Lena's Travels

 

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Part 1: Chapter 1

An account is given of the author and her family as well as their history. In her quest to clear a certain family member’s name, she finds herself tracing his footsteps. Literally.

My grandmother had a fairly small house with not much in it. I was number three of the five grandchildren that she had and was the only girl. My grandmother was a fairly well off woman and when it was time for me to go to college I was surprised to find that she had set aside money for a college fund. I was a history major while I was there and went all four years and I’m happy to say that I was a pretty fair student. I made sure to try and spend my money wisely so would I have some left over just in case. I wanted to study history from the source, as it were.

Soon after I returned home I managed to get a small apartment and get a job as a librarian. It was not much of a job but I got to spend the majority of my time around books, one of my favorite past times. I lived by myself much to the displeasure of my mother, but my grandmother who had always been my advocate remained a staunch supporter and effectively put my mother in her place. Two years later my grandmother passed away suddenly devastating me to my core. It was when I was helping to clean out and sort all of the items in her house that I found it.

To my dear granddaughter,

This bag and all of the items inside belonged to a very interesting ancestor of yours. I thought you would appreciate it the most and who knows? You may find out that the stories are true.

I hurriedly went downstairs and laid the bag out ion the coffee table, my mother sitting down beside me.

“Look at all of the stuff that’s in here.” I began to carefully extract things from the bag. All of the contents of the bag were eventually laid out carefully in front of us. There were only three things inside the bag: a book, and a fairly decent sized coat that could only have doubled as a patchwork quilt and a pair of spectacles or glasses. These items were examined carefully and put aside, but the items that I was most interested in was the book which looked in pretty good condition, although I’m not sure how long my grandmother had had it in there.

“Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World,” I read out loud. Just below the title was the name: Lemuel Gulliver. ON the inside of the front cover was another note from my grandmother. The note informed me that the items within the bag (as well as the bag itself) had been family hearlooms and that she knew that I would be the one that would appreciate it the most. She wrote that the stories within the book had always been considered out of the ordinary but that maybe I would be the one that would be able to make the most sense out of them. I took up all of the items and went back to my own apartment, resolved to read the stories and do some more research after having a good night’s sleep. After all, I figured it would clear my head.

For the next several days I spent the majority of my time pouring over the text, trying to make sense of everything that was written but nothing was coming to mind. I wished that she was there in order for me to question her more, but unfortunately that was all for naught. Why had her grandmother not spoken of this guy before? Her mother didn’t know either. Then, as I was rereading the text for the umpteenth time I made a discovery in a few lines of text that I had not noticed before.

“ I accepted an advantageous offer from Captain William Pritchard, master of the Antelope, who was making a voyage to the South Seas. WE set sail from Bristol, May 4th 1699, and our voyage at first was very prosperous.”

I wasn’t sure why I had managed to gloss over that part before probably because there wasn’t much there to describe. The only thing that was said was the ship was blown off course by a violent storm. Gulliver went onto the state that the ship capsized and that he was seemingly the only survivor. I made sure I made a note of my place and went to my laptop to try and find out whether there might have been any records of that particular voyage. I think I had already had it in my mind what I was going to do. My grandmother had left me a decent amount of money and I still had a bit left over from school, and I had an alright amount from my job. To be honest I had always wanted to travel, basically learn more about the world and everything in it. I knew that several things would need to occur before I would be able to go but first I would have to take care of more than a few things that are hardly worth describing. The text stated that while traveling to the East Indies, a violent storm blew them off course to the northwest of Van Dieman’s Island (which I found was actually now the island known as Tasmania) at a latitude of 30 degrees, 2 minutes south, which I learned was either in Australia or off of the West Coast. It was there that my ancestor, Lemuel Gulliver ended up on this place called Lilliput…supposedly. The flight from Bristol was long and at some point I must have fallen asleep because I was awaked with a horrible jolt. I can’t really remember what happened immediately afterwarts in the chaos. The last thing I remembered was rapidly falling and then extreme cold as I plunged into the water. When I finally came to I was almost blinded by the bright sun glaring down upon me. How long had aI been lying there?

