Treasure Island

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote* two of the most famous books in English: Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde. He also wrote many other popular stories, such as Kidnapped and The Black Arrow. His poetry for children is also famous. He was born in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, in November 1850. When he was a child, his nurse1 told* him many stories. He also played with a small toy theatre. [...]

My name is Jim Hawkins. My friends, Doctor Livesey and Squire1 Trelawney, asked me to write the story of our adventures on Treasure Island. So, I will pick up my pen and begin. When I was a boy, I lived with my father and mother at The Admiral Benbow Inn.2 It was a lonely place, near the cliffs3 and the sea. One day, a tall, strong sailor came to our door. He had a large sea chest with him. [...]

One cold day in January, the captain went to the beach. While he was out, a sailor came to the inn. I noticed that two fingers were missing1 on his left hand. ‘Is Bill here?’ he asked. ‘No,’ I replied. ‘The captain is our only guest.’ ‘What does he look like?’ he asked. ‘He has a scar on one cheek. He’s walking on the beach.’ ‘That’s Bill,’ said the man. ‘I’ll wait for him.’ He pulled me with him into the inn and hid* behind the door. [...]

The door was locked. The blind man shook the door and then went away. My mother agreed to leave. She took some of the money and I took the papers. We ran out of the inn and hid behind the trees by the road. Soon, I saw three men in the moonlight. They went inside the inn. Tap! Tap! Tap! Blind Pew arrived. ‘Somebody stole* things from the sea chest. There’s nothing,’ one of the men told him. ‘They must be near here,’ said Blind Pew. [...]

Long John Silver shook my hand firmly.1 At that moment, a man who was drinking at a corner table suddenly got* up2 and left. I recognised him. ‘It’s Black Dog!’ I shouted. ‘Stop him!’ ‘Black what?’ asked Long John. He sent two men to try to catch the pirate but he escaped. ‘This is terrible,’ said Silver. ‘He was drinking in my inn. A pirate! If I see him again, I’ll arrest him myself.’ He walked back with me to meet Doctor Livesey. [...]

What are pirates? Pirates are sea robbers. They attack other ships and steal their cargoes.1 Sometimes they also take prisoners. In some cases, they even attack cities on the coast. Piracy has a very old history. There were pirates in the time of the Greeks and Romans. Pirates committed crimes on the sea outside national frontiers, so governments introduced international law to protect people and cargoes from pirates. [...]

The ship was approaching1 a large island with three high hills. Everyone watched the land. Nobody saw me when I climbed out of the apple barrel. Long John silver stood next to Captain Smollett and pointed to the east. ‘I know this island. That is the best place to find a safe harbour.’ ‘Thank you,’ said the captain. He trusted the cook. I quickly whispered to Doctor Livesey. ‘Come to the cabin with the squire and the captain. [...]

I looked at Ben Gunn. He was very sunburnt and wore* ragged1 clothes but he was an Englishman. ‘I came here three years ago,’ he explained ‘I am all alone on the island. I live on berries2 and wild goats.3 I made a small boat and I keep it under the white rock. I use it to catch fish. But every night I dream of cheese. Beautiful, toasted cheese!’ ‘I will give you cheese,’ I promised, ‘if I return safely to my friends. [...]

The doctor continued his story. ‘We rowed the boat towards the island. There were pirates on the island and there were pirates behind us on the Hispaniola. One of the squire‘s two servants, Joyce, was already in the stockade and was waiting for us. Soom, we were near the shore1 of the island. ‘On the ship, Israel Hands and the others were loading2 the cannon. “Squire Trelawney, can you shoot Hands?” the captain said. [...]

Hunter died later the same day. Captain Smollett's wound1 was serious but not dangerous. The pirates stayed in their camp along the shore. ‘It’s unhealthy there,’ said the doctor. ‘Their camp is in a swamp.2 They will catch fever.’ The next morning the doctor took his guns and a cutlass, and walked out of the stockade into the forest. ‘He’s mad,’ said Gray. ‘Where is he going?’ ‘He isn’t mad,’ I replied. [...]

Henry Morgan (1635-1688) Henry Morgan was the most successful leader of the pirates in the Caribbean. He led* the buccaneers who captured Panama City from the Spanish. He gained a great deal1 of Spanish gold. The English supported him while they were at war with Spain but later arrested him and brought him back to England. [...]

I climbed along the bowsprit and reached the deck. I couldn't see anyone. But the wind changed and the great white sail moved round. Now I could see, behind the sail, the two pirates. The man in the red cap was on his back. Israel Hands was sitting against the bulwarks. They didn‘t move. I could see blood on the deck. Did they fight and kill each other? Then Israel Hands opened his eyes. He looked very ill. I wasn’t afraid. [...]

I took the knife out of my shoulder and climbed down the mast. Luckily, the wound was not deep.1 I pushed the dead body of the other pirate into the sea. He and Israel floated2 on the surface while the fish swam* over them. I jumped from the Hispaniola onto the land and walked back towards the stockade. Night came. The moon rose over Spyglass Hill. I was near my friends. I went silently inside the stockade. [...]

Early next morning, Doctor Livesey arrived at the stockade. He came to look after the sick pirates. He saw me and stopped. Then he continued his work. ‘Did you take your medicine? Did you rest?’ he asked the pirates. ‘You were fools to make your first camp in a swamp. You caught the fever.’ He turned to me. ‘I want to talk to Jim alone.’ ‘No,’ said one of the pirates. ‘It’s all right,’ said Silver. ‘Jim will promise not to escape. [...]

Exit Test

Infinitive Past Simple Infinitive Past Simple become became light lit begin began meet met break broke pay paid bring brought ride rode creep crept rise rose draw drew run ran drink drank see saw eat ate shake shook fall fell shoot shot fight fought sing sang find found sink sank forget forgot sit sat get got spend spent give gave stand stood hear heard steal stole hide hid swim swam hit hit take took hold held tell told kneel knelt think thou...

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