a ae JULES VERNE ee 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Adapted by H.Q. Mitchell mmpublicationsCHAPTER 1 the oceans frightened people all over the world. Those who worked at sea were especially worried. There were rumours about “an enormous thing”, a huge sea monster which appeared near ships in different places. Nobody had ever seen anything like it before. The creature was as long as two hundred feet and moved extremely quickly — one day it was spotted off the coast of Australia, and three days later, it was seen more than 2,000 nautical miles away! Some time later, there was news of a collision between the monster and a ship and, six months after that, something very disturbing happened — the creature hit two ships in the Atl On both occasions the passengers were saved but the public became very angry and frightened because of what had happened. ‘Travel between Europe and the United States was no longer safe. ‘The American government decided to take action and gave orders to find the creature. The best American warship, the Abraham Lincoln, was soon armed under the command of Captain Farragut and prepared to leave for the North Pacific where the creature was last seen. Dr Pierre Aronnax, who was in New York at the time, received an invitation to join the expedition. Dr Aronnax was a well- known scientist, a lecturer at the Museum of Paris and an expert on Natural History. He accepted immediately as he did not want to miss this opportunity. After all, he had already published an article, suggesting that the creature was probably a huge narwhal, and he wanted to see if his theory was true. His faithful servant, Conseil, followed him on all his journeys and he was to go on this one as well. Conseil also knew a lot about science and was very helpful to Dr Aronnax. Best of all, he never complained about anything, They quickly packed their luggage and rushed to board the ship. The ship was to set sail in twenty-four hours. Captain Farragut was expecting them. “Welcome aboard, Professor. Your cabins are ready,” he said. I T WAS THE SUMMER OF 1866, WHEN SOME STRANGE EVENTS in tic! 4‘The ship’s interior was nice and they were pleased with the size of their cabins. “We will be very comfortable here”, Dr Aronnax said to Conseil. If it pleases Monsieur, then it pleases me”, Conseil cheerfully replied. At that moment, Captain Farragut ordered his crew to cast off. He was anxious to reach the open seas and find the creature. He sent for his engineer. “Are you ready to go?” he asked him. “Yes sir”, the engineer replied. ahead then. Full steam!” said the captain and the engineer gave the order to the engine room. The departure of the Abraham Lincoln was a big event for thousands of people. The huge warship sailed out of the harbour to the cheers of the crowd. An amazing adventure began as the cheers faded and the Abraham Lincoln sailed away into the dark waters of the Atlantic. CHAPTER 2 the giant narwhal, but Captain Farragut was not one of them. ‘This fine sailor had no doubt that the sea monster existed and he had sworn to kill it. His crew, all of them strong and experienced seamen, shared their Captain’s view and were anxious to find the creature. The ship had the best equipment, from harpoons to exploding bullets, but best of all, it had Ned Land on board. Ned was a Canadian with a sharp eye and a strong ‘arm and he was the best harpooner on earth. He was a big man who spoke very little and he could become very angry if someone did not agree with him. Of all the men on board, Ned Land was the only one who didn’t believe the creature really existed. “Tell me”, Dr Aronnax asked him one day, “why don’t you believe there is a sea monster?” The two men had become good friends during the many days at sea. N:: EVERYBODY BELIEVED DR ARONNAX’S THEORY ABOUT“Ihave harpooned many whales and T have seen many sea animals. None were powerful enough to damage the iron plates of a ship”, answered the Canadian. As much as they argued, Ned wouldn’t change his mind. Days passed and then months, and the ship sailed from the Atlantic to the, Pacific. However, there was no sighting of the creature, The crew became tired and restless and wanted to give up the search and return home. Captain Farragut was in a difficult position “Ipromise you that if we don’t find the monster in three days, we will head for the Atlantic and go back home”, he told his men. ‘The crew cheered and agreed to continue for three more days. It was 5 November and they had been sailing for over four months. ‘Two days went