The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, Volume 1 (of 2)Paltock, Robert
Science
The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, Volume 1 (of 2)
Paltock, Robert
Adventure stories; Fantasy fiction
"I say, being of this party, and pursued by one of my comrades, I
descended down to the very trees, and she after me; but as I mounted,
she over-shooting me, brushed so stiffly against the upper part of
my _graundee_* that I lost my bearing; and being so near the branches
before I could recover it again, I sunk into the tree, and rendered
my graundee useless to me; so that down I came, and that with so much
force, that I but just felt my fall, and lost my senses. Whether I cried
out or no upon my coming to the ground, I cannot say; but if I did, my
companion was too far gone by that time to hear or take notice of me;
as she, probably, in so swift a flight, saw not my fall. As to the
condition I was in, or what happened immediately afterwards, I must
be obliged to you for a relation of that; but one thing I was quickly
sensible of, and never can forget, viz., that I owe my life to your care
and kindness to me."
* The covering and wings of skin they flew with.
I told her she should have that part of her story from me another time.
"But," says I, "there is something so amazing in these flights, or
swangeans, as you call them, that I must, as the questions for this day,
beg you would let me know what is the method of them. What is the nature
of your covering, which was at first such an obstacle to my wishes? How
you put it on? And how you use it in your swangean?"
"Surely, my dearest Peter," says she, "but that I can deny you nothing,
since you are my _barkatt_* which you seem so passionately to desire,
the latter of your questions would not be answered, for it must put me
to the blush. As to our method of flight, you saw somewhat of that last
night, though in a light hardly sufficient for you; and for the nature
of my covering, you perceive that now; but to show you how it is put on,
as you call it, I am afraid it will be necessary, as far as I can, to
put it off, before I can make you comprehend that; which having done,
the whole will be no farther a mystery. But, not to be tedious, is it
your command that I uncover? Lay that upon me, it shall be done."
* Husband.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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