been pulled along the ground by horses. But I was delighted to see that it was in fact my hat. I had lost it in the sea when swimming away from the ship. 1 I begged the King so often for my freedom that at last he and his lords agreed that I need not be a prisoner any longer. However, I had to promise certain things: to help the Lilliputians in war and peace to give two hours' warming before a visit to their capital. so that people could stay indoors to be careful not to step on any Lilliputians or their animals carry important messages for the King help the King's workmen carry heavy stones to stay in Lilliput until the King allowed me to leave On his side the King promised I would receive food and drink, enough for 1.724 Lilliputians. I agreed to everything at once, My chains were broken, and I was free at last! The first thing I did was visit the capital city. The people were warned. so that they would not be in danger. I stepped carefully over the city wall. which was less than a metre high, and walked slowly through the two main streets. It is usually a very busy city. with shops and markets full of people, but today the streets were empty. There were crowds watching me from every window. In the middle of the city is the King's palace. The King had invited me to enter it. So I stepped over the sumounding wall into the