THE MAN OF THE MOON 59 



middle of a field, and some were close to the tree 

 and some were on the outside edge, which would 

 get around the tree first ? " 



"The one the nearest to the tree, of course." 



" Very well ; it is the same way with the planets. 

 The one nearest the Sun has only eighty-eight 

 of the Earth's days in his year, and the farthest 

 takes one hundred and sixty-five of the Earth's 

 years to round the course once." 



" Oh dear, how very complicated ! " sighed 

 Anne to herself ; " the whys and hows of Sky- 

 land are much more like arithmetic lessons than 

 the reasons why of the Bird and Beast Brother- 

 hood. I'm very sure I like the Earth garden best. 



u Please tell me how the planets stand in the 

 race track. I suppose, of course, this Earth is the 

 biggest." 



" It is not ; the Earth is among the smallest ; 

 it only seems big because you are plump on it. 

 1 look larger to you than Jupiter, the largest 

 of all planets, but that is because I am close. 

 I'm only about two hundred and forty thousand 

 miles away." 



"Do you call that close? I think it is as far 

 away as forever. How far away is the Sun then ? " 



"Oh, a little matter of ninety millions or so of 

 miles." 



