On a lark to the planets: A sequel to "The wonderful electric elephant" — John Shaqi
On a lark to the planets: A sequel to "The wonderful electric elephant"Montgomery, Frances Trego
Science
On a lark to the planets: A sequel to "The wonderful electric elephant"
Montgomery, Frances Trego
Fantasy fiction; Interplanetary voyages -- Fiction; Science fiction
Back from the coast, in the interior of the isle, lived the large dolls;
in the mountains, the Indian dolls; in the hot part, the African dolls;
in the cold part, the Esquimaux; in the tea-growing district, the
Chinese, and so on, for every race of man was represented by these tiny
creatures who lived, worked, and talked exactly as these races of people
do on Earth. In fact, here was a good place to study the different
peoples of the globe for, as Ione said, “Here you have the whole world
in a nut-shell.”
The dolls that landed from the little steamers at the wharfs represented
as many different nationalities as one sees crossing the renowned bridge
at Constantinople; the one where rumor says one can see every
nationality on the globe pass every hour in the day.
“Ione, do look at that Turkish doll with his baggy, yellow satin
trousers, red fez, and long pipe!” said the Princess.
“Yes, but he is not half as cute as that Chinaman with the long pig-tail
and paper umbrella, who is fanning himself as he walks,” she answered.
“I feel like a giant when I look down upon these tiny people,” said
Harold. “I am afraid we may step on some of them. The largest one I have
yet seen does not exceed six inches in height.”
“There live on the farther shore of this island dolls that are as large
as a two-year-old child,” explained Mercury.
“See the dolls getting into street cars and carriages just as we do,
when they get to the end of the wharf,” said the Princess.
“And observe those express wagons loaded with trunks and the drays with
merchandise, while the Clydesdale horses are no bigger than kittens,”
said the Prince.
“Listen,” said Harold, “I thought I heard a locomotive whistle.”
“So you did,” replied Mercury. “Look to your left and you will see the
most complete little depot, with waiting-rooms, lunch counters, ticket
offices, etc., facsimiles of those on Earth.”
“To be sure,” exclaimed Harold, “and there is a turn-table turning an
engine at this moment, with little men working the switches.”
“Had I seen this place when I was a little youngster,” said the Prince,
“I should have had to stop to play with these fascinating little trains,
especially those bound for the stock-yards, loaded with cows and horses
no larger than the animals that furnish a good-sized Noah’s Ark.”
“Let us float over the residence part and see what the houses look like
inside and how these people live,” suggested Ione.
“Suppose we follow this little lady who has just come out of that
dry-goods store and entered her brougham with a coachman and footman on
the box. The brougham drawn by the bang-tailed bay horses,” suggested
the Prince.
“Just the thing,” cried Ione.
“No,” said Harold, “you girls go on while the Prince, Mercury and I go
to the theatre.”
“Very well. We must be off before we lose sight of our little lady’s
brougham. See you later, au revoir!” cried Ione.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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