roleplaying:munchausen:chapter_i
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+ | ====== TRAVELS OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN ====== | ||
+ | ===== CHAPTER I ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | //The Baron relates an account of his first travels--The | ||
+ | astonishing effects of a storm--Arrives at Ceylon; combats and | ||
+ | conquers two extraordinary opponents--Returns to Holland.// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Some years before my beard announced approaching manhood, or, in other | ||
+ | words, when I was neither man nor boy, but between both, I expressed | ||
+ | in repeated conversations a strong desire of seeing the world, from | ||
+ | which I was discouraged by my parents, though my father had been no | ||
+ | inconsiderable traveller himself, as will appear before I have reached | ||
+ | the end of my singular, and, I may add, interesting adventures. A | ||
+ | cousin, by my mother' | ||
+ | fine forward youth, and was much inclined to gratify my curiosity. His | ||
+ | eloquence had more effect than mine, for my father consented to my | ||
+ | accompanying him in a voyage to the island of Ceylon, where his uncle | ||
+ | had resided as governor many years. | ||
+ | |||
+ | We sailed from Amsterdam with despatches from their High Mightinesses | ||
+ | the States of Holland. The only circumstance which happened on our | ||
+ | voyage worth relating was the wonderful effects of a storm, which had | ||
+ | torn up by the roots a great number of trees of enormous bulk and | ||
+ | height, in an island where we lay at anchor to take in wood and water; | ||
+ | some of these trees weighed many tons, yet they were carried by the | ||
+ | wind so amazingly high, that they appeared like the feathers of small | ||
+ | birds floating in the air, for they were at least five miles above the | ||
+ | earth: however, as soon as the storm subsided they all fell | ||
+ | perpendicularly into their respective places, and took root again, | ||
+ | except the largest, which happened, when it was blown into the air, to | ||
+ | have a man and his wife, a very honest old couple, upon its branches, | ||
+ | gathering cucumbers (in this part of the globe that useful vegetable | ||
+ | grows upon trees): the weight of this couple, as the tree descended, | ||
+ | over-balanced the trunk, and brought it down in a horizontal position: | ||
+ | it fell upon the chief man of the island, and killed him on the spot; | ||
+ | he had quitted his house in the storm, under an apprehension of its | ||
+ | falling upon him, and was returning through his own garden when this | ||
+ | fortunate accident happened. The word fortunate, here, requires some | ||
+ | explanation. This chief was a man of a very avaricious and oppressive | ||
+ | disposition, | ||
+ | were half-starved by his oppressive and infamous impositions. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The very goods which he had thus taken from them were spoiling in his | ||
+ | stores, while the poor wretches from whom they were plundered were | ||
+ | pining in poverty. Though the destruction of this tyrant was | ||
+ | accidental, the people chose the cucumber-gatherers for their | ||
+ | governors, as a mark of their gratitude for destroying, though | ||
+ | accidentally, | ||
+ | |||
+ | After we had repaired the damages we sustained in this remarkable | ||
+ | storm, and taken leave of the new governor and his lady, we sailed | ||
+ | with a fair wind for the object of our voyage. | ||
+ | |||
+ | In about six weeks we arrived at Ceylon, where we were received with | ||
+ | great marks of friendship and true politeness. The following singular | ||
+ | adventures may not prove unentertaining. | ||
+ | |||
+ | After we had resided at Ceylon about a fortnight I accompanied one of | ||
+ | the governor' | ||
+ | athletic man, and being used to that climate (for he had resided there | ||
+ | some years), he bore the violent heat of the sun much better than I | ||
+ | could; in our excursion he had made a considerable progress through a | ||
+ | thick wood when I was only at the entrance. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Near the banks of a large piece of water, which had engaged my | ||
+ | attention, I thought I heard a rustling noise behind; on turning about | ||
+ | I was almost petrified (as who would not be?) at the sight of a lion, | ||
+ | which was evidently approaching with the intention of satisfying his | ||