by and they didn’t see the monster. The third day found the Abraham Lincoln off the coast of Japan, with the crew silently watching the horizon, As night was falling, a voice cried out, “Ahoy! There it is at last!” It was the voice of Ned Land. Then he turned to Aronnax and said, “I guess I was wrong after all. The sea monster does exist.” Everybody came running towards Ned and looked at wh: he was pointing at. In the darkness, they saw something long swimming in a strange blue light below the surface of the se A minute later, they all started shouting. “It's moving! It’s coming straight at us!” The creature came nearer, circled the ship and then suddenly disappeared! The men were amazed. All night long the crew was on their feet ~ nobody thought of sleeping. The next morning the creature appeared again. Now they could see it more clearly. “It’s over 250 feet long”, shouted Dr Aronnax in excitement, At that moment, two jets of water shot up out of the sea at a great height. The creature was waiting for the men’s reactions. The crew was waiting for the Ci . A battle was about to begin. “Full steam ahead!” ordered Captain Farragut. ptain’s ordeCHAPTER 3 R ARONNAX LEANED OVER THE RAILING TO GET A BETTER D::: Ned Land held his harpoon ready to strike. The ship started moving towards the creature, but it swiftly moved away. In fact, every time the Abraham Lincoln neared the monster, it would escape at great speed. Hours went by and Ned became furious. Night fell and they were still hunting the creature. The narwhal was now swimming in the same blue light they had seen the previous night. At about 11 o'clock, it stopped moving. Ned got ready to strike. As he neared the monster, the harpoon shot out of his hand. The surface it hit was hard and they heard a deep ringing sound. The light from the creature disappeared and two huge jets of water landed on the deck of the Abraham Lincoln. It covered the entire ship and knocked the men off their feet. The force of the water threw Dr Aronnax over the rail and into the sea. He went deep down in the water, but he struggled and managed to kick himself to the surface. When he came up, he saw the lights of the Abraham Lincoln sailing away in the darkness. “Help! Help!” he cried out in fear, but nobody heard him. He tried to swim but his clothes were heavy. “Help!” he cried one more time, and his mouth filled with water. Suddenly, he felt a strong hand holding him up. In the moonlight, he saw Conseil “It’s you,” he said. “It’s you!” “Please lean on my shoulder and I'll help you swim.” said Conseil. Dr Aronnax was happy and relieved. “Did you fall into the sea as well?” he asked. “[ felt that I had to follow you when I saw you fall,” Conseil replied, Dr Aronnax felt grateful. Together, they would face the danger. They got rid of some of their wet, heavy clothes and they decided to take turns swimming and carrying each other. As time went by, the men became more and more tired. Dr Aronnax felt he could no longer continue and then, suddenly, he hit something hard. In the dark, he felt someone pulling him up. Then, he fainted. When 10he finally opened hi man, “Ned!” he cried out. “I can’t believe it’s you!” Ned explained to Dr Aronnax that he had landed on the monster when he fell into the sea. “We're luck it isn’t moving. The creature must be asleep,” said Conseil. “It seems to have a very it with his foot. They examined the strange creature in the moonlight. “This isn’t a creature,” said Ned. “No wonder my harpoon didn’t hurt it.” “Why is that?” asked Dr Aronnax. “Because, Professor, our monster is made of steel!” When daylight came, they were able to look at the monster more carefully, They were surprised by what they saw. They could not believe it. Their monster was a ship that could sail under the sea! “Whatever this is, it appears to be sinking,” said Conseil calmly, Ned Land started kicking the steel surface and the others joined eyes again, he saw Conseil and another rd skin,” said Dr Aronnax, as he felt “Hey, you!” he shouted. “Open up!” Suddenly, there was a loud noise. A hatch opened and a man came out. He said something in a strange language and disappeared. Almost at once, eight masked men appeared and dragged the three friends inside. CHAPTER 4 HE MASKED MEN LED THE THREE FRIENDS DOWN A LADDER a d along a corridor. Soon they were in a large room with a thick carpet and a table which was already set for them. The men pushed them in and locked the door behind them. Let us out! You can’t keep us in here!” shouted Ned Land. But nobody came, The