that he was not very clear.

"'M'm--the Grand Lunar--wished to say--wishes to say--he gathers you

are--m'm--men--that you are a man from the planet earth. He wishes to

say that he welcomes you--welcomes you--and wishes to learn--learn, if

I may use the word--the state of your world, and the reason why you came

to this.'

He paused. I was about to reply when he resumed. He proceeded to remarks

of which the drift was not very clear, though I am inclined to think they

were intended to be complimentary. He told me that the earth was to the

moon what the sun is to the earth, and that the Selenites desired very

greatly to learn about the earth and men. He then told me no doubt in

compliment also, the relative magnitude and diameter of earth and moon,

and the perpetual wonder and speculation with which the Selenites had

regarded our planet. I meditated with downcast eyes, and decided to reply

that men too had wondered what might lie in the moon, and had judged it

dead, little recking of such magnificence as I had seen that day. The

Grand Lunar, in token of recognition, caused his long blue rays to rotate

in a very confusing manner, and all about the great hall ran the pipings

and whisperings and rustlings of the report of what I had said. He then

proceeded to put to Phi-oo a number of inquiries which were easier to

answer.

He understood, he explained, that we lived on the surface of the earth,

that our air and sea were outside the globe; the latter part, indeed, he

The First Men In The Moon