+ | appetite with my poor carcase, and that without asking my consent. | ||
+ | What was to be done in this horrible dilemma? I had not even a moment | ||
+ | for reflection; my piece was only charged with swan-shot, and I had no | ||
+ | other about me: however, though I could have no idea of killing such | ||
+ | an animal with that weak kind of ammunition, yet I had some hopes of | ||
+ | frightening him by the report, and perhaps of wounding him also. I | ||
+ | immediately let fly, without waiting till he was within reach, and the | ||
+ | report did but enrage him, for he now quickened his pace, and seemed | ||
+ | to approach me full speed: I attempted to escape, but that only added | ||
+ | (if an addition could be made) to my distress; for the moment I turned | ||
+ | about I found a large crocodile, with his mouth extended almost ready | ||
+ | to receive me. On my right hand was the piece of water before | ||
+ | mentioned, and on my left a deep precipice, said to have, as I have | ||
+ | since learned, a receptacle at the bottom for venomous creatures; in | ||
+ | short I gave myself up as lost, for the lion was now upon his hind- | ||
+ | legs, just in the act of seizing me; I fell involuntarily to the | ||
+ | ground with fear, and, as it afterwards appeared, he sprang over me. I | ||
+ | lay some time in a situation which no language can describe, expecting | ||
+ | to feel his teeth or talons in some part of me every moment: after | ||
+ | waiting in this prostrate situation a few seconds I heard a violent | ||
+ | but unusual noise, different from any sound that had ever before | ||
+ | assailed my ears; nor is it at all to be wondered at, when I inform | ||
+ | you from whence it proceeded: after listening for some time, I | ||
+ | ventured to raise my head and look round, when, to my unspeakable joy, | ||
+ | I perceived the lion had, by the eagerness with which he sprung at me, | ||
+ | jumped forward, as I fell, into the crocodile' | ||
+ | before observed, was wide open; the head of the one stuck in the | ||
+ | throat of the other! and they were struggling to extricate themselves! | ||
+ | I fortunately recollected my //couteau de chasse//, which was by my | ||
+ | side; with this instrument I severed the lion's head at one blow, and | ||
+ | the body fell at my feet! I then, with the butt-end of my fowling- | ||
+ | piece, rammed the head farther into the throat of the crocodile, and | ||
+ | destroyed him by suffocation, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Soon after I had thus gained a complete victory over my two powerful | ||
+ | adversaries, | ||
+ | not follow him into the wood, he returned, apprehending I had lost my | ||
+ | way, or met with some accident. | ||
+ | |||
+ | After mutual congratulations, | ||
+ | just forty feet in length. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As soon as we had related this extraordinary adventure to the | ||
+ | governor, he sent a waggon and servants, who brought home the two | ||
+ | carcases. The lion's skin was properly preserved, with its hair on, | ||
+ | after which it was made into tobacco-pouches, | ||
+ | upon our return to Holland, to the burgomasters, | ||
+ | requested my acceptance of a thousand ducats. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The skin of the crocodile was stuffed in the usual manner, and makes a | ||
+ | capital article in their public museum at Amsterdam, where the | ||
+ | exhibitor relates the whole story to each spectator, with such | ||
+ | additions as he thinks proper. Some of his variations are rather | ||
+ | extravagant; | ||
+ | crocodile, and was making his escape at the back door, when, as soon | ||
+ | as his head appeared, Monsieur the Great Baron (as he is pleased to | ||
+ | call me) cut it off, and three feet of the crocodile' | ||
+ | it; nay, so little attention has this fellow to the truth, that he | ||
+ | sometimes adds, as soon as the crocodile missed his tail, he turned | ||
+ | about, snatched the //couteau de chasse// out of Monsieur' | ||
+ | swallowed it with such eagerness that it pierced his heart and killed | ||
+ | him immediately! | ||
+ | |||
+ | The little regard which this impudent knave has to veracity makes me | ||
+ | sometimes apprehensive that my //real facts// may fall under suspicion, | ||
+ | by being found in company with his confounded inventions. | ||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | Go to [[CHAPTER II]] |
roleplaying/munchausen/chapter_i.txt · Last modified: by 127.0.0.1