Gulliver’s Travel: His Voyage to Lilliput
Original: Jonathan
Swift
Script: Naoto Murai
Narration
This episode was written about 300 years ago.
Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) wrote this story,
Gulliver’s Travels, in which he
developed an amazing plot. For example, Gulliver traveled to Lilliput
(a
country where midgets live), Brobdingnag (conversely, a country where giants
live), and so on.
These fantastic stories might have been loved by the
contemporary English. Swift was said to
have satirized the English social or
political conditions at that time. Anyway, we will guide you to
the midgets’
country at the era of 300 ago.
☆☆☆ Act Ⅰ ☆☆☆
Narration
My name is Gulliver. I was
born in England, and I am a doctor. I was on board the ship of the
Antelope,
and its crew wrecked on the way to the South Sea. The accident happened on
November 5,
1699.
(Gulliver is bound up. He awakes.)
Gulliver:
Where am I? My body is completely stuck.
(The sun rises.) How bright! (He rubs his
eyes.)
What are they? They are midgets, aren’t they? They are just 15
centimeters
tall. (A midget shoots an arrow.) Help me!
(The midget runs away
soon.)
Midget : Hekinah degul. Hekinah
degutl.
Gulliver: I’ve got into trouble. I have to
escape as soon as possible.
(When Gulliver moved his body, the rope strapping
its upper half comes loose, and he tries to catch
the midget.)
(The midget makes desperate efforts to run away from
him.)
Midget: Borach mivola! Borach
mivola! Borach mivola!
(He runs away and prepares to shoot an
arrow.)
Midget: Tolgo phonac! (He shoots
some arrows.)
(Some of them hit Gulliver’s
face.)
Gulliver: “Ouch! It will get serious if one of
the arrows hits my eye. I’ll behave
well.
Midget: “Langro dehul san. . Langro
dehul san. Langro dehul san.”
(The Midget cuts the rope fastening Gulliver,
and lets him free.)
Gulliver: I’d like to eat
something. (Gulliver gestures his will.)
(Midget brings some food like meat,
bred and wine. Gulliver eats them all.)
Gulliver: I’m
full. All of it was good. Thank you very
much.
Midget: Hekinah degul. Hekinah degutl.
(He is glad and claps his hands.)
(Fade-out)
☆☆☆ Act Ⅱ ☆☆☆
(The king of Lilliput is standing.
Gulliver is still fastened with an about two-meter
chain.)
Gulliver: I wonder what languages they
understand. I’ll try to speak all the ones I
know. How
are you? Wie gehtes ihnen? Konnichiha?
(The king cannot understand his
languages at all，and he just put his head to one
side.)
Gulliver: I cannot but give up. It’s
hopeless.
(The center curtain is stretched.)
(In the hall of the
palace)
Finance Minister: If we go on giving food to
that big man, ours will run out
soon.
King: Finance Minister,
why don’t you starve him to death by not giving
any
food?
Finance Minister: Oh, no. It’s a reckless idea! I’m
afraid that he will
behave
violently when he becomes
hungry..
King: Just think
hard about it. What would the man be like if he died? Where
can we
throw him away? What shall we do if his body goes bad and
infectious diseases spread around my country?
Finance
Minister: Oh, no. How embarrassing! How can we dispose
of him?
Midget: Your Majesty the
King! Some time ago, we arrested the people who
played a
trick on the Man-Mountain. When I asked him of their treatment,
the
Man-Mountain was generous enough to forgive
them.
King:
Really? He forgave my people, didn’t he? He does not seem to be so
bad. I’ll
save the Man-Mountain’s life in consideration of his good
conduct.
Narration
This is how Gulliver had a
narrow escape. He learned the language of Lilliput, so he
came to speak it
soon, and he was called Quinbus Flestrin, the Man-Mountain, before they
know. Gulliver later knew that this country was
Lilliput.
☆☆☆ Act Ⅲ
☆☆☆
Gulliver: Your Imperial Majesty,
let me completely
free.
