Chapter 3 I Make War on Blefuscu

Reldresal, a great man in Lilliput and a good friend of the king, came to my house with his servant. He wanted to speak to me. “You can put me on your hand, ” he said.

We talked for an hour.“There are many problems in Lilliput between the Big-enders and the Little-enders, ” he told me. “The king and most people are Little-enders. But the people of the Island of Blefuscu help the Big-enders here. Now there is war. Can you help us? ”

“But what is this war about? ” I asked. “And what is a ‘Big-ender'? ”

“It is about eggs, ” answered Reldresal, “and it is very important. For many years, everybody in Lilliput cut their eggs at the big end before they ate them. We were all Big-enders. But this king's grandfather cut his finger when he opened his egg. He was only a boy at the time,but his father,the king,made a new law.Everybody had to open their eggs at the little end. We had to be Little-enders! ”

“Many of the king's people were angry and opened their eggs at the big end. Some Big-enders left our island and started new lives in Blefuscu.The Big-enders hate the Little-enders and the Little-enders hate the Big-enders.”

I went to the king the next day. “I can help you in your war, ” I told him. “The ships of Blefuscu are waiting for the right wind. Then they will come to Lilliput. They know nothing about me because I stay away from the sea.Listen,I have a plan.”

The king listened carefully to my words and he was very happy with my plan.

I then went to our ships and asked questions about the sea between the Island of Lilliput and the Island of Blefuscu.

“It is not more than a metre and a half or two metres to the bottom of the sea, ” they told me.

I found some very strong string. Then I left my shoes on the dry ground and walked into the water.

In half an hour I came to Blefuscu and saw their ships. When they saw me, a lot of men jumped out of their ships into the water.

I took my string and put it round the front of every ship. Their men sent arrows at me, and the arrows hit my hands and my face. I was afraid for my eyes,so I put on my eye-glasses.Then I pulled the forty largest Blefuscu ships after me through the water. And I came back to Lilliput.

The king and his great men could only see the ships from Blefuscu because only my head was above the water. But when I came nearer, I called: “I did this for the greatest King of Lilliput! ”

“Thank you, ” the king said. “Will you go back to Blefuscu and bring the other ships? Then I will be king of their country. Its people can work for me and be my servants. I can kill the Big-enders. Then I will be king of the world.”

“No, I won't help you with that, ” I said. “Don't kill those people —it's wrong.”

He was very angry. And from that time, some of the king's friends began to talk about me unkindly.

“Perhaps they'll kill me now or send me away, ” I thought when I heard this.

About three weeks later, six important men came from Blefuscu to Lilliput.They wanted to end the war.They brought 500 other men with them — helpers, writers and servants.

The King of Lilliput listened to them. Each man spoke for hours, and then the great men of Lilliput answered — with the help of about 600 men. In the end, the men from Blefuscu and the men of Lilliput wrote their names on a paper. That ended the war between their two countries.

“Don't take too much from the people of Blefuscu. They'll be unhappy again, ” I told the king's great men, and they listened to me.

So the King of Blefuscu was very happy. He sent me a letter —he wanted me to visit his country.

Do you remember the Rules of the King of Lilliput? The first Rule said: “The Man-Mountain will ask before he leaves the country”.

I knew this rule, but I thought: “The king won't say no. I won't ask him.” So I got ready for my journey.

That night, one of the king's men — a good friend — came to my house. “It is dangerous for you now in Lilliput, ” he told me. “The king is afraid. Perhaps you will start another war in Blefuscu and fight us from there. His men want to hurt your eyes. Then they will give you no food. You will die.”

I was angry, but then I thought: “These people were very kind to me.They're not bad people,only stupid.I'll go to Blefuscu.”

I took the king's largest ship. I put my clothes and my other things in it. Then I walked through the water and pulled the ship after me.

I arrived quickly at the Island of Blefuscu.Near the sea I met two men.

“Where's your city? ” I asked them.

They showed me the way. There the King of Blefuscu and his queen came out and met me.

They wanted me to be happy. But there was no big house for me there. I had to put my coat over me and sleep outside on the ground.