On his first voyage,Gulliver goes to the sea as a surgeon on a merchant ship. The ship is destroyed during a storm with Gulliver being the sole survivor. He  swims to a nearby island of Lilliput and being exhausted falls asleep. Upon awakening, he finds that the island's inhabitants, who are only  six inches tall, have captured him and he is a  prisoner of the Lilliputians. The inhabitants are curious about Gulliver and provide him with food. The Emperor of Lilliput then orders Gulliver to be moved to  a little-used temple, where he is kept prisoner. Gulliver's co-operation and friendly nature pleases the  Emperor. After giving assurances of his good behaviour, Gulliver is freed and given a residence in Lilliput.  He soon  becomes a favourite of the Lilliputian court.

Gulliver then describes the various Liliputian court customs and other diverisons. He also gets to know more about the cause of conflict between the neighbouring and rival countries of Lilliput and Blefuscu.  Gulliver assists the Lilliputians to subdue their neighbors, Blefuscudians by stealing their fleet. However, he refuses to reduce Blefuscu to a province of Lilliput, thus displeasing the King and the court.

A fire breaks out in the royal palace and  Gulliver puts out the fire by urinating on it.There is a law against anyone passing water in the royal palace, however, the Emperor later pardons Gulliver  for this crime. Gulliver later provides details about the Lilliputian culture and laws. The  Emperor and his family come to visit & dine with Gulliver. The royal treasurer with them is appalled when he estimates the cost of feeding Gulliver. He also accuses  his wife of being  attracted to Gulliver and having visited him secretly. 

Gulliver learns that he is to be  charged with treason for various crimes and sentenced to be blinded. On learning this, with the assistance of a kind friend, Gulliver escapes to Blefuscu.  He later  spots and retrieves an abandoned boat and restores it. Gulliver then sails out to be rescued by a passing ship which safely takes him back home.

Modern Versions 

This classic book has  had modern interpretations to fit into our current culture.  The latest one is the 2010 Movie  with a comical twist.  Here Gulliver, a lowly mailroom clerk at a New York newspaper. He  bluffs his way into an assignment writing about the Bermuda Triangle, he goes there only to be transported to an undiscovered land, Lilliput. 

In this fantastical new world, Gulliver is, at last, a bigger-than-life figure -- in size and ego,  especially after he starts telling tall tales, taking credit for his worlds greatest inventions, and placing himself at the center of its most historic events. Gulliver's position is enhanced even further when he leads his new friends in a daring battle against their longtime enemies. But when Gulliver loses it all and puts the Lilliputians in peril, he must find a way to undo the damage. Ultimately, Gulliver becomes a true giant among men only when he learns that itfs how big you are on the inside that count.

Meet the modern version of the Lilliputians in this this video!