The Children's Hour, v 5. Stories From Seven Old FavoritesTappan, Eva March
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The Children's Hour, v 5. Stories From Seven Old Favorites
Tappan, Eva March
Children's stories; Literature -- Adaptations
would certainly have been a most astonishing object, worthy to have
the description of it transmitted to future ages; and the comparison
of Phaëthon was so obvious, that he could not forbear applying it,
although I did not much admire the conceit.
The captain, having been at Tonquin, was, in his return to England,
driven northeastward to the latitude of 44 degrees, and of longitude
143. But meeting a trade wind two days after I came on board him, we
sailed southward a long time, and coasting New Holland kept our course
west-southwest, and then south-southwest, till we doubled the Cape of
Good Hope. Our voyage was very prosperous, but I shall not trouble the
reader with a journal of it. The captain called in at one or two
ports, and sent in his longboat for provisions and fresh water; but I
never went out of the ship till we came into the Downs, which was on
the third day of June, 1706, about nine months after my escape. I
offered to leave my goods in security for payment of my freight, but
the captain protested he would not receive one farthing. We took a
kind leave of each other, and I made him promise he would come to see
me at my house in Redriff. I hired a horse and guide for five
shillings, which I borrowed of the captain.
As I was on the road, observing the littleness of the houses, the
trees, the cattle, and the people, I began to think myself in
Lilliput. I was afraid of trampling on every traveler I met, and often
called aloud to have them stand out of the way, so that I had like to
have gotten one or two broken heads for my impertinence.
When I came to my own house, for which I was forced to inquire, one of
the servants opening the door, I bent down to go in (like a goose
under a gate), for fear of striking my head. My wife ran out to
embrace me, but I stooped lower than her knees, thinking she could
otherwise never be able to reach my mouth. My daughter kneeled to ask
my blessing, but I could not see her till she arose, having been so
long used to stand with my head and eyes erect to above sixty feet;
and then I went to take her up with one hand by the waist. I looked
down upon the servants, and one or two friends who were in the house,
as if they had been pygmies, and I a giant. I told my wife she had
been too thrifty, for I found she had starved herself and her daughter
to nothing. In short, I behaved myself so unaccountably that they were
all of the captain's opinion when he first saw me, and concluded I had
lost my wits. This I mention as an instance of the great power of
habit and prejudice.
In a little time, I and my family and friends came to a right
understanding; but my wife protested I should never go to sea any
more; although my evil destiny so ordered that she had not power to
hinder me, as the reader may know hereafter. In the meantime, I here
conclude the Second Part of my unfortunate Voyages.
DON QUIXOTE
DON QUIXOTE DETERMINES TO BECOME A KNIGHT
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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