THE TRIUMPH OF LIFE 



planet, the whole sea suddenly disappears, 

 drawn off to other regions of the earth, and that 

 we wander below on the dry surface of the pres- 

 ent ocean abyss. This coral island would then 

 rise above us, an actual giant mountain. Mist 

 clouds would hang about its peak. Weathered 

 by air and water its sides would betray exter- 

 nally scarce an3rthing of the coral origin. De- 

 bris from the weathering would build heaps on 

 its flanks. Tlie living coral mat would imme- 

 diately perish with the first drying-up of the 

 water. On the lime declivity in the sunlight ac- 

 tual flower fields would establish themselves and 

 red umbels nod over the old blocks. I dig up 

 the plant humus in such a place, break loose a 

 piece of the rock which is in truth old "life 

 rock." A trace of the rosette-like figures of the 

 former coral structure appears yet. A shell fish 

 which once lived in a cavity of the coral struc- 

 ture falls out of a gap in the rock. It is chalky 

 white now from age, like the weathered coral 

 mortar itself. 



My thoughts turn from this back to the ac- 

 tual picture. 



Was the "natural rock" that today lies under 

 the blue Alpen glacier once such living rock, 

 such coral rock ? 



I reflect on the many millions of years of the 

 history of life on the earth. I question whether 

 life that makes new islands rise out of the sea, 

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