“ugh, my head,’ I thought for as I tried to move my head I felt a sharp pain and realized I couldn’t move and it wasn’t my head either. My entire body was somehow secured to the ground and my hair was tied down in the same manner at the ends. I heard several noises around me but I could not move to see. A short time later I shut my eyes tightly as I felt something moving up my body before coming to the stop on my chest. Slowly, I opened my eyes and moved them down as best I could and found myself staring at the tiniest human being I have ever seen.

“Gulliver was right, they do exist.” After that everything went black again until I awoke to the sounds of what seemed like more voices. I did my best not to fidget as I felt more of them making their way up my body but to no avail. I was later told that several of them sustainted injuries as they leapt off of me,. Several of my bonds came loose and I suddenly had the use of one of my arms. I tried to move only to feel the stinging of several arrows being sthot in my my favce which I immediately covered with my hand. If any others fell upon the rest of me, my clothing material protected me. I decided it would be better to remain still after that.

“I can assure you that I don’t mean any harm,” I said in what I thought was a soft, sotthing moive. MY “library voice” so to speak. I didn’t mthink they understood me, but they seemed to get the message and no more arrows were released. For the better part of an hour I heard what sounded like construction going on my right side and when I turned my as far as I could I saw that they had built a tiny statge, one of the tiny inhabitants climbed by onto using a ladder and began making a speech that I didn’t understand that it was when I realized that these were the tiny people my acestor, Gulliver, had mentioned.

“I actually landed on LIliput!” I had a feeling that blurting the name out might shock the poor things so I remained quiet. I didn’t understand a word of what the guy who had climbed onto the statge was saying but he appeared to be someone of importance. Three times he cried out, “langro dehul san!” and about fifty or so of the others came and cut the bindings on the left side of my head so that I could turn more easily and be able to look a the stage. The looked like he was about middle age with another young man holding his train and two more on either side. I tried to remain in the most submissive manner possible however I was also extremely possible, however I was also extremely hungry, having not eaten anything for several hours. I made a sigh that I wanted food.

Later when I finally had a chance to consult Gulliver’s words, I learned that this guy must have been a an Hurgo (what the natives apparently called a “great lord”) He and understood me well enough and several ladders were applied to my sides with several hundred people carting food and drink towards my mouth. It took hours just to get a decent mouthful but the people supplied me as they could and for that I was greatful. I realized as they were passing to and fro over me that I could easly squash them but decided against it.

‘A person’s a person no matter how small,’ I quoted to myself. IF I were to be honest I had to admire their bravery for being able to climb upon me and not be frightened, or if they were they were not showing it. After a while, someone on behalf of the emperor made his way up to my face with about twelve more behind him. He spoke aobut ten minutes or so. His tone wasn’t angry but he sounded firm.

“Can’t I just walk?” I asked making signs towards my body but the tiny man shook his head. I was to be transported like a prisoner. However, from what I gathered he was trying to sign, I would be treated well. I made a sign to let him know that I wouldn’t be any trouble and the Hurgo and his train withdrew. A bunch of Liliputians approached me and applied to some sort of medicine to my face and hands.

“Peplam selan!”

I felt several of the chords on my left become relaxed so that I could turn on my right side. The medicine that they gave me removed the pain of their weapons. I wasn’t sure what exactly they put in my drink but I was suddenly sleepy and pretty much went out like a light. I was later told that the emperor and his men had heard of my existence almost as soon as I had landed and had ordered several hundred of his men to come out to where I was on the beach and bound me and had already ordered the construction of a massive machine in order to bring me to back to the palace. It took about three hours to raise me up off of the ground and sling me onto the large grame and tie me down again, or so I was told anyway. About 1,500 of the emperor’s largest horses were made to grand me the half mile towards the city.

It took the rest of the day an don into the next (we stopped for the night) to reach the city. It was decided that I would be placed in the biggest temple which was completely vacant and I wondered if it was the same temple that Gulliver had been lodged in. Somewhere off to the side was a structure that looked about five feet high (pretty high for people like them) and the emperor and his court climbed to the top. My left leg was chained with several chains but I could not quite remember the amount and about thirty-six padlocks when they finally cut me loose and I was able to sit up and then rise soon after. I could hear the noises of astonishment and fear from the people and I tried my best to appear submissive so that they would know that I really did not mean them any harm. After a while though, their scrutiny and the noise from the crowd was starting to become a bit much for me though and I wanted nothing more than to crawl inside the temple and hide.

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Chapter 2

 

The emperor’s looks, teachers are sent to teach the author their language, her pockets are searched, and a conversation is held.

