o far forgot himself one
day as to speak disrespectfully to his mother.

Even Princess Omicron was contaminated by his example--nothing is
worse than a bad example--and violently threw her pallet against the
universe. That was not becoming in a girl.

Now, in the kingdom of spirits, there was a law to the effect, that
anyone showing disrespect toward the queen, or throwing anything
against the universe, should be deprived of all titles and dignities
for a certain length of time.

Prince Upsilon became a grain of sand.

After he had behaved himself well in this capacity for a few centuries
he received the news that he had been promoted to be a moss plant.

Then one morning he woke up and found himself a coral zoophyte.

That occurred about the time that man began to cook his food.

He was industrious, building up islands and continents on the earth. In
recognition of his zeal he was turned into a crab.

In this capacity, too, there could be no complaint against him,
and he was soon transferred to the class of sea-serpents.

He played some innocent pranks on sailors, but he never harmed
anyone. Soon he received four feet and the rank of a mastodon, with
the privilege of roaming over the land.

With the self-control of a philosopher he entered upon his new life,
busying himself with geological investigations.

A few centuries later--remember that in the kingdom of spirits all time
taken together is only as a short quarter of an hour--or to speak more
correctly, that all time is nothing. For time was made merely for man,
for his amusement, and given to him just as we give picture books to
children. For spirits, present, past and future are all the same. They
comprehend yesterday, to-day and to-morrow at a glance, just as one
reads a word without spelling it out. What was and is going to be, is.

The Egyptians and Phoenicians knew that very well, but Christians
have forgotten it.

Fancy knew that Walter could not read, so she related Upsilon's story
to him, just as I am doing for the reader.

Some centuries later he had become an elephant; then a moment later,
i. e., about ten years before the opening of my story--I mean years
as we mortals reckon them--he was elevated to the class of man.

I don't know what sins he may have committed as an elephant.

Anyway, Fancy had said, that in order to return to his station as a
spirit-prince in a short time and escape any further degradation it
was necessary for him