"Yes," said his father, "every river, brook, and rill. The reason why the streams flow is, that the earth attracts the water from the mountains and hills, down into the valleys and towards the sea."
"Well, sir, what else?" said Rollo.
"Why, there would never be any more rain."
"No more rain!" exclaimed all the children.
"No," he replied. "The drops of rain fall only because the earth draws them down by its attraction; and, of course, if this attraction should cease, they would remain where they are."
The children were musing a minute upon these strange effects, when Rollo asked if anything else would happen.
"Why, yes," said his father, "worse disasters than these; but I do not know whether you would understand them, if I should explain them."
"O, try," said Rollo; "I think we shall understand."
"Well, let me think," said his father. "You have noticed how a chaise wheel, on a muddy road, in a wet day, holds the mud upon it, until when it is going very swiftly down a hill, and then the mud flies off in all directions."
"Yes, sir," said all the children.