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Gulliver's Travels (Graded Reader), Chapter Three. My Journey to Brobdingnag

Chapter Three. My Journey to Brobdingnag

I go back to sea. I arrive at the land of giants.

I become a tourist attraction.

I live with the king and queen.

On 20th June, 1702, I left England on the Adventure. We had a very good journey south and stopped for the winter at the Cape of Good Hope. In the spring, we sailed again. We saw Madagascar and sailed towards the Molucca Islands. The weather was very good. Too good. Captain Nicholas was a very good sailor. He understood weather. ‘There will be a terrible storm tomorrow. A monsoon,' he said one day.

He was right. It was stormy for many days. No-one knew where we were. We had lots of food, but we didn't have much water. We started to look for land.

On 16th June, 1703, we saw land. Some of us got into a small boat and went towards the shore. When we arrived, we started to look for water. Some of us went left and others went right. I didn't see any people and I didn't find any water. I was tired, so I started to go back to the boat. When I got back to the shore, I couldn't see the boat. Then, I saw it. At sea, moving quickly. Behind it, there was a very tall man. A giant. He tried but couldn't catch the boat. I ran away. I ran for miles. I arrived at a field. The field was full of wheat, but it was very, very tall. Suddenly, another giant man appeared, then another, then a woman. There were seven of them.

‘What are they doing?' I thought. ‘They're farmers. Oh, no! They're cutting the wheat!'

I ran and ran, but the farmers came nearer. I stopped, very tired. ‘My wife,' I thought. ‘My poor wife and my poor children. Why did I leave England? I don't want to die here!'

I thought about Lilliput and the little people. They were scared of me. Now I was scared of someone much bigger than me. At that very moment, I saw a foot. ‘No! Help! Stop!' I shouted, loudly.

The farmer stopped. He looked at the ground in front of him. Then he saw me. He looked at me for a while. I understood his thoughts. I look like this when I see a strange animal. ‘Will it hurt me?' I think.

After a while, he picked me up, carefully. He held me between his thumb and a finger. I was scared. I was very high in the air. ‘Don't drop me!' I shouted. ‘Ouch! You're hurting me!'

He seemed to understand. The farmer put me into his pocket. He walked towards his friends. ‘Look at this!' I think he said. I didn't understand the language, but I could guess. The farmer put me on the ground. His friends sat down in a circle. They watched me. I tried to talk to them. I tried many different languages. They couldn't really hear me and they couldn't understand. The farmers tried to talk to me, but the noise was very loud. It hurt my ears.

After a while, the farmer carried me to his house. He was very careful. He called his wife. She was scared and ran away. She came back after a minute or two and was very kind to me. It was lunchtime and she put a very big plate onto the table. The family came to eat. They were very curious. In total, there were the farmer and his wife, their three children and an old grandmother. The farmer's wife gave me some food and drink. Suddenly, a giant cat jumped up to sit on the wife's knees. I was scared for a moment, but I think the cat was more afraid of me.

After lunch, the nurse came into the room with the farmer's enormous baby. This was a terrible moment. The baby saw me and immediately picked me up. He put me into his mouth. I was very lucky: the farmer's wife pulled my legs and I was free. Then, the farmer's wife took me upstairs and put me into a bedroom. She locked the door. I slept for about two hours. When I woke up, I looked around the room. Then I saw them, two enormous rats. They wanted to eat me! I took out my sword and killed the first one. The second ran away. The farmer's wife came in at that moment and saved me.

I liked the farmer's daughter very much. She was nine years old and about forty feet tall. She made a little bed for me. She also made seven little shirts for me. She was my teacher, too. Very quickly, I began to understand their language. She called me Grildrig – little man. Everyone in the family then called me Grildrig. Soon, everyone in the country called me Grildrig. Her name was Glumdalclitch and she was very, very kind to me. Glumdalclitch stayed with me all the time I was in Brobdingnag.

Everyone in the village knew about me. I was a strange animal, just like a human but very small. When visitors came to the house, the farmer put me on the table. I spoke to the people in their language. One visitor said to the farmer. ‘Put him in a box and take him to the market. People will pay to see him,' he said.

