CHAPTER LI 



A JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE WORLD 



A SMALL boy, of Jules 's age and, like him, de- 

 sirous to learn, one morning was making 

 his preparations for a journey. Never had a navi- 

 gator getting ready for a voyage over distant seas 

 shown more zeal. Provisions, the first necessity in 

 long expeditions, were not forgotten. Breakfast 

 was doubled. There were in the basket six nuts, a 

 bread-and-butter sandwich, and two apples ! Where 

 can one not go with all that? The family was not 

 informed: they might have dissuaded the audacious 

 traveler from his project by acquainting him with 

 the perils of the expedition. For fear of softening 

 before his mother's tears, he kept silent. Basket in 

 hand, without saying good-by to any one, he takes 

 his departure. Soon he is in the country. To left 

 or right makes no difference to him; all roads lead 

 whither he wishes to go." 



" Where does he want to go?" asked Emile. 



"To the end of the world. He takes the right- 

 hand road, which is bordered by a hawthorn hedge 

 where golden green beetles rustle and shine. But 

 the beautiful insects do not stop him for a moment, 

 nor yet the little red-bellied fish that play in the 

 streamlet. The day is so short and the journey so 

 long! He keeps on walking straight ahead, some- 



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