Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Axel waited in their Hamburg house when Professor Lidenbrock burst in, smiling like a child. He carried an old book he had bought that day. The professor spoke quickly and ordered Axel to come to his study. Inside the book, he found a tiny, dry parchment. Axel felt curious, but he also knew his uncle’s ideas could be dangerous.

Chapter 1: A Strange Book

The parchment was covered with strange letters that looked like runes. The professor said it was a secret message. He compared the signs to an old alphabet and wrote them down. Axel could not read it at all. The professor was thrilled, sure it was from a famous explorer named Arne Saknussemm. Axel felt a small chill in his stomach.

Professor Lidenbrock refused to wait. He locked the house door and said no one would eat or leave until the message was solved. Martha, the housekeeper, cried in surprise. Axel tried to calm everyone, but his uncle kept pacing and shouting guesses. Axel stared at the letters for hours. He noticed repeated symbols and began to test different ways to read them.

Chapter 3: No One Leaves

Late at night Axel tried reading the letters as if the words were backwards. Suddenly the message made sense in Latin. It said Saknussemm had reached the center of the Earth. It also gave a path: go to Iceland and enter the crater of Snæfellsjökull. Axel was frightened, but he ran to tell his uncle. The professor hugged him and laughed with joy.

Chapter 4: The Latin Message

The next morning the professor planned the journey like a train schedule. He bought ropes, tools, and food, and he studied maps of Iceland. Axel wanted to refuse, but his uncle’s will was strong. At the dinner table Axel tried to speak, yet the professor talked over him. Martha packed supplies in silence. Axel wrote notes in his journal, hoping the trip would end safely.

Chapter 5: Packing for Iceland

They traveled fast through Germany and Denmark and reached the sea. A ship carried them north to Iceland. The air grew colder, and the waves were gray. In Reykjavík they met Professor Fridriksson, who welcomed them kindly. He listened to their plan and did not laugh. He helped them find a guide and supplies. Axel was relieved to meet someone calm and reasonable.

Chapter 6: Reykjavík Welcome

Chapter 2: The Secret Letters

Soon they hired Hans, a tall Icelandic hunter with quiet eyes. Hans spoke little, but he nodded and prepared carefully. He loaded equipment onto ponies and led them across rough lava fields. The land looked black and empty, with steam rising from cracks. Axel struggled with the cold wind, yet Hans walked steadily. The professor marched ahead, excited by every new rock and hill.

Chapter 7: Hans the Guide

At last they reached Snæfellsjökull, the great volcano. They climbed into the crater and saw three deep chimneys. The professor opened Saknussemm’s message again. It said the correct tunnel was marked by the shadow on a certain day in July. They waited until the sun moved and one chimney grew dark. The professor chose it at once, and they began their descent into darkness.

Chapter 8: The Three Chimneys

They climbed down with ropes and iron hooks. The tunnel walls were rough, and small stones fell under their boots. The air was cool and dry, not hot like Axel expected. Hans went first, calm and steady. The professor followed, excited and impatient. Axel came last, counting steps and trying not to panic. Their lantern light shook on the rocks as the world above faded away.

Chapter 9: Down the Volcano

After many hours, the tunnel widened into a place where two paths split. The professor studied his compass and the rock layers. He chose the left path, sure it went deeper. They moved forward for days, always going down. Axel kept thinking about the way back. Hans made marks with his knife so they could trace their route. The professor urged them on whenever they stopped.

Chapter 10: A Crossing of Paths

Their water supply began to run low. The rocks were dry, and they found no spring. Axel’s lips cracked, and his head hurt. The professor grew tense but refused to turn back. He said Saknussemm must have found water somewhere. Hans stayed quiet and watched the ground carefully. When the last bottle was almost empty, Axel felt truly afraid for the first time.

Chapter 11: No Water

Hans tapped the rock with his hammer and listened. He chose a spot and began to dig with steady strength. Soon a thin crack opened, and water seeped out. The professor shouted with joy. Axel drank and felt life return to his body. They filled every container they had. The professor named the new stream after Hans. Then they moved on, refreshed and hopeful again.

Chapter 12: Hans Finds a Spring

While exploring a side passage, Axel wandered too far. A turn led to another turn, and he could not find the main tunnel. His lantern seemed smaller in the huge silence. He shouted, but his voice came back weak. Panic rose in his chest. He tried to follow his own footprints, but the ground was hard and dry. Alone, he walked until he could hardly stand.

Chapter 13: Axel Gets Lost

Axel lay down, exhausted, and tried to calm his breathing. In the distance he heard a faint sound, like a voice carried through rock. He pressed his ear to the wall and called out again. This time he heard his uncle’s voice answering. They could not meet, but they could communicate by shouting into the stone. The professor told Axel to follow the sound carefully and not waste his strength.

Chapter 14: A Message Through Stone

Axel followed the distant sound step by step. His legs trembled, but the voice guided him like a rope. At last he saw a flicker of light ahead. Hans and the professor rushed toward him and pulled him close. Axel burst into tears of relief. The professor scolded him, but his hands shook too. They shared water and food, then rested together before going deeper.

Chapter 15: Found Again

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