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half an hour； and saw the whole of it。 It was wonderful； the spectacles
we saw； and some were beautiful； others too horrible to think。 For
instanceHowever； I may go into that by and by； and also why Satan chose
China for this excursion instead of another place； it would interrupt my
tale to do it now。 Finally we stopped flitting and lit。
We sat upon a mountain commanding a vast landscape of mountain…range and
gorge and valley and plain and river； with cities and villages slumbering
in the sunlight； and a glimpse of blue sea on the farther verge。 It was
a tranquil and dreamy picture； beautiful to the eye and restful to the
spirit。 If we could only make a change like that whenever we wanted to；
the world would be easier to live in than it is； for change of scene
shifts the mind's burdens to the other shoulder and banishes old； shop…
worn wearinesses from mind and body both。
We talked together； and I had the idea of trying to reform Satan and
persuade him to lead a better life。 I told him about all those things he
had been doing； and begged him to be more considerate and stop making
people unhappy。 I said I knew he did not mean any harm； but that he
ought to stop and consider the possible consequences of a thing before
launching it in that impulsive and random way of his； then he would not
make so much trouble。 He was not hurt by this plain speech； he only
looked amused and surprised； and said：
〃What？ I do random things？ Indeed； I never do。 I stop and consider
possible consequences？ Where is the need？ I know what the consequences
are going to bealways。〃
〃Oh； Satan； then how could you do these things？〃
〃Well； I will tell you； and you must understand if you can。 You belong
to a singular race。 Every man is a suffering…machine and a happiness…
machine combined。 The two functions work together harmoniously； with a
fine and delicate precision； on the give…and…take principle。 For every
happiness turned out in the one department the other stands ready to
modify it with a sorrow or a painmaybe a dozen。 In most cases the
man's life is about equally divided between happiness and unhappiness。
When this is not the case the unhappiness predominatesalways； never the
other。 Sometimes a man's make and disposition are such that his misery…
machine is able to do nearly all the business。 Such a man goes through
life almost ignorant of what happiness is。 Everything he touches；
everything he does； brings a misfortune upon him。 You have seen such
people？ To that kind of a person life is not an advantage； is it？ It is
only a disaster。 Sometimes for an hour's happiness a man's machinery
makes him pay years of misery。 Don't you know that？ It happens every
now and then。 I will give you a case or two presently。 Now the people
of your village are nothing to meyou know that； don't you？〃
I did not like to speak out too flatly； so I said I had suspected it。
〃Well； it is true that they are nothing to me。 It is not possible that
they should be。 The difference between them and me is abysmal；
immeasurable。 They have no intellect。〃
〃No intellect？〃
〃Nothing that resembles it。 At a future time I will examine what man
calls his mind and give you the details of that chaos； then you will see
and understand。 Men have nothing in common with methere is no point of
contact； they have foolish little feelings and foolish little vanities
and impertinences and ambitions； their foolish little life is but a
laugh； a sigh； and extinction； and they have no sense。 Only the Moral
Sense。 I will show you what I mean。 Here is a red spider； not so big as
a pin's head。 Can you imagine an elephant being interested in him
caring whether he is happy or isn't； or whether he is wealthy or poor； or
whether his sweetheart returns his love or not； or whether his mother is
sick or well； or whether he is looked up to in society or not； or whether
his enemies will smite him or his friends desert him； or whether his
hopes will suffer blight or his political ambitions fail； or whether he
shall die in the bosom of his family or neglected and despised in a
foreign land？ These things can never be important to the elephant； they
are nothing to him； he cannot shrink his sympathies to the microscopic
size of them。 Man is to me as the red spider is to the elephant。 The
elephant has nothing against the spiderhe cannot get down to that
remote level； I have nothing against man。 The elephant is indifferent； I
am indifferent。 The elephant would not take the trouble to do the spider
an ill turn； if he took the notion he might do him a good turn； if it
came in his way and cost nothing。 I have done men good service； but no
ill turns。
〃The elephant lives a century； the red spider a day； in power； intellect；
and dignity the one creature is separated from the other by a distance
which is simply astronomical。 Yet in these； as in all qualities； man is
immeasurably further below me than is the wee spider below the elephant。
〃Man's mind clumsily and tediously and laboriously patches little
trivialities together and gets a resultsuch as it is。 My mind creates！
Do you get the force of that？ Creates anything it desiresand in a
moment。 Creates without material。 Creates fluids； solids； colors
anything； everythingout of the airy nothing which is called Thought。 A
man imagines a silk thread； imagines a machine to make it； imagines a
picture； then by weeks of labor embroiders it on canvas with the thread。
I think the whole thing； and in a moment it is before youcreated。
〃I think a poem； music； the record of a game of chessanythingand it
is there。 This is the immortal mindnothing is beyond its reach。
Nothing can obstruct my vision； the rocks are transparent to me； and
darkness is daylight。 I do not need to open a book； I take the whole of
its contents into my mind at a single glance； through the cover； and in a
million years I could not forget a single word of it； or its place in the
volume。 Nothing goes on in the skull of man； bird； fish； insect； or
other creature which can be hidden from me。 I pierce the learned man's
brain with a single glance； and the treasures which cost him threescore
years to accumulate are mine； he can forget； and he does forget； but I
retain。
〃Now； then； I perceive by your thoughts that you are understanding me
fairly well。 Let us proceed。 Circumstances might so fall out that the
elephant could like the spidersupposing he can see itbut he could not
love it。 His love is for his own kindfor his equals。 An angel's love
is sublime； adorable； divine； beyond the imagination of maninfinitely
beyond it！ But it is limited to his own august order。 If it fell upon
one of your race for only an instant； it would consume its object to
ashes。 No； we cannot love men； but we can be harmlessly indifferent to
them； we can also like them； sometimes。 I like you and the boys； I like
Father Peter； and for your sakes I am doing all these things for the
villagers。〃
He saw that I was thinking a sarcasm； and he explained his position。
〃I have wrought well for the villagers； though it does not look like it
on the surface。 Your race never know