Extract from Gulliver’s Travels We sailed across the Atlantic, round the coast of Africa and into the Indian Ocean. But before we could reach the Pacific, a violent storm hit us and drove us to the north-west of Tasmania. ____ Some of the sailors and I managed to get a boat into the water, and we rowed away to look for land. But when we were too tired to row any more, a great wave hit our small boat, and we all fell into the sea. The wind and waves pushed me along as I struggled to keep my head above water. ____ Luckily, just then my feet touched the ground. I walked out of the sea and on to a beach, where there was no sign of any people or houses. I was so exhausted that I lay down and went to sleep. When I woke the next morning, and tried to get up, I could not move. I was lying on my back and my whole body, my arms and my legs were strongly fastened to the ground. ____ The sun began to grow hot, and I was very uncomfortable. Soon I felt something alive moving along my leg and up my body to my face, and when I looked down, I saw a very small human being, only fifteen centimetres tall. He had a bow and arrows in his hands, and there were forty more little men following him. They all jumped back, very frightened, and some hurt themselves by falling off my body. Meanwhile, I was struggling to unfasten myself, but just as I managed to pull my left arm free of the ropes, ____ I felt a hundred arrows land on my free hand, and more arrows on my face and body. This was very painful, and it made me cry aloud. I lay quietly, to see what would happen next. ____ An official climbed up there to speak to me. Although I could not understand his language, I understood that they would be friendly towards me – if I did not try to harm them. By now I was extremely hungry, so I used sign language to beg the official for food. He seemed to understand me, because immediately ladders were put against my sides and little men climbed up with baskets of food and drink. In just one mouthful ____ I ate three of their meat dishes and three of their loaves of bread.

Extract from Gulliver’s Travels

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