ESOLish Picture Stories · ESOL Entry 1

Gulliver in Lilliput

A simple retelling of Jonathan Swift’s story.

A shortened adventure from Gulliver’s Travels.

Turn the pages and enjoy the story. Tap any word to hear it. Bold, dotted-underlined words also have a simple meaning and example.

Gulliver in Lilliput: Gulliver swims towards an island during a storm.

A storm at sea

Pages 1–2

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Read for pleasure. The final page shares a lesson from the story.

Turn on JavaScript for page turns and word help. You can also read the complete story here.A storm at seaGulliver travels across the sea on a ship.A terrible storm breaks the ship apart.He swims to an island and falls asleep on the sand.Tiny peopleGulliver wakes up and cannot move.Tiny ropes hold his arms and legs to the ground.Small people stand around him, looking frightened.To them, this stranger is as tall as a building.Learning to trustGulliver tries to show that he is gentle.The people bring him little baskets of food and some water.They begin to trust him, and later they set him free.A different worldThe island is called Lilliput, and its ruler is an emperor.Gulliver learns about the people and their tiny town.They are small, but their worries and arguments are familiar.A difficult requestLilliput is fighting with a nearby island.Gulliver pulls away the other island’s ships to stop an attack.The emperor then wants him to take all the other people’s freedom.Gulliver refuses to help him do this.A journey homeSome leaders become angry with Gulliver, so he leaves Lilliput.The people on the other island help him prepare a small boat.He sails away and is found by a passing ship.After his strange adventure, he returns home.What can we learn?Do not judge people only by their size or appearance.Treat others with respect, even when they are different from you.Being powerful does not give us the right to take away someone’s freedom.

A shortened ESOLish retelling. Original story by Jonathan Swift.

Gulliver in Lilliput

A storm at sea

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