Glumdalclitch was afraid. ‘Don't hurt him!' she said.

The next day, the farmer put me in a box to take me to the market. Glumdalclitch came with us. The journey was uncomfortable in my little box. When we arrived at the village, the farmer found a room at a hotel. He brought people to see me. Glumdalclitch asked me questions and I answered in their language. A schoolboy threw a peanut at me. It didn't hit me: I was very lucky.

The farmer was very happy. He decided to take me to all the markets in Brobdingnag.

Travelling was very difficult for me and very uncomfortable. I became ill. The farmer wasn't worried. ‘Someone must buy him before he dies,' he thought.

Luckily, a message came from the queen. She wanted to see me immediately, so we went to the palace. She was very kind. ‘Where are you from?' she asked.

‘England,' I answered.

‘And why did you come to Brobdingnag?'

I told her about my travels. The queen was very interested. She decided to buy me. ‘How much must I give you?' she asked the farmer.

‘A thousand gold pieces,' he answered.

‘Your Majesty,' I said.

‘Yes, Grildrig?'

‘I have one question. Can Glumdalclitch come too? She's my nurse and my teacher.'

Glumdalclitch was happy, the queen was happy and the farmer was happy. He was rich and his daughter lived in the royal palace.

One day, the queen took me to see her husband, the king. He was surprised. ‘Is that your new pet?' he asked. ‘What is it?'

‘He's not an animal!' she answered. ‘Listen.'

The queen asked me some questions and I answered in her language. The king was interested in my story, too. He called Glumdalclitch. ‘Is his story true?' he asked.

‘Yes,' she answered.

At first the king wasn't sure. Perhaps I was a clockwork toy. So he called the three most intelligent people in Brobdingnag. They looked at me and they talked to me.

‘He isn't an animal. He isn't fast and he can't climb trees,' one said.

‘He isn't a man,' said another. ‘He's too small.'

‘He's a freak. A freak of nature,' they all said.

‘Your Majesty!' I shouted. ‘I'm a man. I come from a country called England. In England there are millions of men and women like me. In my country, the trees and the animals are in proportion to us.'

The three intelligent people laughed at me.

The king was a fair man. He was still interested in my story. ‘Look after him,' he said to the queen. ‘Give him food, build a house for him. I like him.'

The queen called a carpenter. ‘Make a beautiful house for this man,' she said.

The carpenter was very clever. He made a very comfortable box for me. It had windows, a bed, chairs, a table and a wardrobe. It was perfect for travelling and for living.

The queen liked me. I always had dinner with her. She found toy silver plates, knives and forks for me and she cut my food for me.

Every Wednesday (Wednesdays were holidays), the king and queen had lunch together. The king liked talking to me. He talked about my country and Europe. He asked about government, laws, religion and education. Sometimes he laughed, but he always listened.

Sometimes life in Brobdingnag was dangerous for a little man. One day, I opened my window and there were twenty giant wasps outside. Luckily, I had my sword. They attacked me, so I killed them all – one by one. I kept some wasp stings as souvenirs. I had problems with giant flies too.

I often travelled with the king and queen. Brobdingnag was a very big country. European map-makers are very bad: they think there is no big country between Japan and California! ‘When I return to England, I'll correct their maps,' I thought.

The mountains in the north of Brobdingnag are thirty miles high. People catch fish in the rivers not in the sea. Why? Because the fish in the sea are too small. In fact, they're just like ours in England. There are fifty-one cities in Brobdingnag and lots of villages. The cities are very beautiful and there are a lot of royal palaces and temples.

The king began to trust me. He often asked questions about England.

‘We have two islands. And we have some land in another country – America,' I said. ‘We have a king and a Parliament. Parliament has two houses; the House of Lords and the House of Commons. We also have judges. We pay tax to the government. We have very good soldiers and very good sailors.'

‘Why do you need soldiers?' he asked. ‘Soldiers are very expensive. Farmers are better for the country.'

‘We're a very powerful country,' I said. ‘We have very good guns. We can kill a lot of people in a very short time. So, we stay powerful. I can help you make guns like ours.'

