Around the world in 80 days

In a club, in England, there was a heated discussion. Phileaus Fogg had taken a bet with certain members of the club that he could travel around the world in 80 days.

“Impossible,” said Joseph Cain, one of the members, “You cannot travel to every continent in 80 days.” “It’s a bet, gentlemen. Twenty thousand pounds,” said Phileaus Fogg confidently. “That is a bet,” said the members.

Phileaus Fogg had not made an empty boast. He was a very correct gentleman and had made precise calculations with a world map. He had decided that 80 days were enough to travel around the world.

Phileaus Fogg’s bet was well-published in all newspapers in and around England. It so happened that a big diamond burglary had taken place a few days earlier. Phileaus’s face fitted the description of the man who was wanted for the burglary. Scotland Yard appointed a man, named Fix, to follow Phileaus. 

Phileaus Fogg along with his personal assistant, Passepartout, packed their bags to start their journey. Phileaus had a chart. First stop was from London to Suez, seven days by rail and steamer.

Phileaus Fogg and Passepartout reached the Suez and from there set sail to Bombay by steamer, a 13-day journey. A man whom Fogg had seen earlier came face to face with him on this journey. “Were you not on the steamer to Suez?” asked Fogg. “Yes,” replied Fix uneasily.

Once they reached Bombay, Phileaus and Passepartout checked into a hotel, with Fix right behind them. In Bombay Phileaus was informed that the king had died and the queen was to commit sati, that is, jump into the funeral pyre of her husband.

Phileaus Fogg was not a man to sit down and do nothing about it. He and Passepartout went to rescue the queen on elephant back. They were just in time. The queen had been drugged and was about to be thrown into the fire, when Phileaus intervened. He carried the queen back to the Hotel.

Phileaus Fogg realized that the queen was very beautiful. He fell in love with her and proposed to marry her. She agreed. They were married immediately. Phileaus Fogg told his new bride of his bet, “We will have to leave Bombay and move on the Calcutta and from there on to Hong Kong. A 16-day journey.”

They reached Hong Kong, Mr. and Mrs. Fogg and Passepartout followed closely by Fix. Fogg had noticed that Fix seemed to be everywhere they went. He ignored Fix.

They left Hong Kong and headed to Japan and from Japan to San Francisco – a 28-day journey. Fix was getting really tired following Phileaus Fogg. Here was a man who never rested. He had found a bride and got married in a single day; kept on the move jumping from rail to road to sea. All this seemed to be taking a toll on Fix.

In San Francisco, Phileaus Fogg again saw Fix lurking somewhere behind him. He waited until Fix was alongside him and asked, “What is your game, Sir? You have been following me from London all the way to the Suez to Bombay and now here.” Fix was speechless. He said, “I… I… It’s just a coincidence.”

Phileaus Fogg was now on his way to New York and then to his final destination London, another 16 days. The journey to New York and London went without a hitch, except for the annoying presence of Fix who tried his best not to be seen.

Everything was fine until Phileaus Fogg realized that he had not taken the different time zones into consideration, he was shocked to realize that he would be a day late. He was supposed to reach London on the morning of Sunday and win his bet. Phileaus Fogg would now reach on Monday.

He walked home dejected. He lay in bed, when suddenly his eye caught the calendar. He called Passepartout, “Is it you who has changed the calendar. What day is it today?” He had told nobody that his calculations had been wrong. “It is Saturday, Mr. Fogg. You have won the bet, I would have told you but you seemed so dejected for some reason.”

It turned out that Phileaus Fogg had indeed miscalculated the time differences of the time zones – he returned a day early! He ran to the club to tell the members that he had indeed won. The members of the club gladly paid Phileaus Fogg his 20 thousand pounds. As for Fix, he came to know that the thief had been caught the same day he had started on the trail of Phileaus Fogg. (kidsgen.com)