The story of the Sun, New York: 1833-1928 / by Frank M. O'Brien ; with an introduction by Edward Page Mitchell ...

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THE STORY OF "THE SUN"

quisite amusement. The mimicry of its movements
upon our white-painted canvas was as faithful and
luminous as that of animals within a few yards of a
camera obscura when seen pictured upon its tympan.
Frequently, when attempting to put our fingers upon
its beard, it would suddenly bound away into oblivion, as if conscious of our earthly impertinence;
but then others would appear, whom we could not /
prevent nibbling the herbage, say or (lo what we
would to them.
So, at last, the people of earth knew something concrete about the live things of the moon. Goats with
beards were there, and every New Yorker knew goats,
for they fed upon the rocky hills of Harlem. And the
moon had birds, too:
On examining the center of this delightful valley
we found a large, branching river, abounding with
lovely islands and water-birds of numerous kinds. A
species of gray pelican was the most numerous, but
black and white cranes, with unreasonably long legs
and bill, were also quite common.... lNear the
upper extremity of one of these islands we obtained
a glimpse of a strange amphibious creature of a
spherical form, which rolled with great velocity across
the pebbly beach, and was lost sight of in the strong
current which set off from this angle of the island.
At this point clouds intervene(l, and the Herschel party
had to call it a day. But it had been a big (lay and
nobody who read the Sun won(lered that the astronomers
tossed off "congratulatory bunlmpers of the Ibest 'East
India particular,' and named this place of wonders the
Valley of the Unicorn." So ended the Sun story of