The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
General
The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
Children's literature
have been a most astonishing object, worthy to have the
description of it transmitted to future ages: and the comparison
of Phaeton 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 longitude
of 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 traveller I met, and
often called aloud to them 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 my 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 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.
THE PLAYS OF SHAKESPEARE
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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