I hurried back to the castle to see the king.
"May I borrow some of your biggest ships and some men for a day or two?" I asked.
"I will lend you my ships and enough men to sail them," he replied.
I thanked the king and went down to the harbor.
Soon, many sailors were busy getting twenty ships ready.
"Bring me your strongest ropes," I said to the senior captain.
"I'll make them doubly strong by twisting two ropes together."
When I had finished, I told the captain,
"Tie a double rope to each ship, and then sail around the island to the far side.
I'll meet your ships there."
Then I hurried back to the other side of the island.
The rowboat was a little closer to the shore now.
As the ships arrived, I waded into the water and began to swim toward the rowboat.
When I reached it, I called out to the captain,
"Throw me a rope."
I tied it to the rowboat.
Swimming with one hand, I pushed the rowboat toward the shore.
Soon I reached shallow water where I could stand up.
I tied the ropes from the other ships to the rowboat.
"Pull the boat toward the shore," I said to the captain, "and I'll push it."
Once the boat was on the shore, we turned it over.
It was not badly damaged and we began to repair it.
I was very excited.
I could use the boat to escape to safety.
The next day, the Blefuscan king said to me,
"I have received a letter from the king of Lilliput.
He wants me to send you back to Lilliput under guard.
He says you will be blinded because you are a criminal."
"The men who advise the king of Lilliput hate me," I explained.
"They are evil and tell him lies."
"I don't want you to be punished so cruelly," said the king.
"I will tell the king of Lilliput that you are leaving Blefuscu.
It is time for you to go back to your own country."
The Blefuscans gave me a lot of food and water for my voyage.
They put some tiny cows, sheep, and chickens in my boat so that I could eat them if I needed to.
I set off on September 24, 1701.
Three days later, I saw a large ship.
I shouted and waved.
"We'll come and pick you up," the captain called out.
I gathered my things and put the little animals in my pockets.
"I am so glad to see you," I said to the captain.
"I'm on my way to England."
"This is an English ship," he replied.
"We'll take you home."
During the trip, I told the captain all about the little people of Lilliput and Blefuscu.
He did not believe me, so I showed him the tiny animals.
"Good heavens!" he exclaimed.
You are telling the truth!"
"I'm so happy to be with people my own size again," I said.
Seven months later, I arrived home.
My wife and children were overjoyed to see me.
They were fascinated by the stories of my adventures.
Other people thought I was crazy.
Some said I was lying about the tiny people I had met.
"I can prove they exist," I said.
I showed them the little Blefuscan animals.
Then they believed me.
Months passed, and I began to think about going back to sea.
I enjoyed being with my family, but England was beginning to bore me.
It was so small and too familiar.
I wanted to travel to exciting, unknown places and see more of the world.