A YOUNG NATURALIST. 29 



although he failed to completely comprehend all that he 

 saw. 



" Look at those black spots moving about over the plain," 

 said he. 



" They are oxen," I replied. 



" Oxen ! Why they are scarcely as big as Gringalet." 



" Don't you know that you must not trust to appearances ? 

 EecoUect the trees you saw yesterday, which you thought were a 

 forest." 



"But if, from this height, the oxen appear no larger than 

 sheep, the sheep ought not to look greater than flies." 



" You can easily judge ; there is a flock of goats down below.'' 



" A flock of goats % It is like a swarm of ants.'' 



" Exactly ; but look at them through the telescope." 



Availing himself of the glass, which he used rather unskilfully, 

 Lucien raised a sudden cry. 



" I see them ! I see them ! " he exclaimed. " How pretty they 

 are ! They are running about and crowding together, in front of 

 a little boy who is driving them." 



" It is most likely a man, who is diminished by the distance." 



" The idea of men of that size !" 



'' Well, look at the foot of that wooded hill ; the thin line 

 which you might easily take for a mere pathway is the main- 

 road. Perhaps you may see an Indian family travelling along 

 it." 



Lucien kept shifting his telescope about for some minutes with- 

 out descrying anything; but at last he broke out in a fresh 

 exclamation. 



" Have you discovered any men % " I asked. 



" Oh yes ! — ^men, horses, and mules ; but they are regular 

 Lilliputians." 



"You are quite right," said Sumichrast; "how do we know 

 that Dr Swift did not first form his idea of ' Gulliver's Travels ' 

 from looking at the world from the top of a high mountain? " 



After a time, I was obliged to take the young observer away 

 from this point for contemplation to proceed on our journey. 

 The ridge of the mountain was soon crossed, and we began 