men were hungry and exhausted, so they sat at the table and enjoyed the delicious food. After they ate, they fell fast asleep. Many hours passed. When they woke up, they saw there were new clothes for them in theroom. Happily, they put them on. They were made of strange material but they were very comfortable. Then, suddenly, the door opened appeared. He was tall with pale skin and sharp black eyes. am Captain Nemo,” he announced. “And you are on board my ship, the Nautilus.” He looked angry, but spoke gently. “Why did you attack the Nautilus?” he asked. “We thought it was a monster,” said Ned. “We had no idea it was an underwater ship,” added Dr Aronnax, “Now that you are here, I will treat you as guests,” replied Captain Nemo. “But you may never go on land again”. “What?” they all cried out. “We are free men! We to that”, said Dr Aronnax. “Well, you are my prisoners. You must doas I say”, said Captain Nemo. not agree BDr Aronnax and the others realised they had no choice. They followed the captain into a beautiful dining room. “Please sit down and enjoy a good meal,” said Captain Nemo. There was a great variety of food, and this made Ned very happy. “It’s delicious!” he exclaimed. “And all of iecomes from the sea,” said Nemo. “All of it? But this is meat!” said Dr Aronnax. “Isn’t it?” Nemo laughed. “Yes,” he said. “It’s turtle. Try it, it tastes great!” After lunch, they went into their cabins to rest. Later, Captain Nemoinvited Dr Aronnaxto look around the Nautilus. Itwas beyond anything Dr Aronnax could imagine. Captain Nemo took him into the library. [twas a big room full of books on every subject. This is magnificent,” said Dr Aronnax. “There must be at least six or seven thousand books here.’ “Actually, Professor, there are twelve thousand. And you are free to use them.” Dr Aronnax was pleased with this generous offer. Captain Nemo then opened a door and Dr Aronnax entered a very large, bright room. Dr Aronnax could not believe his eyes On the walls, hung lots of paintings by great artists and around the room he saw beautiful marble and bronze statues. “This is a museum!” he told his host. “Lam glad you are pleased,” replied Captain Nemo. Everywhere he looked, Dr Aronnax was filled with surprise. Ina corner of the room there was a large organ. In the middle, a fountain poured water into the shell of a giant clam. Around the fountain were precious treasures from the sea inside glass cases. “What you have shown me,” Dr Aronnax said, “is absolutely wonderful. “Ah, but there is more,” Captain Nemo told him. He went on to show Dr Aronnax the rest of the submarine, and told him how they built it. He explained how the sea gave them everything, including electricity. Dr Aronnax was amazed. “You must be very rich to do all this,” he told Captain Nemo. “Yes, Professor. More than you could imagine,” he answered. 4CHAPTER 5 the Pacific. As long as they obeyed the rules, Captain Nemo treated Dr Aronnax and the others as guests. He was especially polite to Dr Aronnax because of his fame as a scientist. One day, Dr Aronnax received a written invitation from Captain Nemo. He invited the men on a hunt in the forests of the Island of Crespo. “A hunt!” cried Ned Land. “This means we're going ashore.” “It certainly does,” replied Dr Aronnax. The next day Captain Nemo greeted them. “Are you ready for the hunt?” he asked, “Yes, indeed,” replied Dr Aronnax. “But I thought you never wanted us to go on land again.” “We won't, Professor. These forests grow under the sea.” “What?” shouted Ned. “Under the sea? Then P’m not coming!” “As you wish,” answered Nemo. “As for you, gentlemen, don’t worry. You will not get your feet wet.” “That's impossible,” cried Dr Aronnax. “Certainly not, Professor,” said the captain as he led the men into the dressing room of the Nautilus. There were sets of strange suits hanging on the wall. They were made of rubber and the trousers ended in thick boots with heavy metal soles. There were round metal helmets to protect the head. A special attachment which pumped oxygen into the suit was given to the men, as well as guns with electric bullets. Captain Nemo explained that these were waterproof diving suits Dr Aronnax was amazed. After lunch, they were ready for their adventure. Soon, they were walking on sparkling sand, It was a completely new feeling for Dr Aronnax. They passed magnificent rocks while schools of strange fish swam around them. They continued to walk for two hours until they reached three hundred feet below the surface. Captain Nemo stopped and pointed