The king was very angry. ‘No!' he shouted. ‘I love science and I love art. My people study mathematics, philosophy, history and poetry. I think you're horrible people. You make war on other countries for power. I don't make war on other countries. I don't need big guns to kill other people. I need farmers to grow food for them.'

We didn't speak about England again.

Chapter Three. My Journey to Brobdingnag Drittes Kapitel. Meine Reise nach Brobdingnag Capítulo Tres. Mi viaje a Brobdingnag Chapitre trois. Mon voyage vers Brobdingnag Capitolo 3. Il mio viaggio a Brobdingnag 第3章 ブロブディンナグへの旅ブロブディンナグへの旅 Rozdział trzeci. Moja podróż do Brobdingnag Capítulo Três. A minha viagem a Brobdingnag Глава третья. Мое путешествие в Бробдингнаг Kapitel tre. Min resa till Brobdingnag Üçüncü Bölüm. Brobdingnag'a Yolculuğum Розділ третій. Моя подорож до Бробдінгнега 第三章。我的布罗丁纳格之旅 第三章我的布罗丁格之旅

I go back to sea. Ich fahre zurück zur See. I arrive at the land of giants. Ich erreiche das Land der Giganten.

I become a tourist attraction. Ich werde zu einer Touristenattraktion.

I live with the king and queen. Ich lebe mit dem König und der Königin.

On 20th June, 1702, I left England on the Adventure. Am 20. Juni 1702 verließ ich England auf der Adventure. We had a very good journey south and stopped for the winter at the Cape of Good Hope. Wir hatten eine sehr gute Reise nach Süden und hielten zum Überwintern am Kap der Guten Hoffnung. Мы совершили очень удачное путешествие на юг и остановились на зиму у мыса Доброй Надежды. In the spring, we sailed again. Im Frühjahr fuhren wir wieder. Весной мы снова отправились в плавание. We saw Madagascar and sailed towards the Molucca Islands. Wir sahen Madagaskar und segelten zu den Molukken. The weather was very good. Das Wetter war sehr gut. Too good. Captain Nicholas was a very good sailor. Kapitän Nicholas war ein sehr guter Seemann. He understood weather. Er verstand das Wetter. ‘There will be a terrible storm tomorrow. Morgen wird es einen schrecklichen Sturm geben. A monsoon,' he said one day. Ein Monsun", sagte er eines Tages. Муссон, - сказал он однажды.

He was right. Er hatte Recht. It was stormy for many days. Es war viele Tage lang stürmisch. No-one knew where we were. Keiner wusste, wo wir waren. We had lots of food, but we didn't have much water. Wir hatten viel zu essen, aber kaum Wasser. We started to look for land. Wir begannen mit der Suche nach Land.

On 16th June, 1703, we saw land. Am 16. Juni 1703 sahen wir Land. Some of us got into a small boat and went towards the shore. Einige von uns stiegen in ein kleines Boot und fuhren zum Ufer. When we arrived, we started to look for water. Als wir ankamen, machten wir uns auf die Suche nach Wasser. Some of us went left and others went right. Einige von uns gingen nach links und andere nach rechts. I didn't see any people and I didn't find any water. Ich habe keine Menschen gesehen und kein Wasser gefunden. I was tired, so I started to go back to the boat. Ich war müde und machte mich auf den Rückweg zum Boot. When I got back to the shore, I couldn't see the boat. Als ich wieder am Ufer ankam, konnte ich das Boot nicht sehen. Then, I saw it. Dann sah ich es. At sea, moving quickly. Auf See, schnell unterwegs. В море, быстро движется. Behind it, there was a very tall man. Dahinter befand sich ein sehr großer Mann. A giant. He tried but couldn't catch the boat. Er versuchte es, konnte das Boot aber nicht einholen. I ran away. Ich bin weggelaufen. I ran for miles. Ich bin kilometerlang gelaufen. I arrived at a field. Ich kam zu einem Feld. The field was full of wheat, but it was very, very tall. Das Feld war voll mit Weizen, aber er war sehr, sehr hoch. Suddenly, another giant man appeared, then another, then a woman. Plötzlich erschien ein weiterer riesiger Mann, dann noch einer, dann eine Frau. There were seven of them. Sie waren zu siebt.

