What do you think the boat was? It was an old wooden shoe! What do you think the fish were? The baby stars were the fish! When the basket was full of stars, the Man in the Moon turned the basket upside down and all the stars fell out into the sky! Then the Man in the Moon invited me into his house. It was a yellow house. ALL THE CHAIRS WERE YELLOW! There was a YELLOW TABLE! EVEN THE STOVE WAS YELLOW, and under the stove was a YELLOW CAT! The YELLOW FIRE shone on the YELLOW FLOOR, and YELLOW FLOWERS were growing on the plants in the windows. It looked cheerful and cosy. "Sit down by the fire," said the Man in the Moon. "It is cold up here," I replied. "It is cold on the earth," said the Man in the Moon. "Have you ever been on the earth?" I asked. "It is cold only in winter." "I haven't been on the earth myself, but my moonbeams travel down there and they tell me many things. They visit you at night; they shine through the old apple tree outside your house, and they peep in at your window and see you fast asleep in bed; then when the daylight comes they hasten back to me, and I send them on another wonderful journey to the other side of the earth.” "I know," I said, "when it is day where I live, your moonbeams are far away in China. Mother told me about that. Are you very old, Mr. Man in the Moon?" "Very, very old," he replied. "How old are you?" I asked. "Very, very old," he said again. "And how old are you, my little friend?" "I am eight years old, but I'll be nine in November," I answered. "What do you do all the time, Mr. Man in the Moon?" "I take care of my sheep; I go a-fishing; I send my moonbeams down to the earth; I rock the baby stars to sleep; I smile upon the little birds asleep in their nests; I give light to the sailors upon the great ocean; I make the earth beautiful; and sometimes I hide behind the clouds and rest. And what do you do in your far-away earth home, my little friend?" "I go to school and study my lessons; on Saturdays I play with my baby brother, and sometimes I go fishing with my father; I go on errands for my mother, and I can black my own shoes, and tie my own necktie!" "Good!" said the Man in the Moon. "I am afraid I must go home now. Thank you for my pleasant visit," I said. Then we walked to the big front door. I found my aëroplane safe and sound. I shook hands heartily with the dear old man, and stepped into the aëroplane. The wind was blowing strong and rocking it to and fro. The Man in the Moon did not stop to untie the knot I had made. He just pulled the biggest knife you ever saw from his hip pocket, leaned far out the front door, and with one slash cut the rope! I started up the machinery, waved my hand, and shouted, "Goodbye, Mr. Man in the Moon, goodbye!" "Come again," he called out. "Next time" I thought he said, "we'll make some fudge,' but I'm not sure. What do you think about it? Good-Night Good-night! Good-night! Good-night! Good-night! Victor Hugo 19. 239 |