Gulliver could no longer trust the strength of his stage.

IV

GULLIVER IS FREED, AND CAPTURES THE BLEFUSCAN FLEET

By this time Gulliver's clothes were almost in rags. The three hundred
tailors had not yet been able to finish his new suit, and he had no
hat at all, for that had been lost as he came ashore from the wreck.
So he was greatly pleased one day when an express message came to the
King from the coast, saying that some men had found on the shore a
great, black, strangely-shaped mass, as high as a man; it was not
alive, they were certain. It had never moved, though for a time they
had watched, before going closer. After making certain that it was not
likely to injure them, by mounting on each other's shoulders they had
got on the top, which they found was flat and smooth, and, by the
sound when stamped upon, they judged that it was hollow. It was
thought that the object might possibly be something belonging to the
Man Mountain, and they proposed by the help of five horses to bring it
to the city.

Gulliver was sure that it must be his hat, and so it turned out. Nor
was it very greatly damaged, either by the sea or by being drawn by
the horses over the ground all the way from the coast, except that two
holes had been bored in the brim, to which a long cord had been fixed
by hooks. Gulliver was much pleased to have it once more.

Two days after this the King took into his head a curious fancy. He
ordered a review of troops to be held, and he directed that Gulliver
should stand with his legs very wide apart, while under him both horse
and foot were commanded to march. Over three thousand infantry and one
thousand cavalry passed through the great arch made by his legs,
colors flying and bands playing. The King and Queen themselves sat in
their State Coach at the saluting point, near to his left leg, and all
the while Gulliver dared not move a hair's-breadth, lest he should
injure some of the soldiers.

Shortly after this, Gulliver was set free. There had been a meeting of
the King's Council on the subject, and the Lord High Admiral was the
only member in favor of still keeping him chained. This great officer
to the end was Gulliver's bitter enemy, and though on this occasion he