RIES AGAIN, 193

CHAPTER XV.
FOLLOWING A SUNBEAM, 207

CHAPTER XVI.
UNDER THE SEA, 215

CHAPTER XVII.
GOOD-BYE, 227

[Illustration]

CHAPTER I.

THE MAN IN THE MOON.

CHILDREN, down on the planet which you call Earth, allow me to introduce
myself to you! I am the Man in the Moon. I have no doubt that you know a
good deal about me, in an indirect way, and that your nurses have told
you all sorts of nonsense about my inquiring the way to Norwich--as if I
didn't know the way to Norwich! and various things equally sensible. But
now I am going to tell you a little about myself, and a great deal about
_yourselves_, and about everything in general. In short, I am going to
write you a book, and this is the beginning of it.

[Illustration: PATCHKO'S FATHER.]

You see, I live very quietly up here, very quietly indeed, with only my
dog to bear me company. He is a good dog, and very funny sometimes, but
still I have a good deal of time on my hands, and nothing amuses me so
much as to watch all that is going on down on your planet, and see what
people in general, and children in particular, are doing, every day and
all day. You may wonder how I can see so far, and see distinctly, but
that is easily explained. I have a great, monstrous mirror, which
is--oh! well, if I were to tell you how big it is, you would not believe
me, so I will only say that it is very big indeed. This mirror has also
the advantage of being a very strong magnifying glass, and as I can tip
it in any direction I please, you will easily understand that I can see
just what is going on in any part of the world that I happen to be
interested in. For instance, Tommy Tiptop, the glass was tipped towards
New York this morning, and I saw you take away your little sister's
stick of candy, you greedy boy! Yes, and I saw you put in the closet for
it, too, so that was well ended. Children are the same, I find, all the
world over, for it was only yesterday that a little boy in Kamschatka
(an ugly little Tartar he is, and not so very unlike you), named
Patchko, while his father was out hunting, took away a tallow candle
from his sister, which seemed just as good to her as the barley sugar
did to little Katie.

[Illustration]

But, children all, I beg your pardon! I am not writing this book for
Tommy Tiptop, and I hope t