58 STORIES OF EARTH AND SKY 



would ask more sensible questions. And if the 

 tide was never low, how could House People dig 

 clams ? " 



"I beg your pardon," said Anne, humbly. 

 " Will you please tell me what became of some 

 of the other bits of the Sun's breath that turned 

 into planets ? Were there many of them, and 

 did any others but the Earth have moon children? 

 Though perhaps they are so far away that you 

 aren't acquainted with them." 



" I've never spoken to them, or been really 

 introduced, but runaway comets and shooting 

 stars from other families have given me news 

 about them. There are eight large planets, or 

 children of the Sun, who have separate pathways 

 in our race track. Besides these there is a bunch 

 of little ones that I have never heard much about. 



"These eight are all of different sizes, and as 

 no two take the same path, they are all at differ- 

 ent distances from the Sun, and of course some 

 are quite warm and some quite cold." 



"And do they all have years and months the 

 same as we do, and can they all go round the 

 Sun in the same time ? " 



" Please think a moment, House Child," said 

 the Moon, rather tartly. " Suppose there were 

 eight men riding bicycles around a tree in the 



