The farmer, whom I now thought of as my master, had a daughter about nine years old.
She was very clever and good-natured.
Her father gave her the responsibility of taking care of me.
She took her responsibility very seriously and looked after me well.
I called her "Glumdalclitch," which means "little nurse" in her language.
She called me "Grildig," which means "toy man," and soon everyone called me that.
Glumdalclitch made a comfortable bed for me in her doll's crib.
She was very skilled at making clothes for her doll.
Before long, she had made me all the shirts, pants, and jackets I needed.
She spent all her time with me and began to teach me her language.
Glumdalclitch was a good teacher, and I learned quickly.
Before long, I was able to talk a bit with her and the family.
She told me that her country was called Brobdingnag.
I told her that I came from a faraway country called England.
"In England," I explained, "people are about my size.
They are very small compared with the people in Brobdingnag."
"Oh," she said, clapping her hands in delight.
"I hope more of them come to Brobdingnag.
I would love to have more little friends like you."
Gradually, people in the neighborhood learned that my master had a tiny, human-like "animal" living at his house—me.
One day, a neighbor came by for a visit.
"Hello, neighbor," he said to my master.
"People are talking about some tiny human you found in your cornfield.
Their stories are unbelievable, so I came to ask you what you found.
Was it an insect?
Or a very small animal?"
"The stories you have heard are true," replied my master.
"It's a tiny human.
One of my farm workers found it.
I would be happy to show him to you.
Glumdalclitch, bring Grildig here, please."
Glumdalclitch put me on the table in front of her father and his guest.
"Grildig," she said, "please walk back and forth so our guest can get a look at you."
Then she whispered, "Be polite. Our neighbor is a bit bad-tempered."
"With pleasure," I replied, bowing to the neighbor.
In his own language, I said,
"I am pleased to meet you, sir.
I am called Grildig.
How are you today?"
The neighbor was amazed at my size and my ability to speak his language.
He put on his glasses so that he could see me better.
I could not help laughing;
his eyes looked so funny through the lenses of his glasses.
"Humph!" he exclaimed.
"What's so funny?
Why are you laughing at me?"
"I apologize, sir,"
I said as I tried to control my laughter.
"To me your eyes are huge and look like two full moons shining through the windows of a room."
"How dare you!" he replied.
"Oh sir," said Glumdalclitch, "Grildig did not mean to laugh at you.
He is just happy to see you."
Unfortunately, the neighbor had no sense of humor and was not about to forgive me.
I had made an enemy.
"Take Grildig away," my master said to his daughter.
"Yes, Papa," Glumdalclitch replied.
"Come on, Grildig, let's go have another lesson and learn some new words."
From the next room I could see my master and the neighbor whispering together for a long time.
Sometimes they pointed at me.
"What are they discussing?" I asked Glumdalclitch.
"I don't know, Grildig," she answered with a worried look.
I soon found out what they were talking about.
I was not happy to learn of their plans for me.