At first our young people kept still and peered through the peep-holes
to get a good view of the strangers, but for some moments few were to be
seen, as most of their number had darted away with lightning-like speed
when the Elephant landed. To attempt to describe the swiftness with
which these people moved and the ease with which they darted here, there
and everywhere would be difficult. No wonder that they were quick,
lively and elusive for they had strange little wings on their caps and
sandals, such as you have seen on statues of the winged Mercury. Tall
and handsome with beautiful foreheads and quick flashing eyes, they
fluttered and flew about like so many birds.
Those who had disappeared soon returned and approached the Elephant, for
they seemed fearless people after all, and then our young travelers
slipped into their new white robes, which, by the way, I forgot to tell
you about. They had found them enclosed in little jeweled acorns, which
they thought were only watch-charms, but accidentally having touched a
hidden spring in one, it opened and out fell a robe. They were fine as
cobweb, soft as silk, changeable as the colors of a soap bubble and had
the wonderful properties of making one invisible, giving one any outward
appearance one might wish to assume, and at the same time enabling one
to understand any language spoken within hearing. After donning these
magic garments they found they were dressed like the little Mercurians,
even to the wings on their heads and feet. They also found that they
could understand all that was said by these sprightly people, for their
language consisted entirely of short words and abbreviations. You must
remember that these people are always in a hurry so have no time for
long words or expressions. When asked what their chief occupations were,
one of the inhabitants answered that they consisted almost entirely in
conveying messages between the earth and the planets. “We also watch
over the people on earth upon whom the rays of Mercury fell at the
moment of their birth. They possess the nature and characteristics that
the influence of this planet is said to impart and so are our especial
proteges.”
“What are some of these characteristics?” said Harold.
“When not afflicted; that is, when no ray from an evil planet crosses
the Mercurian ray, Mercury gives one a quick, sprightly manner, fluent
speech, quick wit, bright intellect, and fondness for change and travel.
These characteristics are greatly modified when cross-rays intervene
from evil planets, and then one is unreliable, a busybody, has a sharp
unkind word or a sneer for every one.”
“Oh, my! I hope no bad ray crossed my Mercurian ray at birth,” said
Ione.
“You need not fear,” answered one of the island people; “you were born
under a ray from Venus.”
“Goodness! How do you know that?” asked Ione.
“By your face. We planet people can tell the moment we see a person what
planet or planets influenced at birth.”
“Can you really?” asked Ione.
The Islander continued, “One of you give me the year, month, day, and
hour in which you were born and I will tell you your nature,
disposition, abilities, and whether you are destined to be healthy or
unhealthy too, and whether you will be what is termed lucky or unlucky.”
Harold gave him his birth data and in return was told that he was
ambitious, venturesome, loving, kind, thoughtful, quick-witted,
far-seeing, healthy, extremely lucky, and very fond of travel.
That Harold was all of this his companions well knew, but how a perfect
stranger could tell by learning his date of birth and barely looking at
him was more than they could at once understand. The stranger finally
told them that he did so by the science called astrology, which all
star-people believe in, but which comparatively few people on earth
seriously study today. It was held in great respect by the ancients, and
even less than a hundred years ago, during Napoleon’s life, many
believed in the science and what it foretold for the future. Napoleon
and Henry of Navarre both believed in what they called their lucky star
and would consult an astrologer before undertaking any important venture
to see whether or not they would be successful.
The self-appointed guide and informer of our young friends, having
learned something of their history, became deeply interested in the
party and asked if they would not like to visit the interior of the
island to see just how its inhabitants lived. They gladly signified
their pleasure to do so, and what was their joy to find that they could
fly over the ground with their artificial wings quite as easily as the
native Mercurians.
As they sped along, many things were explained to them concerning the
various solar systems and especially the one we call ours. This they
learned consists of the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, with accompanying satellites, besides
innumerable fixed and moving stars; and ours is only one of many solar
systems.
One of the things the guide pointed out filled the party with awe and
wonder. Reflected on the clear blue vault above them was a continuous
moving panorama of everything that was taking place upon the earth
beneath them. Time and space seemed to be done away with. Did they wish
to see what was transpiring in any country, all they had to do was to
wish, and as if by magic the picture was above them. Simply by looking
up they could see all they desired reflected there; the country, its
people, just what they were all doing; the whole living scene. As it
happened a war was being waged in Asia. They could see the approach of
the armies, could watch the progress of the battle, could almost count
the number slain; and, still greater miracle, with the wish to know the
cause of any war or of any event of past history, instantly came the
knowledge—all was made clear. The picture of the present could be made
to fade at their will and that of the past to take its place on the
vault above them or to float by on flying clouds panorama-like.
When their surprise and amazement had partially subsided the Prince
said, “Well, this is the most glorious way of learning history that I
ever heard of. If our schools on earth could make moving pictures of the
leading events in history pass before the children’s eyes, they would be
able to remember much better than by sitting and committing to memory a
lot of dry facts and dates.” And all agreed with him.
