Первые люди на Луне

           “‘Theirmindsmustdifferagreatdeal,’saidtheGrandLunar,‘ortheywouldallwanttodothesamethings.’

           “Inordertobringmyselfintoacloserharmonywithhispreconceptions,Isaidthathissurmisewasright.‘Itwasallhiddeninthebrain,’Isaid;butthedifferencewasthere.PerhapsifonecouldseethemindsandsoulsofmentheywouldbeasvariedandunequalastheSelenites.Thereweregreatmenandsmallmen,menwhocouldreachoutfarandwide,menwhocouldgoswiftly;noisy,trumpet-mindedmen,andmenwhocouldrememberwithoutthinking....’”[Therecordisindistinctforthreewords.]

           “Heinterruptedmetorecallmetomypreviousstatements.‘Butyousaidallmenrule?’hepressed.

           “‘Toacertainextent,’Isaid,andmade,Ifear,adenserfogwithmyexplanation.

           “Hereachedouttoasalientfact.‘Doyoumean,’asked,‘thatthereisnoGrandEarthly?’

           “Ithoughtofseveralpeople,butassuredhimfinallytherewasnone.Iexplainedthatsuchautocratsandemperorsaswehadtrieduponearthhadusuallyendedindrink,orvice,orviolence,andthatthelargeandinfluentialsectionofthepeopleoftheearthtowhichIbelonged,theAnglo-Saxons,didnotmeantotrythatsortofthingagain.AtwhichtheGrandLunarwasevenmoreamazed.

           “‘Buthowdoyoukeepevensuchwisdomasyouhave?’heasked;andIexplainedtohimthewaywehelpedourlimited[Awordomittedhere,probably“brains.”]withlibrariesofbooks.