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recognised as Panky's； shouting after him； and saying …
〃Mind you do not forget the true reading of the Sunchild's prayer。〃
〃You are an old fool；〃 shouted my father in English； knowing that
he could hardly be heard； still less understood； and thankful to
relieve his feelings。
CHAPTER V： MY FATHER MEETS A SON； OF WHOSE EXISTENCE HE WAS
IGNORANT； AND STRIKES A BARGAIN WITH HIM
The incidents recorded in the two last chapters had occupied about
two hours； so that it was nearly midnight before my father could
begin to retrace his steps and make towards the camp that he had
left that morning。 This was necessary； for he could not go any
further in a costume that he now knew to be forbidden。 At this
hour no ranger was likely to meet him before he reached the
statues； and by making a push for it he could return in time to
cross the limits of the preserves before the Professors' permit had
expired。 If challenged； he must brazen it out that he was one or
other of the persons therein named。
Fatigued though he was； he reached the statues as near as he could
guess； at about three in the morning。 What little wind there had
been was warm； so that the tracks； which the Professors must have
seen shortly after he had made them； had disappeared。 The statues
looked very weird in the moonlight but they were not chanting。
While ascending； he pieced together the information he had picked
up from the Professors。 Plainly； the Sunchild； or child of the
sun； was none other than himself； and the new name of Coldharbour
was doubtless intended to commemorate the fact that this was the
first town he had reached in Erewhon。 Plainly； also； he was
supposed to be of superhuman originhis flight in the balloon
having been not unnaturally believed to be miraculous。 The
Erewhonians had for centuries been effacing all knowledge of their
former culture； archaeologists； indeed； could still glean a little
from museums； and from volumes hard to come by； and still harder to
understand； but archaeologists were few； and even though they had
made researches （which they may or may not have done）； their
labours had never reached the masses。 What wonder； then； that the
mushroom spawn of myth； ever present in an atmosphere highly
charged with ignorance； had germinated in a soil so favourably
prepared for its reception？
He saw it all now。 It was twenty years next Sunday since he and my
mother had eloped。 That was the meaning of XIX。 xii。 29。 They had
made a new era； dating from the day of his return to the palace of
the sun with a bride who was doubtless to unite the Erewhonian
nature with that of the sun。 The New Year； then； would date from
Sunday； December 7； which would therefore become XX。 i。 1。 The
Thursday； now nearly if not quite over； being only two days distant
from the end of a month of thirty…one days； which was also the last
of the year； would be XIX。 xii。 29； as on the Professors' permit。
I should like to explain here what will appear more clearly on a
later pageI mean； that the Erewhonians； according to their new
system； do not believe the sun to be a god except as regards this
world and his other planets。 My father had told them a little
about astronomy； and had assured them that all the fixed stars were
suns like our own； with planets revolving round them； which were
probably tenanted by intelligent living beings； however unlike they
might be to ourselves。 From this they evolved the theory that the
sun was the ruler of this planetary system； and that he must be
personified； as they had personified the air…god； the gods of time
and space； hope； justice； and the other deities mentioned in my
father's book。 They retain their old belief in the actual
existence of these gods； but they now make them all subordinate to
the sun。 The nearest approach they make to our own conception of
God is to say that He is the ruler over all the suns throughout the
universethe suns being to Him much as our planets and their
denizens are to our own sun。 They deny that He takes more interest
in one sun and its system than in another。 All the suns with their
attendant planets are supposed to be equally His children； and He
deputes to each sun the supervision and protection of its own
system。 Hence they say that though we may pray to the air…god；
&c。； and even to the sun； we must not pray to God。 We may be
thankful to Him for watching over the suns； but we must not go
further。
Going back to my father's reflections； he perceived that the
Erewhonians had not only adopted our calendar； as he had repeatedly
explained it to the Nosnibors； but had taken our week as well； and
were making Sunday a high day； just as we do。 Next Sunday； in
commemoration of the twentieth year after his ascent； they were
about to dedicate a temple to him； in this there was to be a
picture showing himself and his earthly bride on their heavenward
journey； in a chariot drawn by four black and white horseswhich；
however； Professor Hanky had positively affirmed to have been only
storks。
Here I interrupted my father。 〃But were there；〃 I said； 〃any
storks？〃
〃Yes；〃 he answered。 〃As soon as I heard Hanky's words I remembered
that a flight of some four or five of the large storks so common in
Erewhon during the summer months had been wheeling high aloft in
one of those aerial dances that so much delight them。 I had quite
forgotten it； but it came back to me at once that these creatures；
attracted doubtless by what they took to be an unknown kind of
bird； swooped down towards the balloon and circled round it like so
many satellites to a heavenly body。 I was fearful lest they should
strike at it with their long and formidable beaks； in which case
all would have been soon over； either they were afraid； or they had
satisfied their curiosityat any rate； they let us alone； but they
kept with us till we were well away from the capital。 Strange； how
completely this incident had escaped me。〃
I return to my father's thoughts as he made his way back to his old
camp。
As for the reversed position of Professor Panky's clothes； he
remembered having given his own old ones to the Queen； and having
thought that she might have got a better dummy on which to display
them than the headless scarecrow； which； however； he supposed was
all her ladies…in…waiting could lay their hands on at the moment。
If that dummy had never been replaced； it was perhaps not very
strange that the King could not at the first glance tell back from
front； and if he did not guess right at first； there was little
chance of his changing； for his first ideas were apt to be his
last。 But he must find out more about this。
Then how about the watch？ Had their views about machinery also
changed？ Or was there an exception made about any machine that he
had himself carried？
Yram too。 She must have been married not long after she and he had
parted。 So she was now wife to the Mayor； and was evidently able
to have things pretty much her own way in Sunch'ston； as he
supposed he must now call it。 Thank heaven she was prosperous！ It
was interesting to know that she was at heart a sceptic； as was
also her li