The San Francisco call., 1910-01-23
II

Out there in space, the earth ran her course as
" she has done for ever so many years and as she
still does from day to day. Round the sun she
went, ever round and round and round, SO that any
one else would long since have turned dizzy
But the earth did not turn dizzy; she had gradually
become accustomed to the journey which, may say,
was no flying trip. You must know that it took
whole year. and no sooner had she finished jour
ney than she began the
And just as though she wished to grow quite light
headed, she turned round about herself the whole
time exactly like puppy running after its tail
But that took her no longer than day; and she
did it only that the might shine equally upon
every side Of her. For on the side which is turned
away from the sun it is always dark night. And if
the earth always kept Europe Asia and Africa turned
TO the sun, then people in America would get
out OF their beds from years end to years end.
All of this made plenty for the earth look after.
And she had more besides.
For instance, she had the moon.
Now the moon was quite able to look after herself
If need be. All she had to do to turn round
about herself just like the earth, and besides go
round the earth just the earth did round the
nothing to say. That was why the earth always
talking to her in a voice of command, and, in re-
turn, the moon annoyed her every occasion
Another reason was that these two close
to each other and that all the other stars were too
far away to talk to them. When two people are to-
gher for ever and easy for them to fall out
Regularly once a month the moon full. Then
she went and grinned with her round face and drove
the earth quite mad.
Look at the way she shines, the miserable satel-
lite7 said the earth. 81 suppose she imagines that
she's fixed star"
The moon only grinned as long it lasted. But it
never lasted very long For night after night, her
face grew longer and longer and she looked if she
had bad headache after sitting up all night. At
last she disappeared entirely, but came out
again and grew bigger and bigger until she was full
once more.
Are you there?" asked the earth.
"Of course 1 am" answered the moon.
4 hope you are keeping time punctualy," said the
earth For every time that go round the sun, you
have to 60 thirteen times round me; and don't you
forget it, Else the almanac will be into muddle"
q have been running here long enough to know
WHAT nave 10 10, you SHdppy OlQ pldnctl SalQ lHe
moon, for she just full that day and at such
times, she always gave herself airs.
But she had also another way of annoying the earth
Sometimes she would pull TO side just as
much she could of the water that flowed on the
earth, SO that it high water that side and low
water the other. Then there were floods and
caamtes in the place and ships stranded in the
other. And the people to whom these things hap
pened that 1t a detestable earth and that
there living it. But this, of course offended
the earth, as she could not do anything help it. and
she grew twice angry with the moon.
Now she's full again, the beast" said She 81
should really like to know what she is, running
about and giving herself airsl"
They wrangled like this, while one year followed
upon the other and they their prescribed course
Round about them went the other with their
sorrows and troubles. And, in the center the sun
shone over them all