“I don’t wonder the gods were so powerful,” said Harold, “if they lived on this nectar, for it certainly is the most delicious thing I ever tasted.”
This praise greatly pleased the Brother. “Look in the west,” he said, pointing his finger to indicate where the west was, up among the clouds.
They looked and then caught their breath. Forming a background to this beautiful Court of Honor was what appeared to be the lights of an Aurora Borealis while spanning it all was a rainbow of dazzling brightness.
“When these lights appear,” said Mercury, “it is a signal that I must return to my island home shortly and as I want you to see the Milky Way and several independent islands we have in space I think we had best bid adieu to the Brother and hasten on.” With many hand grasps and farewells they bade the Brother good-bye and once more floated off into the blue ether, wrapped in their magic robes.
CHAPTER XII.
The Sun’s Satellite Island was most glorious to behold, being bathed in dancing sunbeams which twirled in and around everything and threw a veil of splendor over all. This was called the Isle of Gold, as it looked like one gigantic ball of that precious metal when seen from afar. Gold mines abounded, formed as it seemed of petrified sunbeams. The flowers and leaves of plants and trees opened and shut at the rising and setting of the Sun as do the lotus and marigold. The birds too, sang at sunrise to herald the coming of the messenger of day. A great many large animals were seen here, such as the lion, wolf, bear, bull, and ox. The people were broad-minded, whole-souled, and cheerful, their one aim in life being to make others happy.
From the Sun Island they went to the island under the Moon, an island locked in the grip of perpetual slumber. What a contrast they found! It was like going from life to death. It had been struck by a blighting blast and everything had been turned to stone; even the trees, birds, and beasts were petrified, although they had retained their natural colors. No one lived here and the only persons seen were visitors from other islands, and these were generally of a melancholy, despondent turn of mind, and they moved about like ghosts, in shroud-like white robes.
After our travelers had visited all of the planets’ Satellite Islands, Ione said:
“Why! I never thought of it before, but if all of the planets have satellite or tributary islands the Earth must, also.”
“You are right,” said Mercury. “Earth has its Satellite Islands but instead of one it has many, and they revolve around the Earth from east to west. Opposite each zone out in space revolves an island corresponding in temperature and in vegetation to the zone it represents and all of these are connected with the earth by rainbow bridges which appear and disappear as there are souls that wish to pass over to any of them.