Life in a Thousand Worlds

it to

at, to my delight, I reached our neighbor planet called Mars, and a

quite assured that I was living in a dream. But I knew of no way to convince myself as to my bearings,

y is twenty-four hours and thirty-seven minutes. Its diameter is about one-half that of the Earth and its distance from the Sun is 142,000,000 miles. Even from our o

t everything must be. This may account somewhat for the physical proportions of its inhabitants, for they are over twice our size, and in appearance resemble us but little. They

much heat from the sun yet it is almost of the same temperature, owing to a

, but they must be informed that on Mars there are chemical elements and affinities not known in our world. It requires b

Deimos and Phobos, at the small distance of 14,600 and 12,500 miles respectively. These two moons are c

farthest of these two moons. They are hoping to be able some day to cover the

d narrow fertile valleys, much resembling the canons of our own Earth, absorbed my mind with more than passing interest. Looking carefully into one of these canon depressions, I sa

connection between the inhabitants of one valley and those of an

highly civilized race of people living in great splendor. They enjoyed the privilege of traveling from one high

s exhibited in the valleys and on the highlands, and re

ck through thousands of years. I learned with

years a few schemers combined and by their inventive genius succeeded in erecting vast sliding curtains over the valleys. These curtains were suppor

valley-toilers, saying to them: "Give us a fifth pa

ght. Then it came to pass that these toilers were burdened by reason of their taxes and th

systems across the valley." So the poor toilers labored more and slept less, while the few rich on

rainfall could also be distributed at the will of the operators. Then the rich Marsmen on the elevations sai

ame so heavy that they could no longer bear it. So they sent up a petition praying for sunlight and rain for a one-fifth instead of a

again for sunlight and rain, but the rich refused to give either unless the toilers would promise to give a two-fifths tribute; to do this the toilers at length agreed. Then the cu

Light and R

verings would fall, destroy them with fire. This leader declared that they were entitled to sunlight and rain without paying tribute to man. Gradually the workers were won to his views. The rich, seeing that their investments were threatened, hired a few brilliant orators and sent them to the people to persuade them not to give heed to a man

ey, but the rich always succeeded in quieting t

his children, to pursue any study whatever. By this method, in the course of a few hundred years, the valley dwellers lapsed into ignorant slaves, not knowing, except by tradition, that there were other people in other

y system, I appeared in visible form to a rich

tongue and manifested a becomingly meek disposition, he accepted me as a deformed creature afflicted with a mild form of lunacy. Then he proceeded to examine my clothing and especially my knees, trying to solve by what freak of nature I was cursed since I had no lower arms such as he had. M

ormed him that I came from another world, whereat he was assured of my insanity and proceeded to fasten me by force until he might summon certain of his friends.

born on the Earth. Among the company were some eminent scholars who did no more than peer at one another and walk about me, while they were waiting for some le

ollowed an indescribable examination d

lars was able to advance a theory as to the probable use of such a stiff piece under my head. I could not conceal my smiles as I heard the flying theories as to the use

had told them that I was expert in their language. But I would not utter a

f intelligence. But this opinion did not gain ground, as no one could account for the manner of my clothing and especially for my pocket kn

o a tribe of creatures that had developed far away in one of their almost unending f

learn our langua

ture alone come to our language," was

ted. He said that no doubt I belonged to a company tha

by speaking. They knew not what to say as I gave the

terest they listened to every syllable and, when I paused, their questions fell upon me in wild profusion. On my account the schools were abandoned, all the leading teacher

cultivation. They told me the whole history of the toilers in the valley as already recounted, and how t

o form a monopoly on sunlight or rain

ny man who was wise enough to think of such a splendid system of vall

getting the people to

n conquer any people. Now they are our perfect servants, and in a short time we need not use the curtains any more. A few masters can con

ght of the conditions of our world and felt thankful that it had not gone so far that the labor

transportation are miserable compared with ours, and when I was explaining to the Marsmen our methods of travel they were surprised beyond measure. However their knowledge

es at death. In brief, the Sun is their Heaven. They believe that the Sun's heat will be no barrier to the s

are constantly looking forward to the time when their hard lot will be over that they may enter the Then-ka life. I could not help but think that their

been signaling to them for some time, and urged them to improve their astronomica

Mars, to arrange a code of signals; hence I fear that there will be considerable