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know the length of the year, which may last only six earth-months or, perhaps,
a thousand. But one thing seems
certain to me there are no big variations in temperature; for if there is
practically no difference to be noticed between sea-level and twenty thousand
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feet up, if so splendid a plant life flourishes there at such a height, then
winter's cold and summer's heat cannot be excessive, otherwise we should have
seen traces of glaciers up above, while down below here there would have been
no such manifold animal life in a region which is closer to the poles than to
the equator."
In the meanwhile dawn had broken.
"Ah!" cried Mitzie, suddenly, "Nature is taking care of our evening's
conversation!"
"Splendid!" smirked the Captain.
"Highly interesting!" cried the Professor. "Really, not half bad!"
And after Hank too had joined in with his "Magnificent!" John felt himself
obliged to express his approval by crying out "Truly important!"
Imposing it certainly was, this display of fireworks revealed at the stroke of
dawn. Fire-flies and phosphorescent beetles, large and small, rose into the
air; you could see sparks, stars, and flames, some of them twinkling and
disappearing, others glittering constantly.
What was new and especially majestic, however, was the play of colors about
these living meteors and starry showers; yellow, red, blue, or green light
streamed from them according to their species.
On the ground too it was lively and bright; here the
sparks and lanterns of glow-worms and luminous snails and caterpillars drew
past each other, like glistening jewels, topazes, rubies, emeralds, amethysts,
and sapphires.
"Oh, gentlemen, a northern light!" John suddenly cried out and pointed, not to
the north, but to the east.
"That's a moon," the Professor corrected him. "Truly a worthy moon for a night
in paradise!"
The moon, which rose above the mountains, had an in-describably beautiful and
hazy rose-color. Only the most delicately tinted wild-rose bud or the blooming
hue with which an airy cloud above the sea of the Italian Riviera is tinged at
sunset, might be compared with it.
Soon the lunar disc, about twice as large as the satellite of our earth,
floated free in the dark sky among the twinkling stars. And now it shed its
enrapturing rose-light over the whole landscape.
All at once a new life seemed to awaken. Birds whirred through the air and
gave voice to wonderfully soft music, crickets chirped in melodious tones;
small animals, like hares, weasels, and hedgehogs, the last-named with
multicolored, transparent quills, bounced around gaily, playing and scuffling,
skipping and dancing, and turning remarkable somersaults.
In short, there was plenty to see, to hear, and to admire, had not the charm
of the magical, Bengal moonlight alone been enough to keep them all awake. Who
could have slept through such an entrancing, yes, truly paradisal night?
And new flowers too opened up their calyxes, unusually tender delicately
formed patterns, shining whitely with golden-yellow filaments, and rose-tinted
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by the moonlight;
bright-blue and red bindweed, silvery nasturtium and other blossoms unfolded
to the rosy moon and exhaled a perfume which seemed to excel in sweetness all
the aromas of the daytime.
The rosy moon shone for eight hours; but hardly had it set when a somewhat
smaller moon of a light blue color rose on the opposite horizon.
Its mild light had an unusually soothing effect. Everywhere, quiet settled
down; the animal world began to slumber and the calyxes of the night-flowers
closed up.
But new blossoms sprang up again, large umbels, motley poppy-heads, and an
intoxicating perfume mingled with the
drowsy light.
Our friends also fell into silence and at last they felt the need of sleep.
Schulze led the general retirement to the tents, with the following words:
"Even the nights in this paradise do not seem to be meant entirely for sleep.
At any rate, the time during which the rosy moon is shining does not seem
designed for sleeping, but rather for waking life. But the blue light induces
sleepiness. Well, we have enjoyed ourselves for four long hours and there are
still ten hours till sunrise;
let us utilize the time for a night's rest."
"Let me take over the first watch," implored Hank, "I don't feel sleepy yet."
"Good! After three hours, wake me up, so that I can stand the middle watch,"
said Flitmore.
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