‘The country round appeared like a continued garden, and the enclosed fields which were generally forty feet squares resembled so many beds of flowers. These fields intermingled with woods of half a slang, and the tallest trees, as I could judge, appeared to be seven feet high.’

                Gulliver’s description of the landscape was exactly right. I was as tall as the tallest tree and the town on the other side of the wall could have passed for a scale model on a movie set. I spent a great deal of time shut up inside the temple reading Gulliver’s words from when he first arrived and wondered if he felt the same as I did. At least I had his words to give me some sort of something to go on. Poor Gulliver had no one or nothing at all.

                I was outside my temple walking back and forth as far as my chains would allow (enough to walk in a semi-circle) and trying to stretch my legs as much as I could when I saw the emperor approaching me on horseback. I could not help but feel sorry for the poor animal as it reared back in terror at the sight of me. The emperor was a great horsemen though and managed to keep his seat until someone could grab his horse and he could dismount. As we looked at each other I saw a mixture of awe, but I also saw…something I could not quite determine, but he kept at the length of the chains. Several of his cooks and butlers brought me food on several vehicles and I ate and drank every mouthful which was only a few.

                The empress was there was well but kept some length away from me, at least until the horse incident at which point she did come closer to her husband. His majesty himself was a bit taller than everyone else with features and a posture that just screamed, “I am the emperor!”

                He can’t be any more than thirty years old, I thought. I turned my head to the side to look at hime better but he still stood about three yards off. He had an olive complexion with a plain outfit that was too simple, but his helmet was gold, encrusted with jewels and at plume on his crest. He kept his sword at the ready. The emperor had a distinctive shrill voice when he spoke but seemed to know already that I had no understanding of the language and did his best to communicate through signs. Of course I had tons of questions but I knew that those would have to go unanswered for now, at least until I could get a better understanding of their language and would hopefully gain some sort of access to their records.

                Over the next few days about six hundred mattresses were sewn together to make a bed for me and it was actually fairly tolerable. Same with all of the blankets and covers that were made for me which basically consisted of several of them being sewn together in order to make them thick enough, or even long enough to cover me. During this time several curious onlookers had come by to gawk at me and it was only by the emperor’s direct order that they stayed away. Those that had already seen me were to return home, unless they had permission which came with a fee (of course). I had a strong guard outside my house, but there were a few that managed to get through. They fired their arrows at me but their aim was poor. They were seized by the colonel who immediately passed them off to me as it was I that they tried to hit. I took too in each hand and stood up, dangling them as if I were about to drop them, but instead of doing so I merely sat them back down and cut their bonds with a pocket knife I had on my person and away they ran.

                I learned through someone at court that there were several councils being held concerning what exactly it was that they were going to do with me. What if I broke loose and accidently stepped on several of the population or became angry and rampaged through the city? What about my diet? I could cause a famine, but if I were executed the decomposing corpse could cause a plague. However, sometime later on I was told that once the emperor had heard of how I had treated the miscreants with mercy his mannerisms became very different. Suddenly, he gave the order that I was to be left alone and that every village within 900 yards of the city was to deliver forty cows among other foods and drink every morning. A makeshift tent village was set up in front of my house and the people that dwelled there were assigned to my care.

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Chapter 3

The author describes Liliput’s court. Her liberty is granted but under certain conditions.

                My good behavior had so far impressed the emperor and his people. The people became gradually less apprehensive of me. I would sometimes take small numbers of them on rides so to speak where I would lift them up in my hands and give people a view of the whole kingdom, the first being the emperor and his wife (the emperor several times). I had gained a pretty good understanding of the language and was invited to see something that I had only read about through Gulliver’s words: the rope dances. According to my ancestor the LIliputians used this method to elect candidates to the highest office.  When a position becomes available (either by death or disgrace which is common) The candidates entertain the emperor with a dance on the rope. As I watched it looked like a combination of a Russian bar act and a balance beam routine.

                The U.S Olympic team is nothing compared to these guys, I thought as one of the potentials did what I knew would be considered an amazingly high and complicated jump before landing on just one foot back on the rope. Whoever jumped the highest without falling got the position. A lot of tuimes the chief ministers of the court were made to demonstrate their continued skill to show that they still had it. As I looked at the all-male group I asked how come it seemed that there were no women and was told swiftly and sternly by the emperor that woman were not at all allowed.

