The Life and Exploits of the Traveler in Brobdingnag

The Role of the "Little Nurse"

During his stay with the farmer, the narrator finds himself under the care of a nine-year-old girl who becomes his primary caretaker and educator. Describing her as "so handy," the narrator notes how she crafted him "seven shirts and some other linens." More importantly, she served as his teacher, helping him acquire the local language. By pointing to objects, she taught him their names, allowing him to eventually "call for whatever I had a mind to." The girl bestowed upon him the name "Gildrig," meaning "mannequin," while he nicknamed her "Glumduglitch," or "little nurse." This domestic arrangement provided a semblance of stability, with the narrator sleeping in a "doll's cradle" kept inside a "small drawer of a cabinet" for protection against rats.

Exploitation and Public Exhibition

The farmer, recognizing the potential for profit, began exhibiting the narrator as a "strange creature" who was "like a miniature human and could perform a hundred tricks." The narrator describes the grueling process of these exhibitions, which took place in a box "closed on every side with holes to let in air." During these performances, he was expected to "pay my respects," "make a toast to their health," and wield his knife "like a master fencer." The physical and mental toll was immense; after performing for twelve groups in a single day, the narrator was "half dead with weariness and anger."

The Journey to the Capital

Driven by greed, the master decided to transport the narrator to the empire's center, a journey spanning "three thousand miles." For ten weeks, Glumduglitch carried him in a box tied to her waist, attempting to make it "as comfortable as possible" with soft cloth. Despite the exhaustion of being shown in "eighteen large towns," the narrator’s language skills flourished. He notes that he could "speak the language fairly well and understood every word that was said to me." However, this period of constant exhibition led to severe health deterioration, as he "lost my appetite and was nearly reduced to a skeleton."

Transition to the Royal Court

The turning point occurs when a gentleman from the court arrives, commanding the farmer to bring the narrator for the "Queen's entertainment." Upon meeting Her Majesty, the narrator displays courtly manners, falling on his knees to beg for the honor of "kissing her foot." The Queen, charmed by his performance, inquires if the farmer is willing to sell his captive. The farmer, believing the narrator would not "live another month," eagerly accepts "one thousand pieces of gold."

A New Life under Royal Protection

The final act of this chapter secures the narrator’s future. Before the farmer departs, the narrator requests that Glumduglitch remain as his "nurse and teacher." The Queen consents, and the farmer, hoping to have his daughter "favored at court," readily agrees. The narrative concludes with the farmer bidding farewell—a departure the narrator meets with silence, signaling the end of his time as a mere commodity and the beginning of his life as the "Queen's most humble creature."