Gulliver's  sailing ship Adventure is steered off course by storms and forced to go in to land for want of fresh water, Gulliver is abandoned by his companions are set upon by "a huge creature" that chases them into the ocean and back to their ship.  Gulliver is found by the Brobdingnagians who are humans but around 72 feet tall. They  are curious  and interested in  him. The  farmer on whose land Gulliver was found  brings him home. The farmers daughter is fascinated by Gulliver  takes care of him. Gulliver refers to her as Glumdalclitch (nurse). 

The farmer treats him as a curiosity and exhibits him for money throughout the kingdom. The word gets out and the Queen of Brobdingnag wants to see the show. She loves Gulliver and he is then bought by her and kept as a favourite at court. The farmer's daughter, Glumdalclitch, becomes a member of the Queen's court as Gulliver's nurse. 

The King and Queen of Brobdingnag  love  Gulliver, but the Queen's dwarf is very jealous because the queen is now more fond of Gulliver. Since Gulliver is too small to use their huge chairs, beds, knives and forks, the queen commissions a small house to be built for Gulliver so that he can be carried around in it. This box is referred to as his travelling box.


Gulliver has many accidents during his stay there. The Queen's dwarf drops barrel-sized apples on him,  hailstones as big as tennis balls batter and bruise him, a dog  picks him up in his mouth and carries him to the royal gardener and  a bird of prey nearly grabs him.  The queen has a toy boat made for him that Gulliver uses.  One day a frog jumps on his boat and Gulliver has to deal with it. The greatest danger comes from a monkey that snatches Gulliver and carries him to the roof of the Palace where he is rescued.  

Gulliver amuses himself by using the Brobdingnagian King's stubble to create a comb and chairs from the Queens hair. He also plays the Piano for them by running up and down the keys. Gulliver  discusses the state of Europe with the King. The King is not impressed with Gulliver's accounts of Europe, especially upon learning of the usage of guns and cannons. 

After spending over two years in Brobdingnag,  on a trip to the seaside, his "travelling box" is seized by a giant eagle. The eagle then drops Gulliver and his box right into the sea where he is picked up by some sailors, who return him to England.