
Adam Markel interviews David Balfour, the protagonist of Kidnapped, about being betrayed by his uncle Ebenezer and sold into slavery in the Carolinas. Balfour recounts his escape from a brig, his alliance with Alan Breck, and fleeing Redcoats across Scotland to reach safety.
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And now, the TED Talk Show. Here is Ted.
Hey, everybody. I want to welcome you to our interview today with Mr. David Balfour, who is main character in the Robert Louis Stevenson novel, kidnapped. Welcome, Mr. Balfour. Mr. Balfour, may I ask you a few questions about. About Kidnapped?
Oh, yeah, sure.
Wonderful. Question number one. What is your name and where are you from?
My name is David Belfort, as you all know, and I am from Scotland.
Wonderful. Thank you. What is your best friend? Or who is your best friend?
I should say my best friend. And also the person who helped me the most on my adventure is, of course, Alan Breck.
Alan Brecht. Thank you so much. And you said adventure. I'm curious, what was your adventure?
My adventure? Well, it's a long story.
And. Well.
It all starts out when my evil uncle, Ebenezer Balfour sent me on a boat where I was kidnapped and to be sent into slavery. Although originally I thought I was being taken to see a lawyer about my receiving my inheritance.
Could you say a little bit more about receiving your inheritance?
Yeah. My inheritance is from my dead dad. He just died. And I saw Mr. Campbell about it. He told me to go to my uncle, Ebenezer Balfour, at the House of Shaws, as everyone calls it. And I go there, and he doesn't like me. And I can tell because he tries to send me to slavery on this boat so he can have my inheritance, which is a big thing.
That's a great point, because I was going to ask you, what was the reason that you were kidnapped? You said you were kidnapped?
Yes, yes. And the reason why I was kidnapped. And nobody could really explain it better than the person who actually had the devious mind, but I think they kidnapped me because he wanted my inheritance. And. And he actually told me that when I see him towards the end of the book.
And the person who kidnapped you was again your uncle Ebenezer, is that right?
Yes.
Thank you. Thank you. So, who helped you the most on your adventure?
Well, like I said before, my best friend, Alan Brink, helped me the most. He helped me get off the brig where I was sent to slavery on. He helped me escape the Red Coats when we were accused of killing a very important person named the Red Fox.
And you said brig. Is that. Is that another word for ship?
Yes.
Thank you. Thank you. And where did this adventure take place?
Well, this adventure takes. Took place mostly in Scotland, but it.
Started out on a ship.
It didn't start out there. It started out where I was born, in a special town in Scotland, and I saw Mr. Campbell. And then I go over to my Uncle Ebenezer, where I was sent on a ship and that the ship takes like a quarter of the story up. You know, living on a ship for like, I don't know, two weeks or so.
Where were you headed?
I was heading towards the Carolinas.
Is that where you were to be put into slavery?
Yes, yes, it is. I wasn't quite sure. North or south, but whichever one, it's both bad.
Yeah, well, being a slave would not be good, would it?
Yeah, but this is all happening in the 1700s, so that's a whole lot different than here.
Yeah, that's when slavery existed here in our own country. It's hard to believe. Yes.
What is that thing called again?
Oh, that's a light bulb, Mr. Balfour.
Yes.
Not seen one of those before, have you?
Yes, it's very interesting.
That's very incredible. In fact, even the camera. Not sure if they had a video camera back in the 1700s either. They have a different brand of video then. So who are the main characters?
Main characters? Well, it's of course Alan Brick, and It's Ebenezer Balfour, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Rankinlore, the lawyer and me.
Okay, so I know you mentioned Alan Brecht and of course your evil uncle, Ebenezer Balfour, and you mentioned Mr. Campbell, but I don't think I heard you mention Mr. Rankinleur, the lawyer. Who is he?
Mr. Rankenliller. He is the lawyer who I was trying to get to at first. Like I said before, about the lawyer. Yes, that's Mr. Rankinlower.
I see, I see. And did Mr. Ranken help you at any point in time?
Oh yes, but I don't want to give away the ending.
That's a good idea. We'll keep the ending a secret. Yes, yes. Awesome. Alright, so what is the plot of the story?
Well, the plot of the story is I go and look for my inheritance and it goes very bad. And to be specific, the plot of the story is about my adventure and towards receiving my deceased father's deceased man's dad. We talked very weird back then. Father's inheritance and my struggles along the way.
Way interesting. And who is your role model?
Of course, Alan Brick, because he's taught me so much on my adventure. Like when he taught me a lot. Like I said, oh my God, I keep on repeating myself. Well, he showed great character standing up from me on the brink and being loyal to me throughout my adventure. Because I thought at first that he was gonna leave me because I had so many struggles and I thought that I was gonna get him in trouble, but turns out he brought me trouble.
But it sounds like you guys got through your troubles together.
Oh, yes. And it turned out pretty good at the end. But like I said before, I can't.
Shh. We won't tell the ending.
Oh, yes.
But you guys got to be pretty tight friends, I think.
Oh, yes. He's my best friend.
Oh, that's awesome. So when were you the most scared during your adventure?
Most scared? I would have to say when. When I was hit on my head with a piece of metal. And as I was getting on the ship, thinking that I was going to see the lawyer, Mr. Reichenlur, like I said before. Yeah. And he. One of the cap, the captain's first mate, hits me on my forehead, and I'm out. I'm unconscious. And it. I'm just so scared right there because I was so shocked at that moment, and I thought I was gonna die.
Yeah. Whenever you think you're gonna die, that's a pretty scary moment. Yeah. Yeah. So what was your favorite part of the adventure?
My favorite part, of course, when I was free, when I got into safety and I was past the river. You'll find that in the book, I was being chased by Redcoats, and the only way I could get to safety was if I passed this river. And my favorite part was when I finally got over that river towards the end. And I was so relieved because I was in safety. Yeah.
And just curious, Redcoats is another word for the British.
Yeah.
British soldiers. Yeah. Wow. Well, it sounds like a great book. Kidnapped. And it's really been great, Mr. Balfour, for you to come back from history to have this interview with us and let us know about your adventure.
So it's not based on a true story, so.
Oh, well, so then I guess you're just fiction, huh?
Yeah.
So the fictitious.
It's like you're talking with a page on my book.
So we're speaking to the fictitious Mr. David Balfour from the book Kidnapped by Robert Lewis Stevenson. Stevenson. So long for now. We'll see you soon.
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