CHAPTER FOUR

I Move To the Palace

Just when I felt that I could not live another week, a letter arrived for the farmer. It was from one of the queen's men and it ordered the farmer to take me to the palace to visit the queen, who was curious about me. The farmer was very excited that the queen was interested in me and so Glumdalclitch, the farmer and I left immediately for the palace.

When we arrived at the palace, a servant took us to the queen's rooms immediately. The farmer bowed to the queen and put my box down on her table. "Good queen," the farmer said, "you are about to see the most amazing of animals, a tiny man!"

I came out of my box and bowed to the queen. "Great queen, may I have the honor of kissing your beautiful foot?"

The queen smiled at me. "My dear little friend, I am afraid this is not possible," she said, "However, you may kiss my hand!" She put her hand down on the table and I kissed it.

The queen did not want me to perform, which made me very happy. Instead, she wanted to hear about my travels around the world, and about my people. When I told her about the Lilliputians, she was very interested. "Why, I thought you were small, but to my people, these Lilliputian people would be no bigger than one of our ants!"

After an hour, the queen asked me a surprising question. "Little man, would you like to live here at the palace?" she asked, "I think the great men and women of our country would be very interested in your stories as well. I would make sure that you are as comfortable and happy as possible."

I bowed to the queen and said: "Dear queen, thank you for your kind offer. However, I belong to this farmer. If I were free to decide, I would happily come and live here." I truly wanted to live with the queen, because I knew that the queen would not make me work all day, as the farmer was doing.

"Good farmer, would you sell me this little man?" asked the queen.

The farmer believed I would soon die from hunger and he didn't care what happened to me as long as he made more money. Because of this, he was quite happy to sell me to the queen. "Great queen, nothing would make me happier," he said, "However, this is a very valuable little man, and I cannot sell him for less than one thousand gold pieces."

The queen was very rich, of course. She had the money brought to the farmer immediately. When the farmer had been paid, I bowed to the queen again and said: "Dear queen, I must ask you something before I begin my life at your palace. Glumdalclitch, this farmer's daughter, has been my friend and cared for me kindly ever since I came to Brobdingnag. May she stay with me, and continue to care for me?"

The queen smiled at Glumdalclitch, who bowed. "Certainly, little man," she said. Glumdalclitch was very happy, since she did not like living in her little town. Her father knew that having a daughter work for the queen would give him much advantage, so he quickly gave permission for Glumdalclitch to live with me.

I was so happy to see the greedy farmer leave that when he walked out the door, I only gave him a small bow. The queen, who was a very smart lady, watched me and then asked: "Good sir, why are you not more polite to your old master? He seems like a good man."

"Oh, good queen, you do not understand. My life here has been terrible for many months now. I have been treated like a servant, or an animal!" I then told the queen about the farmer's cruel treatment. She was surprised and angry to hear my story. "However, now that you have saved me, dear queen, I am sure that I will become strong and healthy again!"

"Certainly you will, my good man. Do not worry, you will always be happy and well cared for at my palace!" the queen said.

The queen wanted to take me to meet her husband, the king. When the king saw me, he thought I was some kind of mechanical toy. "My queen, you have been tricked! That farmer has sold you a children's toy! I'll have him arrested at once!"

I jumped up and said quickly, "No, good king. I am not a toy, but a real man from the country of England. I am very happy to be at your palace, because your beautiful queen has saved my life!"

The king was surprised at my words and went to look at me more closely. "What kind of a country is this England? Are all the people there as small as you?"

I told the king many stories about England and its history, and he was very entertained. "My queen, you have made the right decision! What a wonderful man you are. You shall receive only the best attention and service." The king ordered that Glumdalclitch should stay with me all the time. He even asked that Glumdalclitch receive a servant of her own as well! He then ordered his best builders to make me a comfortable house to live in. It had to be small and light enough for the queen to carry around with her.

I could hardly believe how quickly my luck had changed. Finally I was being treated like a human being!

A week later, my home was finished. It had a soft bed, a table and chairs, and many beautiful pictures on the walls. It was nicer than my home in England! All my furniture was attached to the ground, so that nothing would be damaged when the queen picked up my house.

Each night, I would eat with the king and queen and tell them about the European countries' people, customs, and history. Although the king enjoyed talking to me, he felt that I did not know the language of Brobdingnag well enough. He ordered his best scholars to teach me how to speak like a king. I was happier than I had been in many months. I was living in a beautiful palace with a king and queen who treated me well and had my good friend Glumdalclitch to spend time with. I.spent my days visiting ladies and gentlemen and my nights eating and drinking delicious food and wine. What a life!

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