their consternation, and kept myself busy in placing the parts of my
watch together.
After a while I was addressed by a trembling questioner: "Where is your
home, my child?" I did not lift my eyes, but completed my little
self-appointed task, and at once raised the watch in fulfillment of my
promise.
The timid professor ventured to accept it and, as he received it from my
hand, he again asked: "Where is your home?"
"Farther away than the circumference of your world," I distinctly
answered.
At this time the three agreed that I was an insane child, born out of
time, and that I satisfied my propensities by gathering to myself such
idiotic things as my watch and garments, including my hat and shoes.
A quiet consultation followed, after which one of the professors retired
from the room and soon returned with certain morsels of food. Upon
handing them to me, I at once remarked: "Keep these morsels for
yourself; I have better food to eat, of which you know nothing."
The other two professors had by this time observed that my watch was a
marvelous piece of mechanism beyond their most delicate accomplishments,
and they announced the fact to their other companion who again looked at
me in breathless surprise. "Where did you get this Fot-sil?" (or
plaything), he queried in one breath.
"Farther away than the circumference of your world," was my evasive and,
to them, unsatisfactory reply.
"Won't you tell us, child, how far away that is?" asked another with
subdued impatience.
"Millions of miles." (Of course I spoke in terms of their linear
measurements).
"How many millions?"
"Sometimes five hundred and sometimes six hundred millions."
Without giving them a chance for asking me another question I offered to
let them see my home if they would permit me to use the most powerful
telescope in their observatory.
My listeners were indeed amazed and were about to pour upon me a volley
of interrogations. I assured them that I would answer no more questions
until I knew whether my request would be granted.
This necessitated a consultation with the chief astronomer who, upon
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