‘What are they doing?' I thought. Was machen die da? dachte ich. ‘They're farmers. Sie sind Landwirte. Oh, no! They're cutting the wheat!' Sie mähen den Weizen!'

I ran and ran, but the farmers came nearer. Ich rannte und rannte, aber die Bauern kamen immer näher. I stopped, very tired. Ich blieb stehen, sehr müde. ‘My wife,' I thought. Meine Frau", dachte ich. ‘My poor wife and my poor children. "Meine arme Frau und meine armen Kinder. Why did I leave England? Warum habe ich England verlassen? I don't want to die here!' Ich will hier nicht sterben!'

I thought about Lilliput and the little people. Ich dachte an Lilliput und die kleinen Leute. They were scared of me. Sie hatten Angst vor mir. Now I was scared of someone much bigger than me. Jetzt hatte ich Angst vor jemandem, der viel größer war als ich. At that very moment, I saw a foot. Genau in diesem Moment sah ich einen Fuß. ‘No! Help! Stop!' I shouted, loudly. Halt! rief ich laut.

The farmer stopped. Der Bauer hielt an. He looked at the ground in front of him. Er blickte auf den Boden vor sich. Then he saw me. Dann sah er mich. He looked at me for a while. Er sah mich eine Weile lang an. I understood his thoughts. Ich verstand seine Gedanken. I look like this when I see a strange animal. Ich sehe so aus, wenn ich ein fremdes Tier sehe. ‘Will it hurt me?' I think. 'Wird es mir wehtun?', denke ich.

After a while, he picked me up, carefully. Nach einer Weile hob er mich vorsichtig hoch. He held me between his thumb and a finger. Er hielt mich zwischen seinem Daumen und einem Finger. I was scared. Ich war erschrocken. I was very high in the air. Ich war sehr hoch in der Luft. ‘Don't drop me!' I shouted. Lasst mich nicht fallen! rief ich. ‘Ouch! You're hurting me!' Du tust mir weh!'

He seemed to understand. Er schien zu verstehen. The farmer put me into his pocket. Der Bauer steckte mich in seine Tasche. He walked towards his friends. Er ging auf seine Freunde zu. ‘Look at this!' I think he said. Sehen Sie sich das an! Ich glaube, er sagte. I didn't understand the language, but I could guess. Ich habe die Sprache nicht verstanden, aber ich konnte es mir denken. The farmer put me on the ground. Der Bauer hat mich auf den Boden gelegt. His friends sat down in a circle. Seine Freunde setzten sich in einen Kreis. They watched me. Sie beobachteten mich. I tried to talk to them. Ich habe versucht, mit ihnen zu reden. I tried many different languages. Ich habe viele verschiedene Sprachen ausprobiert. They couldn't really hear me and they couldn't understand. Sie konnten mich nicht wirklich hören und nicht verstehen. The farmers tried to talk to me, but the noise was very loud. Die Bauern versuchten, mit mir zu sprechen, aber der Lärm war sehr laut. It hurt my ears. Es tat mir in den Ohren weh.

After a while, the farmer carried me to his house. Nach einer Weile trug mich der Bauer zu seinem Haus. He was very careful. Er war sehr vorsichtig. He called his wife. Er rief seine Frau an. She was scared and ran away. Sie hatte Angst und lief weg. She came back after a minute or two and was very kind to me. Nach ein oder zwei Minuten kam sie zurück und war sehr freundlich zu mir. It was lunchtime and she put a very big plate onto the table. Es war Mittagszeit und sie stellte einen sehr großen Teller auf den Tisch. The family came to eat. Die Familie kam zum Essen. They were very curious. Sie waren sehr neugierig. In total, there were the farmer and his wife, their three children and an old grandmother. Insgesamt waren es der Bauer und seine Frau, ihre drei Kinder und eine alte Großmutter. The farmer's wife gave me some food and drink. Die Bäuerin gab mir etwas zu essen und zu trinken. Suddenly, a giant cat jumped up to sit on the wife's knees. Plötzlich sprang eine riesige Katze auf und setzte sich auf die Knie der Frau. I was scared for a moment, but I think the cat was more afraid of me. Ich hatte einen Moment lang Angst, aber ich glaube, die Katze hatte mehr Angst vor mir.