                “Where I come from in my country women are allowed to hold public offices, “I told them. The response that I got was one of complete astonishment and horror. I explained that women were treated as equals t, that they were allowed paid position outside the home and were not forced to marry and have children should they not want to.

                “But without a man to support them?” The empress was aghast, as if she could not bare the thought. I nodded, his majesty’s brow furrowed.

                “You said you were…a scholar of sorts. They allow women to be educated equal to men in your country?” I nodded in response. The emperor looked kind of uneasy but said nothing else. I was later told that had I not been a giant I probably would not have been allowed to sit so close to the emperor as I had and speak to him on such an equal level specifically for the reason that I was female. This I was rather miffed about but said nothing else as I didn’t want to endanger what little ground I had gained. I could not help it, however, when ------, the emperor’s Minister of Diplomatic Affairs and someone that I was rather fond of took a tumble off of the rope which was about two feet high (dangerously high to the Liliputians) and I suddenly reached out and stopped his fall with my hands. He seemed very greatful and continued on with greater skill than any other that day, but while he managed to impress there was still this: giant or not, he had been saved by a woman.

                “You told me, Your Majesty, that falls had been known to happen and I just don’t like seeing people get hurt. We have people who do this purely for entertainment in my country and there is always something there to break the fall should something like this happen. I’m sorry, but it was a reflex.” I tried to explain to emperor who SEEMED appeased, at least for the moment anyway.

                I was also invited to another ceremony that was only shown before the emperor and his wife. Apparently the empress had taken a liking to me after my spectacular save of --------- (I had a feeling that there was something more than what was being let on but said nothing) and insisted upon my invitation. According to my ancestor, Dr. Gulliver, the emperor lays three fine silk threads, about six inches long on a table (one red, one blue, and one green). The candidates go through a trial of dexterity unlike the rope dancing in which the emperor holds a stick straight out. The candidates’ then approach one by one, sometimes leaping over or creeping under as the stick was raised or lowered. The blue thread is given to the one that lasted the longest, red is second place, and green is third. These threads are wrapped around the waist like a sash. Of course, this was something that I had read about beforehand in Gulliver’s book and I was glad that I did because I had a feeling that I would not have understood it if I hadn’t. I was very excited to see it, even though I was actually too big to be able to fit inside the palace and could only witness the whole even through the nearest window. Afterwards, having made my way back to my house, I was sitting out front reading my ancestor’s book when my friend ----- paid me a visit. Needless to say he was very astonished with what he saw.

                “Hello, I greeted him distractedly, glancing up from my reading. I was reading about what Gulliver said about how the emperor during his time had made him stand up while he made his troops ride between his legs and was secretly wondering if the same would happen to me. After a moment when ----- still had not spoken I cleared my throat, which must have been rather loud because he fell to the ground and had to take a minute or two in order to be able to get back up and dust himself off.

                “Forgive me, but are you actually reading?” The astonished tone in his voice didn’t get past me. Sighing, I shut my book and put it in my bag.

                “Yes, I am actually reading ------. Women in my country are educated same as men are.”

                “You probably shouldn’t let too many people around here see you doing that,” he pointed to my bag indicating my reading. “Women in this country are not allowed any sort of work outside of the home. It’s not their place and they are certainly not allowed to be doing what you were doing just now,” he told me. I rolled my eyes and huffed, a gesture that must have looked rather unique on me or maybe it was just unique to my kind or something because he raised his eyebrows at me.

                “Fine, I will do my best to make sure that no one sees me doing anything ‘educated.’”

                “If It it were me in the emperor’s shies it might be different…” he shook his head. “Actually, I am here in my official capacity as a member of his majesty’s government.”

                “Oh?” I sait up straighter at that and at his gesturing, took him in my hand and brought him closer to my ear so I could hear better.

                “His majesty has been hearing all of your petitions to be set free and after having a lengthy conversation with his council had decided to remove your chains,” he held up his hands to stop me from speaking. “BUT, there are conditions 

MUST follow. General Molag insisted on drawing them up himself.”

                “I should have known that there would be a catch,” I muttered.

                “A…catch? I am afraid I do not understand,” ---- looked up at me rather confused.

