Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net GREENER THAN YOU THINK Also by WARD MOORE _Breathe the Air Again_ WARD MOORE _Greener Than You Think_ [Illustration] WILLIAM SLOANE ASSOCIATES, INC. _Publishers_ ....... _New York_ Copyright, 1947, by WARD MOORE _First Edition_ MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES Transcriber's Note: Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. The text intentionally contains non-standard contractions, unhyphenated combination words and other informal styles and spellings, which, except for minor typographical errors, have all been transcribed as printed. _For_ BECKY 1927-1937 "... I knew there was but one way; for his nose was as sharp as a pen, and 'a babbled of green fields. 'How now, Sir John!' quoth I; 'what, man! be o' good cheer.' So 'a cried out, 'God, God, God!' three or four times. Now I, to comfort him, bid him 'a should not think of God; I hop'd there was no need to trouble himself with any such thoughts yet...." _Henry V_ _One:_ Albert Weener Begins 1 _Two:_ Consequences of a Discovery 47 _Three:_ Man Triumphant I 99 _Four:_ Man Triumphant II 159 _Five:_ The South Pacific Sailing Discovery 255 _Six:_ Mr Weener Sees It Through 327 Neither the vegetation nor people in this book are entirely fictitious. But, reader, no person pictured here is you. With one exception. You, Sir, Miss, or Madam--whatever your country or station--are Albert Weener. As I am Albert Weener. ONE _Albert Weener Begins_ _1._ I always knew I should write a book. Something to help tired minds lay aside the cares of the day. But I always say you never can tell what's around the corner till you turn it, and everyone has become so accustomed to fantastic occurrences in the last twenty one years that the inspiring and relaxing novel I used to dream about would be today as unreal as Atlantis. Instead, I find I must write of the things which have happened to me in that time. It all began with the word itself. "Grass. Gramina. The family Gramineae. Grasses." "Oh," I responded doubtfully. The picture in my mind was only of a vague area in parks edged with benches for the idle.