his finger at something ahead, T: NAUTILUS SBT ITS COURSE FOR A JOURNEY THROUGH“That must be the forest of the Island of Crespo,” thought Dr Aronnax. A little further down, they reached the edge of the forest. Dr Aronnax could not believe his eyes, He Sawa fairyland oflarge tree- like plants of many different colours, All of them grew straight up towards the surface. They only needed a point of support to hold onto, and since they had no roots, they seemed to be floating, Dr Aronnax was admiring the beautiful underwater picture, when suddenly, a few steps away, he saw a gigantic sea spider staring at him. The doctor screamed inside his metal helmet, but nothing was heard. The spider was huge, with long legs, and it was getting ready to attack. Captain Nemo jumped between the doctor and the monster and Killed it instantly with his gun. Dr Aronnax was grateful, but he was still horrified. He thought of the numerous creatures that live in the depths of the ocean. What if they met inother monster on'the way? As they neared the end of the journey, Captain Nemo suddenly pushed them to the ground. The doctor was annoyed by this and so was Conseil, but then they noticed two huge sharks swimming above them. These creatures were able to crush a man in their jaws. Luckily for the men, sharks can’t see very well, so they swam by. As soon as the animals were out of sight, the men reached the open hatch of the Nautilus. Back in the safety of the ship, they went into their rooms to rest, full of wonder at the amazing underwater world.CHAPTER 6 ‘ANY WEEKS AND MONTHS PASSED. THE NAUTILUS WAS M ‘ow travelling in the Pacific Ocean, towards Indonesia, The waters were full of amazing fish and strange plants, and Dr Aronnax with Conseil spent hours watching them through the glass, However, the sea was dangerous, with lots of reefs and underwater rock ilus hit a reef. It suffered no damage, but it got stuck and could not move. Chere is nothing to worry about,” said Captain Nemo. “The tide will help us escape.” “Where are we?” asked Dr Aronnax. “We're in the Timor Sea,” was the captain’s They could see an island nearby. With Captain Nemo’s permission, Dr Aronnax, Conseil and Ned took a small boat to explore the island. After so many months, they were excited to set foot on land again. Ned was especially happy for one more reason. “Meat!” he shouted. “We'll have meat ag; Conseil and Dr Aronnax laughed. The island was beautiful. There was a magnificent forest with huge trees in the distance. They spent most of the day gathering vegetables and hunting birds. Just before dark, they returned to the beach. Ned Land was a fine cook and prepared a tasty di “I could stay here forever,” said Ned Land. “What do you say wwe never go back?” Before Dr Aronnax could answer, a sto him. They all looked up, puzzled. “A stone doesn’t just fall from the sky,” said Conseil, Just then, a second stone knocked a juicy pigeon leg out of Conseil’s hand, ‘The men turned and saw a group of wild men running towards them, They were holding spears and arrows. “Back to the boat!” shouted Dr Aronnax. They quickly rushed to the boat and soon they were back in the eG ¢ fell and almost hit 20safety of the Nautilus. Captain Nemo was expecting them with an ironic smile. “Well, how was your hunt?” he asked, “There are savages on that island!” shouted Ned Land. “They tied to kill ust Nemo smiled. “Savages, eh, Master Land? Well, you can’t find a place in the world without them! But don’t worry gentlemen, you're safe here on the Nautilus.” When the tide rose, the submarine was freed from the reef and it continued on its course. Their journey continued for some time without any problems. Then one day, Nemo visited Dr Aronnax in his cabin. The captain looked very sad and worried. “Professor, are you a doctor?” he asked. “Yes,” answered Dr Aronnax. “I worked in many hospitals before the museum,” Nemo then took the professor into a room where a man from his crew was lying in a bed. He was wounded in the head. “He won't make it through the night,” Dr Aronnax told Nemo after he examined the man. The next day, Captain Nemo asked Dr Aronnax and the others to join him on an excursion. They put on their diving suits and went in the water. They looked around them as they followed Nemo and his men. There were wonderful red and pink shapes all around them. Dr Aronnax couldn’t believe his eyes. It was the Coral Kingdom! Beautiful sea anemones grew on the coral and colourful fish swam through it. When Captain Nemo stopped, his crew gathered around him. They