sketches new and old-第28章

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which　drank　it　up；　and　now　there　is　no　more　danger；　we　reserving　but　a
few　drops　for　experiment　and　scrutiny；　and　to　exhibit　to　the　king　and
subsequently　preserve　among　the　wonders　of　the　museum。　　What　this　liquid
is　has　been　determined。　　It　is　without　question　that　fierce　and　most
destructive　fluid　called　lightning。　　It　was　wrested；　in　its　container；
from　its　storehouse　in　the　clouds；　by　the　resistless　might　of　the　flying
planet；　and　hurled　at　our　feet　as　she　sped　by。　　An　interesting　discovery
here　results。　　Which　is；　that　lightning；　kept　to　itself；　is　quiescent；　it
is　the　assaulting　contact　of　the　thunderbolt　that　releases　it　from
captivity；　ignites　its　awful　fires；　and　so　produces　an　instantaneous
combustion　and　explosion　which　spread　disaster　and　desolation　far　and
wide　in　the　earth。〃

After　another　day　devoted　to　rest　and　recovery；　the　expedition　proceeded
upon　its　way。　　Some　days　later　it　went　into　camp　in　a　pleasant　part　of
the　plain；　and　the　savants　sallied　forth　to　see　what　they　might　find。
Their　reward　was　at　hand。　　Professor　Bull　Frog　discovered　a　strange　tree；
and　called　his　comrades。　　They　inspected　it　with　profound　interest。　　It
was　very　tall　and　straight；　and　wholly　devoid　of　bark；　limbs；　or　foliage。
By　triangulation　Lord　Longlegs　determined　its　altitude；　Herr　Spider
measured　its　circumference　at　the　base　and　computed　the　circumference　at
its　top　by　a　mathematical　demonstration　based　upon　the　warrant　furnished
by　the　uniform　degree　of　its　taper　upward。　　It　was　considered　a　very
extraordinary　find；　and　since　it　was　a　tree　of　a　hitherto　unknown
species；　Professor　Woodlouse　gave　it　a　name　of　a　learned　sound；　being
none　other　than　that　of　Professor　Bull　Frog　translated　into　the　ancient
Mastodon　language；　for　it　had　always　been　the　custom　with　discoverers　to
perpetuate　their　names　and　honor　themselves　by　this　sort　of　connection
with　their　discoveries。

Now　Professor　Field…Mouse　having　placed　his　sensitive　ear　to　the　tree；
detected　a　rich；　harmonious　sound　issuing　from　it。　　This　surprising　thing
was　tested　and　enjoyed　by　each　scholar　in　turn；　and　great　was　the
gladness　and　astonishment　of　all。　　Professor　Woodlouse　was　requested　to
add　to　and　extend　the　tree's　name　so　as　to　make　it　suggest　the　musical
quality　it　possessedwhich　he　did；　furnishing　the　addition　Anthem
Singer；　done　into　the　Mastodon　tongue。

By　this　time　Professor　Snail　was　making　some　telescopic　inspections。
He　discovered　a　great　number　of　these　trees；　extending　in　a　single　rank；
with　wide　intervals　between；　as　far　as　his　instrument　would　carry；　both
southward　and　northward。　　He　also　presently　discovered　that　all　these
trees　were　bound　together；　near　their　tops；　by　fourteen　great　ropes；　one
above　another；　which　ropes　were　continuous；　from　tree　to　tree；　as　far　as
his　vision　could　reach。　　This　was　surprising。　　Chief　Engineer　Spider　ran
aloft　and　soon　reported　that　these　ropes　were　simply　a　web　hung　thereby
some　colossal　member　of　his　own　species；　for　he　could　see　its　prey
dangling　here　and　there　from　the　strands；　in　the　shape　of　mighty　shreds
and　rags　that　had　a　woven　look　about　their　texture　and　were　no　doubt　the
discarded　skins　of　prodigious　insects　which　had　been　caught　and　eaten。
And　then　he　ran　along　one　of　the　ropes　to　make　a　closer　inspection；　but
felt　a　smart　sudden　burn　on　the　soles　of　his　feet；　accompanied　by　a
paralyzing　shock；　wherefore　he　let　go　and　swung　himself　to　the　earth　by　a
thread　of　his　own　spinning；　and　advised　all　to　hurry　at　once　to　camp；
lest　the　monster　should　appear　and　get　as　much　interested　in　the　savants
as　they　were　in　him　and　his　works。　　So　they　departed　with　speed；　making
notes　about　the　gigantic　web　as　they　went。　　And　that　evening　the
naturalist　of　the　expedition　built　a　beautiful　model　of　the　colossal
spider；　having　no　need　to　see　it　in　order　to　do　this；　because　he　had
picked　up　a　fragment　of　its　vertebra　by　the　tree；　and　so　knew　exactly
what　the　creature　looked　like　and　what　its　habits　and　its　preferences
were　by　this　simple　evidence　alone。　　He　built　it　with　a　tail；　teeth；
fourteen　legs；　and　a　snout；　and　said　it　ate　grass；　cattle；　pebbles；　and
dirt　with　equal　enthusiasm。　　This　animal　was　regarded　as　a　very　precious
addition　to　science。　　It　was　hoped　a　dead　one　might　be　found　to　stuff。
Professor　Woodlouse　thought　that　he　and　his　brother　scholars；　by　lying
hid　and　being　quiet；　might　maybe　catch　a　live　one。　　He　was　advised　to　try
it。　　Which　was　all　the　attention　that　was　paid　to　his　suggestion。　　The
conference　ended　with　the　naming　the　monster　after　the　naturalist；　since
he；　after　God；　had　created　it。