King: OK. I’ll
let you free, but on condition that you keep the
following
regulations. Ministry of the Navy, read them.
Ministry of the
Navy: Certainly,
sir.
First, The Man-Mountain shall not go out of the
country
without
permission.
2 nd, The Man-Mountain shall not enter the capital
without
permission.
3rd. The Man-Mountain shall not walk except on the
wide
streets.
4th. The Man-Mountain shall be careful not to step on
people, carts, cattle and so on.
5th. The Man-Mountain shall be obliged to carry the king
in his inside pocket in an
emergency.
6th. When a war happens between Lilliput and
Blefuscu,
the Man-Mountain shall be obliged to help
Lilliput.
7th. The Man-Mountain shall help to construct parks or
large
buildings.
If the Man-Mountain obeys these articles, the king will
give him meat of sixty cows and forty sheep, bread and
drink
everyday, and the Man-Mountain is allowed to meet his
Majesty
freely.
Gulliver: I swear by
God.
King:
Then, I’ll let you free.
Gulliver:
Thank you very much, your Imperial Majesty.
Narration
After that, Gulliver was
taken to the capital with sleeping because of sleeping pills in
the wine he
had drunk. The work to carry him was a serious matter. It was said that more
than 22 carts 200 by 100 by 7 centimeters were ready. They pulled Gulliver
onto the carts
by using 80 poles which were 30 centimeters high and many
pulleys. It seemed to have
taken 900 strong men 3 hours. Furthermore, they
said that it had taken 1,500 horses an
hour and a half to get to the capital
which was located 1 kilometers far. Anyway, Gulliver
managed to arrive at
the capital.
Minister of the Navy: By the way, we have something to help
us at once. To tell
the
truth, my country and Blefuscu have been fighting each other
for no less than three years. The point at issue is whether we
should break the pointed part of an egg first or the round part of
it
first.
Gulliver:
Are you fighting each other for such a foolish reason? How
stupid!
Minister of the Navy: But we lost 40 warships
and 30,000 soldiers. So you should
help us by observing the 7th article.
Gulliver:
I see. I’ll bring all the warships to the enemy.
Minister of the
Navy: Thank you very
much.
☆ ☆ ☆ Act Ⅳ ☆ ☆ ☆
Gulliver went to Blefuscu and captured all the battleships. The country seemed
to be
terribly confused then. It was said no less than 30,000 people who
were on board jumped into
the sea from their ships.
Ministry of the Navy: Well done, Quinbus
Flestrin!
Finance Minister: May
Lilliput be
forever!
King:
You shall have the most honorable rank in this country called
a
Nardac.
Gulliver:
My
pleasure.
King:
By the way, I hope that you will capture all the ships as
well
as
battleships.
Gulliver:
Your idea is wrong. I cannot but come out against
your
proposal.
(The king
gets angry)
King:
Won’t you follow my order? I’m sure you will be punished
later.
(Dark
change)
Midget:
Please escape from here as soon as possible,
Man-Mountain.
Gulliver:
Why?
Midget:
They have decided that they will kill you with
poison.
Gulliver:
Terrible! I’ll lose no time in escaping, but how can I
escape?
Midget:
You should go to Blefuscu, and try to consult with
them.
Gulliver:
Thank you, my Midget. I’ll go over to Blefuscu then.
(Dark change)
The
separation between Gulliver and
midgets
Narration
Gulliver went to Blefuscue,
and told them his idea. He asked them to mend his
boat so he could go back
to Great Britain. The King of Blefuscu was very friendly and
accepted his
suggestion. Moreover, he gave him 50 pouches with gold coins, a portrait
of
the King, one living cow, one living sheep, the meat of 100 cattle and 300
sheep, much
bread and water. Gulliver left the port of Blefuscu for Great
Britain on September 24,
1701.
The End
Copyright (c) 2003 by Naoto Murai