After lunch, the nurse came into the room with the farmer's enormous baby. Nach dem Mittagessen kam die Krankenschwester mit dem riesigen Baby des Bauern ins Zimmer. This was a terrible moment. Dies war ein schrecklicher Moment. The baby saw me and immediately picked me up. Das Baby sah mich und hob mich sofort auf. He put me into his mouth. Er steckte mich in seinen Mund. I was very lucky: the farmer's wife pulled my legs and I was free. Ich hatte großes Glück: Die Bäuerin zog mir die Beine weg und ich war frei. Then, the farmer's wife took me upstairs and put me into a bedroom. Dann nahm mich die Bäuerin mit nach oben und brachte mich in ein Schlafzimmer. She locked the door. Sie schloss die Tür ab. I slept for about two hours. Ich habe etwa zwei Stunden lang geschlafen. When I woke up, I looked around the room. Als ich aufwachte, sah ich mich im Zimmer um. Then I saw them, two enormous rats. Dann sah ich sie, zwei riesige Ratten. They wanted to eat me! Sie wollten mich fressen! I took out my sword and killed the first one. Ich holte mein Schwert heraus und tötete den ersten. The second ran away. Der zweite ist weggelaufen. The farmer's wife came in at that moment and saved me. In diesem Moment kam die Bäuerin herein und rettete mich.

I liked the farmer's daughter very much. Die Bauerntochter hat mir sehr gut gefallen. She was nine years old and about forty feet tall. Sie war neun Jahre alt und etwa einen Meter vierzig groß. She made a little bed for me. Sie hat ein kleines Bett für mich gemacht. She also made seven little shirts for me. Sie hat auch sieben kleine Hemden für mich genäht. She was my teacher, too. Sie war auch meine Lehrerin. Very quickly, I began to understand their language. Sehr schnell begann ich, ihre Sprache zu verstehen. She called me Grildrig – little man. Sie nannte mich Grildrig - kleiner Mann. Everyone in the family then called me Grildrig. Alle in der Familie nannten mich dann Grildrig. Soon, everyone in the country called me Grildrig. Bald nannte mich jeder im Lande Grildrig. Her name was Glumdalclitch and she was very, very kind to me. Ihr Name war Glumdalclitch und sie war sehr, sehr nett zu mir. Glumdalclitch stayed with me all the time I was in Brobdingnag. Glumdalclitch begleitete mich die ganze Zeit, als ich in Brobdingnag war.

Everyone in the village knew about me. Jeder im Dorf wusste über mich Bescheid. I was a strange animal, just like a human but very small. Ich war ein seltsames Tier, genau wie ein Mensch, aber sehr klein. When visitors came to the house, the farmer put me on the table. Wenn Besuch ins Haus kam, setzte mich der Bauer auf den Tisch. Quando as visitas chegavam à casa, o agricultor punha-me em cima da mesa. I spoke to the people in their language. Ich habe mit den Menschen in ihrer Sprache gesprochen. Falei com as pessoas na sua língua. One visitor said to the farmer. Ein Besucher sagte zu dem Landwirt. ‘Put him in a box and take him to the market. Steckt ihn in eine Kiste und bringt ihn zum Markt. Ponham-no numa caixa e levem-no para o mercado. People will pay to see him,' he said. Die Leute werden bezahlen, um ihn zu sehen", sagte er. As pessoas pagam para o ver", afirmou.

Glumdalclitch was afraid. Glumdalclitch hatte Angst. ‘Don't hurt him!' she said. Tun Sie ihm nicht weh!", sagte sie. Não lhe façam mal!", disse ela.