〃And　improved　it；　mayhap；〃　muttered　the　Tumble…Bug；　who　was　intruding
again；　according　to　his　idle　custom　and　his　unappeasable　curiosity。

END　OF　PART　FIRST




SOME　LEARNED　FABLES　FOR　GOOD　OLD　BOYS　AND　GIRLS

PART　SECOND

HOW　THE　ANIMALS　OF　THE　WOOD　COMPLETED　THEIR　SCIENTIFIC　LABORS

A　week　later　the　expedition　camped　in　the　midst　of　a　collection　of
wonderful　curiosities。　　These　were　a　sort　of　vast　caverns　of　stone　that
rose　singly　and　in　bunches　out　of　the　plain　by　the　side　of　the　river
which　they　had　first　seen　when　they　emerged　from　the　forest。　　These
caverns　stood　in　long；　straight　rows　on　opposite　sides　of　broad　aisles
that　were　bordered　with　single　ranks　of　trees。　　The　summit　of　each　cavern
sloped　sharply　both　ways。　　Several　horizontal　rows　of　great　square　holes；
obstructed　by　a　thin；　shiny；　transparent　substance；　pierced　the　frontage
of　each　cavern。　　Inside　were　caverns　within　caverns；　and　one　might　ascend
and　visit　these　minor　compartments　by　means　of　curious　winding　ways
consisting　of　continuous　regular　terraces　raised　one　above　another。
There　were　many　huge；　shapeless　objects　in　each　compartment　which　were
considered　to　have　been　living　creatures　at　one　time；　though　now　the　thin
brown　skin　was　shrunken　and　loose；　and　rattled　when　disturbed。　　Spiders
were　here　in　great　number；　and　their　cobwebs；　stretched　in　all　directions
and　wreathing　the　great　skinny　dead　together；　were　a　pleasant　spectacle；
since　they　inspired　with　life　and　wholesome　cheer　a　scene　which　would
otherwise　have　brought　to　the　mind　only　a　sense　of　forsakenness　and
desolation。　　Information　was　sought　of　these　spiders；　but　in　vain。　　They
were　of　a　different　nationality　from　those　with　the　expedition；　and　their
language　seemed　but　a　musical；　meaningless　jargon。　　They　were　a　timid；
gentle　race；　but　ignorant；　and　heathenish　worshipers　of　unknown　gods。
The　expedition　detailed　a　great　detachment　of　missionaries　to　teach　them
the　true　religion；　and　in　a　week's　time　a　precious　work　had　been　wrought
among　those　darkened　creatures；　not　three　families　being　by　that　time　at
peace　with　each　other　or　having　a　settled　belief　in　any　system　of
religion　whatever。　　This　encouraged　the　expedition　to　establish　a　colony
of　missionaries　there　permanently；　that　the　work　of　grace　might　go　on。

But　let　us　not　outrun　our　narrative。　　After　close　examination　of　the
fronts　of　the　caverns；　and　much　thinking　and　exchanging　of　theories；　the
scientists　determined　the　nature　of　these　singular　formations。　　They　said
that　each　belonged　mainly　to　the　Old　Red　Sandstone　period；　that　the
cavern　fronts　rose　in　innumerable　and　wonderfully　regular　strata　high　in
the　air；　each　stratum　about　five　frog…spans　thick；　and　that　in　the
present　discovery　lay　an　overpowering　refutation　of　all　received　geology；
for　between　every　two　layers　of　Old　Red　Sandstone　reposed　a　thin　layer　of
decomposed　limestone；　so　instead　of　there　having　been　but　one　Old　Red
Sandstone　period　there　had　certainly　been　not　less　than　a　hundred　and
seventy…five！　　And　by　the　same　token　it　was　plain　that　there　had　also
been　a　hundred　and　seventy…five　floodings　of　the　earth　and　depositings　of
limestone　strata！　　The　unavoidable　deduction　from　which　pair　of　facts　was
the　overwhelming　truth　that　the　world；　instead　of　being　only　two　hundred
thousand　years　old；　was　older　by　millions　upon　millions　of　years！　　And
there　was　another　curious　thing：　every　stratum　of　Old　Red　Sandstone　was
pierced　and　divided　at　mathematically　regular　intervals　by　vertical
strata　of　limestone。　　Up…shootings　of　igneous　rock　through　fractures　in