THE TRIUMPH OF LH'E 



beyond Bohemia, and the sand-bars that it built 

 at its delta, today constitute the boulders of the 

 Alps. The silver glance of the sun in the blue- 

 ocean shone upon what is now the level North 

 German lowlands. Over in the Western Hemi- 

 sphere the ocean wandered over endless tracts of 

 North America, until the surface of the water 

 was dammed by low flat hills, where today the 

 prairie is broken by the girdle of pine trees 

 about the high mountains. Through this mighty 

 ocean swam monstrous reptiles with snake-like 

 heads, whose throats opened like giant gates, 

 and with long thin bodies a hundred feet long. 

 On the cliffs along the edge of the shores sat, in 

 thick rows after the manner of the penguin, the 

 great kingly bird of the west, six feet long. 

 Like the penguin it was unable to fly. Instead 

 of a bill it possessed jaws, out of which sixty- 

 six sharp crocodile teeth projected. Behind it 

 was provided with a thick, beaver-like tail. Per- 

 haps the flock raised a donkey cry like the pen- 

 guin, but at the same time there was mixed with 

 it another sound more like the snorting and spit- 

 ting of true reptiles. Over the water surface 

 moved a horrible dragon shadow, flying like a 

 gigantic swallow. The wings measured twenty 

 feet when extended, but they were not covered 

 with feathers. Instead lizard-like colors glisten 

 on the hide. As it approaches the horror of the 

 dragon dissolves itself into a droll picture. The 

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