The next day, the farmer put me in a box to take me to the market. Am nächsten Tag steckte mich der Bauer in eine Kiste, um mich zum Markt zu bringen. No dia seguinte, o agricultor pôs-me numa caixa para me levar ao mercado. Glumdalclitch came with us. Glumdalclitch kam mit uns. Glumdalclitch veio connosco. The journey was uncomfortable in my little box. Die Reise war unangenehm in meiner kleinen Kiste. A viagem foi desconfortável na minha pequena caixa. When we arrived at the village, the farmer found a room at a hotel. Als wir in dem Dorf ankamen, fand der Bauer ein Zimmer in einem Hotel. Quando chegámos à aldeia, o agricultor encontrou um quarto num hotel. He brought people to see me. Er brachte Leute zu mir. Ele trouxe pessoas para me verem. Glumdalclitch asked me questions and I answered in their language. Glumdalclitch stellte mir Fragen und ich antwortete in ihrer Sprache. Glumdalclitch fez-me perguntas e eu respondi na língua deles. A schoolboy threw a peanut at me. Ein Schuljunge hat eine Erdnuss nach mir geworfen. Um aluno atirou-me um amendoim. It didn't hit me: I was very lucky. Es hat mich nicht getroffen: Ich hatte großes Glück. Não me atingiu: Tive muita sorte.

The farmer was very happy. Der Bauer war sehr glücklich. He decided to take me to all the markets in Brobdingnag. Er beschloss, mich zu allen Märkten in Brobdingnag zu bringen. Decidiu levar-me a todos os mercados de Brobdingnag.

Travelling was very difficult for me and very uncomfortable. Das Reisen war für mich sehr schwierig und sehr unangenehm. I became ill. Ich wurde krank. Fiquei doente. The farmer wasn't worried. Der Bauer war nicht besorgt. O agricultor não estava preocupado. ‘Someone must buy him before he dies,' he thought. Jemand muss ihn kaufen, bevor er stirbt", dachte er.

Luckily, a message came from the queen. Glücklicherweise kam eine Nachricht von der Königin. She wanted to see me immediately, so we went to the palace. Sie wollte mich sofort sehen, also gingen wir zum Palast. Ela queria ver-me imediatamente, por isso fomos para o palácio. She was very kind. ‘Where are you from?' she asked. Woher kommen Sie?", fragte sie. De onde é que é?", perguntou.

‘England,' I answered.

‘And why did you come to Brobdingnag?' Und warum bist du nach Brobdingnag gekommen?

I told her about my travels. Ich erzählte ihr von meinen Reisen. Falei-lhe das minhas viagens. The queen was very interested. Die Königin war sehr interessiert. She decided to buy me. Sie beschloss, mich zu kaufen. ‘How much must I give you?' she asked the farmer. Wie viel muss ich Ihnen geben?", fragte sie den Bauern.

‘A thousand gold pieces,' he answered. Tausend Goldstücke", antwortete er.

‘Your Majesty,' I said. Eure Majestät", sagte ich.

‘Yes, Grildrig?' "Ja, Grildrig?

‘I have one question. Ich habe eine Frage. Can Glumdalclitch come too? Kann Glumdalclitch auch kommen? She's my nurse and my teacher.' Sie ist meine Krankenschwester und meine Lehrerin'.

Glumdalclitch was happy, the queen was happy and the farmer was happy. He was rich and his daughter lived in the royal palace. Ele era rico e a sua filha vivia no palácio real.

One day, the queen took me to see her husband, the king. Eines Tages nahm mich die Königin mit zu ihrem Mann, dem König. Um dia, a rainha levou-me a ver o seu marido, o rei. He was surprised. ‘Is that your new pet?' he asked. Ist das dein neues Haustier?", fragte er. ‘What is it?' Was ist das?

‘He's not an animal!' she answered. Er ist kein Tier!", antwortete sie. ‘Listen.' Hören Sie. "Escuta".

The queen asked me some questions and I answered in her language. A rainha fez-me algumas perguntas e eu respondi na sua língua. The king was interested in my story, too. Der König war auch an meiner Geschichte interessiert. He called Glumdalclitch. Er rief Glumdalclitch an. ‘Is his story true?' he asked. Ist seine Geschichte wahr?", fragte er. A história dele é verdadeira?", perguntou.

‘Yes,' she answered. Ja", antwortete sie. Sim", respondeu ela.

