ed to
lie in; and every day the queen's fowler used to come and whistle tunes
for me to learn. In the meantime, however, I improved my knowledge of
the language, and at last I spoke so well and intelligibly that all the
courtiers said that the learned doctors had been mistaken. One of the
queen's maids of honour not only thought that I was a man, but fell in
love with me. She often used to steal to my cage, and listen to my
stories of the customs and amusements of our world. She was so
interested that she begged me to take her with me if ever I found a way
of returning to the Earth.

In my examination by the learned doctors I had stated that their world
was but a Moon, and that the Moon from which I had come was really a
world. It was this which had made them angry against me. But my friend,
the Man of the Sun, at last prevailed upon the king to let me out of the
cage on my retracting my wicked heresy. I was clad in splendid robes,
and placed on a magnificent chariot to which four great noblemen were
harnessed, and led to the centre of the city, where I had to make the
following statement:

"People, I declare to you that this Moon is not a Moon but a world; and
that the world I come from is not a world but a Moon. For this is what
the Royal Council believe that you ought to believe."

The Man of the Sun then helped me to descend from the chariot, and took
me quickly into a house, and stripped me of my gorgeous robes. "Why do
you do that?" I asked. "This is the most splendid dress I have ever seen
on the Moon."

"It is a garb of shame," said my companion. "You have this day undergone
the lowest degradation that can be imposed on a man. You committed an
awful crime in saying that the Moon was not a Moon. It is a great wonder
you were not condemned to die of old age."

"Die of old age?" I said.

"Yes," replied my companion. "Usually, when a Man of the Moon comes to
that time of life in which he feels that he is losing his strength of
mind and body, he invites all his friends to a banquet. After explaining
what little hope he has of adding anything to the fine actions of his
life, he asks for permission to depart. If he has led a bad life, he is
ordered to live; but if he has been a good man, his dearest friend
kisses him, and plunges a dagger in his heart."

As he was talking, the son of the man in whose house we were staying
entered the room. My companion quickly rose on his four feet, and made
the young man a pr