The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen

onishing effects of a storm-Arrives at Ceylon; combats an

ents, 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's side, took a liking to me, often said I was fi

he 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 dow

ere plundered were pining in poverty. Though the destruction of this tyrant was accidental, the people chose the cucum

rkable storm, and taken leave of the new governor and his l

ived with great marks of friendship and true politeness. Th

rong, athletic man, and being used to that climate (for he had resided there some years), he bore the violent heat of the sun mu

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

s, my companion arrived in search of me; for finding I did not follow him into

e measured the crocodile, which

two carcases. The lion's skin was properly preserved, with its hair on, after which it was made into tobacco-pouches, and pr

one of them is, that the lion jumped quite through the 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's tail along with it; nay, so

s me sometimes apprehensive that my real facts may fall under su