I was fairly happy living at the palace.
Glumdalclitch often carried me in my traveling box into the palace garden.
Sometimes, she put me on her hand or set me down on the ground.
One such day, however, she got distracted and walked off a little way with a friend.
The gardener's dog ran up to me and picked me up in his mouth.
"Oh no, this is the end!" I thought.
But the dog was well trained.
It went right to its master and put me down at his feet.
"Did my dog hurt you?" the gardener asked with alarm.
"No, it scared me but was very gentle.
I'm just a bit wet," I replied.
"I am very sorry," the gardener said.
"I will make sure the dog does not get loose again.
Let me carry you to Glumdalclitch."
Glumdalclitch was very upset with the gardener when she heard what had happened.
She knew she was partly to blame, though, for forgetting about me.
"Let's not tell the queen what happened," she said.
"I would not want the gardener to get into trouble."
"I wonder," I said to myself, "who would be in the most trouble—the gardener or Glumdalclitch."
Of course, I told no one about the danger I had been in.
Glumdalclitch had left me by myself a few times, and I had been in danger before.
Once, a hawk had dived at me out of the sky to try to catch me.
I had saved myself by running under a bush.
The smaller birds, though, were not much bigger than me.
They didn't mind if I walked close to them.
They just kept hopping around and looking for food.
One afternoon, a hungry sparrow took some cake right out of my hand!
After the incident with the gardener's dog, Glumdalclitch never let me out of her sight.
I had much less freedom than before.
She wanted to protect me, but having no freedom made me a bit sad.
The queen liked hearing about my sea voyages.
She knew that I was a doctor, not a sailor, on the ships I traveled on.
One day she asked me, "Grildig, do you know how to sail or row a boat?"
"Oh yes, Your Majesty," I replied.
"I always helped the sailors on my ships.
I like rowing too, but I cannot do either in Brobdingnag.
Your boats are much too big for me."
"I think exercise would be good for you," said the queen.
"Draw some plans for a boat.
I will have my carpenter make it."
"You are very kind," I replied.
"I will draw the plans right away."
Before long, the carpenter had made me a perfect little sailboat big enough to carry eight people of my size.
"How beautiful it is!" exclaimed the queen.
"Well done, carpenter! The king will be pleased."
The king liked the sailboat very much.
"Carpenter," he ordered, "make a container that will hold water.
It must be big enough for Grildig's sailboat to sail in."
The container was ready in a few days.
From then on, I rowed or sailed my boat in the container every day as the queen and the palace ladies watched.
"There is no wind today," said the queen one afternoon.
"Blow, ladies! Blow so that Grildig has a bit of wind to fill his sails."
The laughing ladies blew at the sails and clapped their hands in delight as I happily steered my little boat.