Article February 11, 1905 Issue

Gulliver and the Lilliputians

ALICE L. HAMILTON

When looking recently at a picture of Gulliver bound by the Lilliputians, the thought of its meaning in the light of Christian Science came to me. Gulliver seemed typical of mortal man, and the Lilliputians of the little errors which bind and oppress him. In the story we are told that they were only able to tie him with their little threads (which to them seemed strong ropes) because he was asleep. If he had been awake and watchful he would have laughed at their belief that these threads had power to hold him, but in his sleep he had let them creep all over him and bind him securely, as they thought. In the picture, even his hair is fastened to little pegs in the ground. so that he had to make a mighty effort to get free. Each little thread alone could have been snapped at once, but a mighty and prolonged effort was needed to break so many. Thus it happens that, if we are dozing and not watchful, we will surely find that numerous threads of error have been fastened upon us, and it will require much faithful work to break or undo them.

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