placed a long object on the ground. Itwas the body of the man who had died during the night. DrAronnax understood that this was a cemetery for Nemo and his men. After they buried the body, they returned to the Nautilus. “Your dead sleep quietly there, Captain,” said Dr Aronnax to Nemo. “Yes, Professor,” he answered. “Far away from men, everything is peaceful.” ‘This made Dr Aronnax wonder, but he said nothing, 22CHAPTER 7 FTER TRAVELLING FOR MORE THAN 7,500 LEAGUES, THE A: entered the Red Sea. This sea is rich in fish and plant life, and the professor was anxious to study it. One day, Dr Aronnax stood on the platform talking with Captain Nemo. “Well, Professor, how do you like the Red Seat” asked the captain. “There is a great deal to study here, Captain Nemo, and I will certainly have time for that before we reach the Mediterranean,” answered Dr Aronnax. “Not as much time as you think, Professor. We will be in the Mediterranean the day after tomorrow,” said Nemo with a smile, Dr Aronnax looked very surprised. “How is that possible, Captain? We must sail around Africa to do that!” “There is an underground passage that we will sail through,” replied Captain Nemo. Later, Dr Aronnax told Ned and Conseil about their trip to the Mediterranean. Ned became excited and once again he talked of escape. “We'll get in the boat and go to the nea he said. “Just wait for my signal.” In two days, the Nautilus entered the Gulf of Suez. That night, the ship reached the opening to an underwater channel. The Nautilus went in and the powerful water pushed it through. In less than twenty minutes, the Nautilus reached the Mediterranean. The next day, it rose to the surface, Dr Aronnax rushed up to the platform. Ned and Conseil joined him. “Well, Professor,” asked Ned, “where is the Me were talking about?” “This is it,” replied Dr Aronnax. “I don’t believe a word of it,” answered Ned. “You are quite wrong, Ned, Ahead of us is the coast of Egypt. Look carefully over there, that’s Port Said.” Ned looked carefully and realised Dr Aronnax was right. He ain spoke of plans to escape once they came closer to land. Dr irest European country,” fterranean you "4Aronnax said that they should wait for the right moment. After leaving the coast of Egypt, the Nautilus sailed towards the Greek islands. Dr Aronnax looked through the window, and thought he saw a man, “A man! A shipwrecked man!” he cried. * We must save him!” he said to Nento. The man swam towards the Nautilus and Captain Nemo waved at him. The diver answered with a wave of his hand, and rose to the surface of the sea. Captain Nemo then turned to a surprised Dr Aronnax and explained “It’s Nicolas, the ‘Fish.’ He is a well-known diver who swims from one island to another.” Dr Aronnax then watched as Captain Nemo opened a cabinet full of gold bars. They were worth a fortune! He filled a chest with gold and told his men to take it out. “Where did all that gold come from?” wondered the professor: “And where are they taking This only added to the mystery of Captain Nemo and his wealth. As the Nautilus neared the island of Santorini, Ned Land planned their escape. But when they got nearer, Ned realised they could not escape. Santorini is near an active volcano, and they were travelling in boiling water! The men had to wait for another opportunity. The ship sailed quickly and soon it came close to the Spanish coast. There it sat at the ocean’s bottom. When Dr Aronnax looked out of the window, he saw Nemo’s men collecting gold and silver from a wrecked ship. He realised that the riches from the many shipwrecks made Captain Nemo a very rich man, “So”, he told Nemo, “this is how you find your gold... However, 1 feel sorry for all those poor people around the world! All these riches will never help them.” Nemowasannoyed. “Isthat so?” he replied. “Do you think that keep all these treasures just for myself? Don’t you understand...” He stopped suddenly and walked out of the room. Dr Aronnax finally realised that the captain still had feelings for the helpless people of this world and gave them his support whenever he could. 