BEFORE MAN
Because the Earth was so warm and comfortable, and there was plenty to eat, some of the animals grew to be very large.
All these changes the Ocean watched while Mother Nature was away, and the laws that God had made to govern the Universe filled him with wonder. Even in his own kingdom of the sea he saw strange things—flying fish, and others that grew swords at the ends of their noses, to spear their enemies with. And he even saw, at the very bottom of the sea, where it is always dark, fish that grew little electric lights like the lights of a firefly, by which they were able to see their way about in the darkness.
When the new animals had spread all over the edge of the Earth, Mother Nature came back to see how everything was going.
"Splendid," she said, when she had looked things over. "The plants, and the fish, and the animals are all doing very nicely indeed. Now we are ready for Man."