At first the king wasn't sure. Der König war sich zunächst nicht sicher. No início, o rei não tinha a certeza. Perhaps I was a clockwork toy. Vielleicht war ich ein Uhrwerkspielzeug. Talvez eu fosse um brinquedo de relógio. So he called the three most intelligent people in Brobdingnag. Also rief er die drei intelligentesten Leute in Brobdingnag an. Por isso, chamou as três pessoas mais inteligentes de Brobdingnag. They looked at me and they talked to me. Sie sahen mich an und sprachen mit mir.

‘He isn't an animal. Er ist kein Tier. He isn't fast and he can't climb trees,' one said. Er ist nicht schnell und kann nicht auf Bäume klettern", sagte einer. Ele não é rápido e não consegue trepar às árvores", disse um deles.

‘He isn't a man,' said another. Er ist kein Mann", sagte ein anderer. ‘He's too small.' Ele é demasiado pequeno.

‘He's a freak. Er ist ein Freak. 'Ele é uma aberração. A freak of nature,' they all said. Eine Laune der Natur", sagten sie alle.

‘Your Majesty!' I shouted. Eure Majestät! rief ich. "Vossa Majestade! Eu gritei. ‘I'm a man. Ich bin ein Mann. I come from a country called England. Ich komme aus einem Land namens England. In England there are millions of men and women like me. In England gibt es Millionen von Männern und Frauen wie mich. In my country, the trees and the animals are in proportion to us.' In meinem Land sind die Bäume und die Tiere im Verhältnis zu uns. No meu país, as árvores e os animais são proporcionais a nós".

The three intelligent people laughed at me. Die drei intelligenten Leute haben mich ausgelacht. As três pessoas inteligentes riram-se de mim.

The king was a fair man. Der König war ein gerechter Mann. He was still interested in my story. Er war immer noch an meiner Geschichte interessiert. ‘Look after him,' he said to the queen. Kümmere dich um ihn", sagte er zu der Königin. ‘Give him food, build a house for him. Gebt ihm zu essen, baut ihm ein Haus. I like him.' Gosto dele".

The queen called a carpenter. Die Königin rief einen Schreiner. A rainha chamou um carpinteiro. ‘Make a beautiful house for this man,' she said. Mach ein schönes Haus für diesen Mann", sagte sie. Faz uma casa bonita para este homem", disse ela.

The carpenter was very clever. Der Schreiner war sehr clever. He made a very comfortable box for me. It had windows, a bed, chairs, a table and a wardrobe. It was perfect for travelling and for living. Es war perfekt zum Reisen und zum Leben. Era perfeito para viajar e para viver.

The queen liked me. Die Königin mochte mich. A rainha gostava de mim. I always had dinner with her. Ich habe immer mit ihr zu Abend gegessen. Eu jantava sempre com ela. She found toy silver plates, knives and forks for me and she cut my food for me. Sie fand silberne Spielzeugteller, Messer und Gabeln für mich und schnitt mein Essen für mich.

Every Wednesday (Wednesdays were holidays), the king and queen had lunch together. Jeden Mittwoch (mittwochs war Feiertag) aßen der König und die Königin gemeinsam zu Mittag. Todas as quartas-feiras (as quartas-feiras eram feriados), o rei e a rainha almoçavam juntos. The king liked talking to me. Der König sprach gern mit mir. O rei gostava de falar comigo. He talked about my country and Europe. Er sprach über mein Land und Europa. Falou do meu país e da Europa. He asked about government, laws, religion and education. Er fragte nach der Regierung, den Gesetzen, der Religion und der Bildung. Sometimes he laughed, but he always listened. Manchmal lachte er, aber er hörte immer zu.

Sometimes life in Brobdingnag was dangerous for a little man. Manchmal war das Leben in Brobdingnag für einen kleinen Mann gefährlich. One day, I opened my window and there were twenty giant wasps outside. Eines Tages öffnete ich mein Fenster, und draußen saßen zwanzig riesige Wespen. Luckily, I had my sword. Zum Glück hatte ich mein Schwert dabei. They attacked me, so I killed them all – one by one. Sie griffen mich an, und ich tötete sie alle - einen nach dem anderen. I kept some wasp stings as souvenirs. Ich habe einige Wespenstiche als Souvenir behalten. I had problems with giant flies too. Ich hatte auch Probleme mit Riesenfliegen.