“Just for fun, let us wish to see what country we are over now,” said
Ione, and immediately they saw North America, the particular spot being
Chicago. They all gazed with interest upon the City by the Lake with its
high buildings, and hurrying, scurrying people. The cloud above floated
slowly along displaying different parts of the city and its surrounding
parks and suburbs.
“Now, let us see Siam and find out what my brother is doing,” said the
Prince, and immediately Chicago with its hustle and bustle faded from
view and in its place stood the beautiful white palace of Siam.
Presently was revealed to them the Prince sitting in state in all his
robes of splendor enjoying his power to the utmost, for unlike our
Prince he was fond of pomp and splendor.
“Let us see a picture showing what became of the Prince and Princess,”
said Harold.
[Illustration:
THEY FOUND THEM ENCLOSED IN LITTLE JEWELED ACORNS
(p. 20)
]
The next view presented the Elephant rising from the earth, drawn
heavenward by a huge balloon.
“Well, this beats any detective agency I ever heard of,” said Harold.
“You lose a thing or it disappears and all you have to do to find it is
to wish to know where it is and there a picture of the object and place
appears before you.”
“Are you now ready to go on and see something of our island?” said the
guide presently, who had been patiently waiting for them to recover from
their amazement at all they saw.
“Certainly, and we beg your pardon for keeping you waiting so long, but
you can have no idea how fascinating we have found all these strange
things.”
“What is that bright yellow light we see surrounded by those smaller
different colored lights and luminous belt?” asked the Princess.
“That is the planet Saturn with its five satellites and luminous belt,
and do you see floating under it, a little to the left, a dim, yellow
light that looks like a reflection from that same planet?” said the
guide.
“Yes,” they answered.
“That is another island like the one we are on now, only it is under the
rays of Saturn, as we are under the rays of Mercury. It is also called
the Island of Knowledge, because the people of Saturn’s land are very
intellectual. Now that you are up here you should visit all of our
islands in turn and see for yourself what they and their people are
like. First allow me to make a suggestion,” continued the guide. “Leave
your heavy Elephant on our island, as you will have no use for the
balloon until you wish to return to Earth. At present avail yourself of
our means of locomotion.”
“A splendid suggestion!” they all exclaimed, “But how can we with our
heavy bodies of flesh expect to fly around as you people do?”
“Come with me and I will show you.”
The guide secured a pair of scales and each one in turn having been
weighed, they found that no one exceeded five pounds in weight.
“Your scales must be wrong,” exclaimed Harold.
“Oh, no, it is only because your bodies become lighter in this
atmosphere, though they look the same as ever. Your magic robes will
bear you up while your wings are carrying you from place to place.
“You will have to take our Flying Machines to reach many places at great
distances from here, or else a boat on the Milky Way. I would advise
you, after visiting all of our planet islands, to take what is called
‘The Circle Trip.’ That is a trip in a beautiful boat up the Milky Way,
which encircles the heavens like a belt. You are borne along on its
silvery waters in little shell-like boats to whatever place you wish to
visit along its shores, for you must know that both sides of the stream
are lined with cities, towns, villages, meadows, hills, and mountains,
where people live as Earth people do beside their seas and rivers.”
“How perfectly entrancing it would be to visit all of the cities and
islands you have up here among the stars!” said Ione. “And just think of
it! we on Earth when looking at the little twinkling stars above us
imagine them to be only bright, silvery balls of light, and now we find
them inhabited. Will wonders ever cease?”
“Not while you are up here,” said the guide. “They will go on increasing
until you will feel as if your very brain would crack in trying to grasp
them all. Now, if you don’t mind,” said he, presently, “we will rise a
hundred feet or so above the surface here, then you can look down and
view our home from above as we fly over it on our way to other islands.”
As they floated along they noticed large quick-silver mines and also
those from which emeralds and other green stones were taken, besides
large quarries of red marble. The trees they passed were all short and
had but few leaves upon them, but there were quantities of hazelnut
bushes loaded with nuts. All animals seemed to be fleet-footed, quick in
motion, and sly like the weasel, fox and ape. The birds were not
beautiful in plumage but the exceptional sweetness of their song rivaled
that of our nightingale or thrush.
“Excuse me, but did you hear that peculiar whistle?” asked the guide.
“That is a signal for me to go to Venus with a message. Would you like
to accompany me or would you prefer to wait here? I will not say rest,
for no one is ever tired in this atmosphere and it is only Earth people
who understand the meaning of the word tired.”
“Oh, let us go by all means,” exclaimed Harold. “That is, if it would
not inconvenience you, for you would show us the way and we could be
learning how to fly with our new wings and robes.”
“Oh, mercy,” exclaimed the little Princess, “I will be afraid to follow
you from this island out into space. Think of it! Should my robe fail to
hold me up I would fall headlong as Lucifer did.”
“Don’t be afraid, my dear Princess. We will stand on either side of you
until you gain confidence in yourself, besides you must remember that
you could not fall with this magic robe about you and your wings will
move themselves. Of course, you could go by simply wishing yourself
there, but then you would see nothing by the way, while, by going in
this way and more slowly, you can enjoy all the marvelous sights about
you.”