                “It means that I should have expected that there would be conditions,” I responded. “But I guess if it means me getting these chains off then I’ll do whatever it takes.” General Molag rode up on his horse and brought with him a piece of parchment. After they were read I was made to swear fist by raising my right hand and then by holding my right foot in my left hand and placing my left middle fringer on the top of my head. I have never been good with balance and there was a moment of sheer terror as I almost stumbled and several onlookers who had gathered to observe the event screamed, scurrying to get out of the way. Luckily, I caught my balance and managed not to fall.

                “His royal highness, the mighty emperor of Liliput proposeth to the giant the following articles which by a solem oath, she shall be obliged to perform.” He unrolled a piece of parchment and began reading from it.

                “First, the giant shall not depart from our dominions without our liscense under our great seal.”

                “So I can’t leave without permission. Check.”

                “Second, she shall not enter our metropolis without our express order in which the inhabitants shall have two hours warning to keep behind their doors.”

                “Don’t come into the city until everyone has had a chance to clear out. Check.”

                “Third, the giant must contain her walks to the principal roads, and not lie down in any meadow or cornfields.”

                “Stick to the main roads, and don’t lie down. Check.”

                “Fourth, as she walks she must take care not to trample on any of our subjects. She is also not allowed to take any of our subjects up into her hands without express consent and only if they are members of the high court or those that have special liscenses.” The first part of that I understood, but the last part was something for me to frown over. It basically meant that the only people I was allowed to carry were the emperor and the members of the court or those that had some sort of paid liscense (or permission). What I didn’t have a choice? What if there was an emergency and the only way for the problem could be resolved was if I picked the person up and carried them? --------- who had allowed me to place him on my shoulder while I was sitting, leaned over into my ear.

                “You might not like it, bit you don’t agree you’ll remain a prisoner.” I couldn’t see his face but I hoped that my attempt at a glance towards him told him I was agreed, but only reluctantly.

                “Fifth, the giant shall as required make repairs to the sails of our naval sails in which the proper sewing equipment shall be provided.” Now, I almost did say something at that one. Sewing? I’m a woman so they automatically think that I know how to sew? I Felt something on my shoulder and realized it was ------- tugging on my ear. I nodded indicating that I had gotten the message.

                Fine¸ I thought. Can we just remove the chains already?

                “Lastly, upon her solemn oath to the above articles, said giant shall have a daily allowance of meat and drink sufficient for the support of….”

                “About 1,800 Liliputians,” I finished automatically before I could stop myself. General Molag looked at me with astonishment.

                “It took his majesty’s best mathmatciains more than a day to figure that out. You are a woman, how did you figure it out?”

                “Hehe, lucky guess?” But I could tell that neither Liliputian  were buying it, Molag especially. Suddenly, ------ pulled on a strand of my hair, signaling that for me to place him on the ground.

                “IF I may, General, I was just explaining to our----new arrival about the process in which we discovered how much food and drink she would need. That we are roughtly 1/12 her size and that judging from the similarities of our bodies hers must contain at least 1,800 of ours and that she would require the food enough to support that number.” I did not like the look on the general’s face but as it was the emperoror’s orders that I be released he couldn’t say much. I swore my oath to the descrived articles and my chains were removed. 

                “You managed to come up with that number rather quickly,” ------- said after General Molag left. His facial expression on his face was one of that I could not exactly read. He stood there next to my shoe with his arms crossed. I thought about my answer for a minute before deciding that it might be best to just tell the truth.

                “Does the name….Gulliver mean anything to you?”

                “Why yes but….

                “But what?” I asked.

                “Well, I never had any reason to think that such a being existed until you washed up on our shore.” As he was speaking I reached into my bag and pulled out Gulliver’s book and opened it again, although I knew that ------ would not be able to understand a word that was written in it. Heck, the book was written back in the 1700’s so even I had a hard time understanding some of the words as they were written. 

“People here tell stories about a giant named Gulliver washing up on the island?”

                “Well, yes they do but those were supposed to be just stories that some of the poorer locals tell. No one really actually believed that such a being could exist until you came along.”

                “Well I hate to tell you but the stories are true, not that you probably already did not figure that out. Gulliver was an ancestor of mine and….I didn’t necessarily believe that the stories were true either until I started trying to retrace his journey which is how I ended up here in the first place. I need to figure out more about his time here on the island but in order to do that I’m going to need access to your historical records.”

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