I often travelled with the king and queen. Ich bin oft mit dem König und der Königin gereist. Brobdingnag was a very big country. Brobdingnag war ein sehr großes Land. European map-makers are very bad: they think there is no big country between Japan and California! Die europäischen Kartengestalter sind sehr schlecht: Sie glauben, dass es zwischen Japan und Kalifornien kein großes Land gibt! ‘When I return to England, I'll correct their maps,' I thought. Wenn ich nach England zurückkehre, werde ich ihre Karten korrigieren", dachte ich.

The mountains in the north of Brobdingnag are thirty miles high. Die Berge im Norden von Brobdingnag sind dreißig Meilen hoch. People catch fish in the rivers not in the sea. Die Menschen fangen Fische in den Flüssen, nicht im Meer. As pessoas apanham peixe nos rios e não no mar. Why? Warum? Because the fish in the sea are too small. Weil die Fische im Meer zu klein sind. In fact, they're just like ours in England. Im Grunde sind sie genau wie unsere in England. There are fifty-one cities in Brobdingnag and lots of villages. Es gibt einundfünfzig Städte in Brobdingnag und viele Dörfer. The cities are very beautiful and there are a lot of royal palaces and temples. Die Städte sind sehr schön und es gibt viele Königspaläste und Tempel.

The king began to trust me. Der König begann mir zu vertrauen. He often asked questions about England. Er stellte oft Fragen über England.

‘We have two islands. Wir haben zwei Inseln. Temos duas ilhas. And we have some land in another country – America,' I said. Und wir haben etwas Land in einem anderen Land - Amerika", sagte ich. ‘We have a king and a Parliament. Wir haben einen König und ein Parlament. Parliament has two houses; the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Das Parlament besteht aus zwei Häusern: dem Oberhaus und dem Unterhaus. We also have judges. Wir haben auch Richter. Também temos juízes. We pay tax to the government. We have very good soldiers and very good sailors.' Wir haben sehr gute Soldaten und sehr gute Seeleute".

‘Why do you need soldiers?' he asked. Warum brauchen Sie Soldaten?", fragte er. Porque é que precisam de soldados? ‘Soldiers are very expensive. Soldaten sind sehr teuer. Os soldados são muito caros. Farmers are better for the country.' Os agricultores são melhores para o país".

‘We're a very powerful country,' I said. Wir sind ein sehr mächtiges Land", sagte ich. ‘We have very good guns. Wir haben sehr gute Gewehre. We can kill a lot of people in a very short time. Wir können in kürzester Zeit eine Menge Menschen töten. So, we stay powerful. Wir bleiben also stark. I can help you make guns like ours.' Ich kann euch helfen, Waffen wie unsere zu bauen.' Posso ajudar-vos a fazer armas como as nossas".

The king was very angry. Der König war sehr verärgert. O rei ficou muito zangado. ‘No!' he shouted. Nein!", rief er. ‘I love science and I love art. Ich liebe die Wissenschaft und ich liebe die Kunst. My people study mathematics, philosophy, history and poetry. Mein Volk studiert Mathematik, Philosophie, Geschichte und Poesie. I think you're horrible people. Ich finde, ihr seid furchtbare Menschen. Acho que vocês são pessoas horríveis. You make war on other countries for power. Sie führen Krieg gegen andere Länder, um Macht zu erlangen. Faz-se guerra a outros países para obter poder. I don't make war on other countries. Ich führe keinen Krieg gegen andere Länder. I don't need big guns to kill other people. Ich brauche keine großen Waffen, um andere Menschen zu töten. I need farmers to grow food for them.' Ich brauche Bauern, die Lebensmittel für sie anbauen. Preciso de agricultores que produzam alimentos para eles".

We didn't speak about England again. Wir haben nicht mehr über England gesprochen. Não voltámos a falar de Inglaterra.