26CHAPTER 8 into the open Atlantic Ocean. Ned Land was disappointed because *the chance for escape was lost. Dr Aronnax, however, was pleased as his studies of the sea could continue, and Conseil agreed with him, One night, Captain Nemo spoke to Dr Aronnax. “Are you tired, Dr Aronnax2” he asked. When the doctor said no, the captain asked him again. “Would you like to come with me on a very interesting excursion?” Dr Aronnax heartily agreed. ‘The water was pitch black when they stepped out of the ship. After a long walk, the men arrived in a strange place. It was a fantastic world of underwater mountains and caves. A red light was shining in the distance, “What can this light be? Where does it come from?” wondered the professor. Then he noticed thousands of little bright lights i the dark. These were the eyes of giant lobsters and crabs hiding in the caves. The men continued walking towards the strange light. ‘They climbed a tall mountain, Dr Aronnax could see big stones and the ruins of castles and temples all around. “Where am I?” the professor asked himself, Nemo waved his hand at him, He seemed to say: “Come on! Keep walking!” When they reached the top of the mountain, Nemo stopped. Down below lay the ruins of an ancient city. In the distance, Dr Aronnax saw a volcano! It was still alive, and the lava from the volcano caused the red light. The volcano had destroyed the ancient city thousands of years ago. Dr Aronnax turned to the captain. Nemo picked up a piece of rock and wrote one word in the sand. “Atlantis.” “The lost continent!” thought Dr Aronnax. It was an unforgettable moment. No other man had seen that sight! T:: NAUTILUS Now LEFT THE MEDITERRANEAN AND SAILEDA few days later, the Nautilus sailed into a very strange place. It was like a big cave full of sea water and there was only a small opening in the roof of the cave. “Where are we? What is this place?” Dr Aronnax asked Nemo. “We are inside a dead volcano,” he said. “Well stay here for one day to pick up coal. You are free to explore, if you like.” Ned was thrilled. “Maybe we can climb to that opening and then we can escape!” he told his friends. But as much as the men tried, they couldn't make it. So they returned to the submarine. For the next nineteen days, the ship sailed at a steady speed in the middle of the Atlantic. They could see no land, and Ned knew there was no hope of escape. One day, some whaling boats chased them because the submarine looked like a large whale. Captain Nemo ordered the Nautilus to dive below the surface. When the whalers left, the ship rose to the surface again. One morning, after breakfast, the men climbed up onto the platform. They all thought the ship was going west, but Conseil noticed something had changed. “Monsieur,” he said, “it seems that the ship is going south now. At this speed, it will soon reach the South Pole!” “That’s not possible,” said Ned Land, “Lm afraid it is,” replied Dr Aronnax, as he pointed at a large piece of floating ice in front of them. 30CHAPTER 9 ‘Nautilus moved south. It sailed through ice caps until it reached.a large body of land. There were icebergs all around and travelling through them was now very difficult. But Captain Nemo wanted to be the first man at the South Pole, so they continued. They didn’t have much time for their expedition because soon the sun would set for six months. Captain Nemo and the men boarded a small boat and set out to explore the new continent. They saw walruses and seals, and huge areas of ice and snow, A few days later, Captain Nemo placed a black flag with a gold ‘N’ on the ground and said: “Now, on 21 March 1868, I, Captain Nemo, have reached the South Pole. It is mine.” Their journey was over. The men returned to their ship and got ready to leave. That night, a loud noise woke Dr Aronnax up. Then, a sudden movement of the ship threw him to the floor. He rushed to Captain Nemo and asked him anxiously: “What was that? Are we in trouble?” Nemo replied, “We had an accident. An iceberg turned over and trapped the Nautilus in the ice. We must all work hard to get it out.” Everyone took turns trying to break a hole in the ice so the ship could get out. After days of hard work, the ship was still trapped. But now the men had a more serious problem. They began to run out of oxygen, and they had to free the Nautilus in forty-eight hours, or they would all die! Nemo then had an idea. “We'll use the Nautilus to cut through the ice. There’s nothing else we can do!” he said. Luckily, his plan worked, just as the last oxygen supplies were finishing. They now sailed north towards the Atlantic, Dr Aronnax and his friends had been prisoners on board the Nautilus for six months. Ned Land felt it would never end. T: COULD SEE MORE AND MORE ICE AROUND THEM AS 32Dr Aronnax was also anxious to escape. He had a lot of information about the sea and he wanted to write a book to share it with the rest of the world. Days later, they reached the West Indies. When they were close to the