The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-10-18
Frorn Gu1liver's Travels
Copyright, 1910, by Irving King. All Rights Reserved.

through between them. At length he
came to a place where the rain had
beaten down the barley and here the
tangled stalks completely impeded his
further progress.
He threw himself down in despair.
The farmer came stridirg along and
would have crushed CULVER with his
foot had not the traveller in terror
cried cut as loud as he could. The
farmer seemed to hear the noise.
shortened his stride. looked down and
saw CULVER lying at his feet. He was
as nuch astonished at the sight Of the
ships doctor as the medical gentleman
had been at the sight Of him and his
companions. Bending down, he picked
CULVER up. and, holding him BOT
three yards from his eyes. examined
him with wonder, calling TO the others
to ONE and see what he had found.
At first they thought CULVER to be
a new sort Of an insect, out when he
placed his hands together, arised them
and his eyes toward heaven, and
speaking in as lOud a voice as he could,
~besought mercy. they We're SO aston
ished that they did not know what to
think, When he was placed on the
ground he< still further increased their
wonder by pulling off his hat making
several low bows to the farmer. walk
ing back and forward to show that he
dld not intend TO run away, n finally
taxing out his purse and pouring the
contents into the farmers hand. The
little bits Of gold and silver the farmer
could make nothing Of and signed to
CULVER to put them back.
Could it be possible" the farmer
thought, that this miserable creature
was a human being!" And CULVER
thought how a little while before, in
the realm of the L~illiputians, he had
been known as the Man Mountain to
creatures who looked as diminutive to
him as he must look to the people
among whom he found himself. And
who Knows thought he, that even
TINS prodlgious race of mortals may
De equally oVermatched in some dis
tant part of the world not yet dis
coVered?' The world has been SO
Thoroughly "d~iscovered" since the DAYS
OF CULVER that these reflections now
are applicable only to ~conjectures re-
gaTdlng the inhabitants of other
planets; as such they haunt today the
dreams Of astronomers. The farmer
took CULVER home with him, where
MS wife n daughter were delighted
~ interested in the manikin-as they
called the famous traveller.
1t was about Il o'clock at noon, and
a servant brought in dinner. 1t was
only one substantial dish Of meat GIFT
Tor the plain condition Of a husband
in a platter about twenty-four
leGl IA uidIlctei- Inc company were
the farmer, his wife, three children
and the old grandmother. When they
down the farmer placed CULVER
on the table at some distance from
The table vas thirty feet from
the floor, and CULVER, in a terrible
right, kept as Tar from the edge as
possible for fear Of falling off. The
wife minced a piece of meat, crumh-
led some bread n placed it on q
trencher before the dfminut1ve stranr-
er, who took off his hat and made
her a bow by way of acknowledge
ment; at which n was nightly
pleased. Then the farmers wife sent
her maid for a small dram-cup, which
held about two gallons and filled y
With drink. CULVER with much DIFF
fculty raised the cup in both hands
and frank to the health OF the LADY.
for they comprehended by his actions
what he would be at. The Ho,or
tasted like small cider and was not nm
pleasant.
The farmer then made a sign for
CULVER to come close to him and ~
doing SO the intrepid traveler fell over
a crust Of bread and nearly broke his
shin. Picking himself up and obsery-
irg that the good people seemed much
concerned he took off his hat and
waving it in the air, cried out threnj
times, 'Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah," to
show that he was not hurt. But al.
.vancing toward his master Gas he
began to call the farmer) the
~latter's son, an arch boy Of about ten
and full of mischief, sudden1v
grabbed the medical gentleman by the
legs and held him SO high in the air
that he trembied in every limb. The
father snatched the doctor from the
roguish urchin's hand and at the same
time gave the boy a box on the ear
that would have felled a European
troop of horses to earth. Then he
ordered him away from the table. But
CULVER, fearing that the boy would
bear him malice as the cause Of his
punishment and might do him severe
injury on the sly, begged SO hard for
the urchin's pardon hat the farmer,
understanding the manikin's gestures
of ~entreaty, forgave his mischievous
son.
In the midst of the dinner the good
wife's favorite cat leaped into her lap.
CULVER heard a noise behind him