Bahdmas, Ned noticed some dark underwater caves. “Lwonder what lives in those caves,” he asked the professor. “Well,” he said, “squid probably.” “Llove squid, especially grilled,” said Ned. “[ mean giant squid,” laughed the professor “That's tall tales,” said Ned. “I don’t believe any of that Suddenly, a terrible giant squid over twenty-five feet long passed outside the window. It had long tentacles and its mouth looked like a bird’s beak. Dr Aronnax guessed that the monster weighed forty to fifty thousand pounds. Almost at once, the Nautilus stopped and the entire ship shook. “The giant squid stopped our propeller”, informed the captain. ‘We must do something. Follow me!” Captain Nemo gave orders for the ship to rise to the surface and the crew, armed with axes, rushed to the platform. Ned followed them with a harpoon in his hand, and Dr Aronnax and Conseil followed them with their axes. Ten or more of the giant squid were now aboard the ship. A battle began as the men fought the sea monsters. A squid caught one of Nemo’s men and wouldn't let go of him. The men attacked it and cut off its legs, but they didn’t manage to save him. As the squid disappeared with the man crying for help, Dr Aronnax noticed tears running down Captain Nemo’s cheeks. 3CHAPTER 10 man’s cry for help still rang in the men’s ears. Captain Nemo ‘was so upset that he didn’t speak to anyone for days. He did not do anything and he let the Nautilus move here and there, pushed along by the waves. Finally, ten days later, the ship started to sail north. As they came close to the American coast, Ned Land and Dr Aronnax stood on the platform. A storm was coming. Ned anxiously said to Dr Aronnax: “Professor, this is our best chance for escape. We must do something. We must speak to Captain Nemo immediately,” he demanded. “Maybe he's changed his mind.” “Yes, you are right. [ wll talk to the captai professor. He went to the captain's room and asked him, “Sir, are you ever going to free us?” “Monsieur Aronnax,” replied the captain sternly, “Iwill tell you what I told you some months ago. Whoever enters the Nautilus can never leave, Don’t make me say it again.” Dr Aronnax realised the situation was hopeless. Unfortunately the storm grew worse and the Nautilus dived to a great depth to escape the hurricane. Captain Nemo now decided to sail towards Europe. One day, Dr Aronnax and the others heard a loud explosion. From the platform, they saw a big warship shooting its cannons at them. As the warship drew near, the Nautilus dived below the sea again. Captain Nemo looked at the ship with hate in his eyes and shouted, “Keep firing, you senseless ship! I will destroy you! Tam the law!” Dr Aronnax was shocked. Suddenly, the warship was in front of them and the Nautilus tore through the body of the ship and sank it. Dr Aronnax watched in horror through the window as the wrecked warship sank with its screaming crew still on board. The Nautilus then sped towards the North Atlantic. Everything N: ONE WOULD EVER FORGET THA TERRIBLE DAY. THE POOR myself,” replied the 36on the ship was silent. Dr Aronnax was in the library, when he saw Captain Nemo going towards his room, Through the open door, he saw the captain looking at a portrait. It was the picture of a young woman with two children. The captain covered his face with his hands and started crying. Dr Aronnax went back to his room, puzzledsWhat did it all mean? That night, Ned woke the professor up. Conseil was with him. “Now it’s our chance to escape,” said Ned. “The weather is bad, but we must risk it. I's now or never!” They quietly passed the organ room where Captain Nemo was playing with tears in his eyes. Then he suddenly stopped and the men heard him crying. The last words they heard him say were, “Almighty God! Enough! Enough!” The men reached the small boat of the ship and tried to loosen i\, Suddenly, from the inside they heard cries. “Maelstrom! Maelstrom!” the crew were shouting. It was a large and violent whirlpool from which no ship could ever escape. Everything was tossed about and then a loud cracking ound was heard, They found themselves thrown into the water. Dr Aronnax hit his head and fainted. When he opened his eyes again, he was in a fisherman's hut. Ned vid Conseil were with him. They had all been saved by a miracle! hhat had happened to the Nautilus Was Captain Nemo stil alive hat was hi: | name? Dr Aronnax could not answer these questions. But he knew one thing: they had travelled 20,000 Joagues under the sea, and it was something they would never forget!