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what had happened。 When I was at last by myself； a drowsy sensation fell
on me； but before my eyes closed I endeavoured to reproduce the Third
Dimension； and especially the process by which a Cube is constructed
through the motion of a Square。 It was not so clear as I could have wished；
but I remembered that it must be 〃Upward； and yet not Northward；〃 and I
determined steadfastly to retain these words as the clue which； if firmly
grasped； could not fail to guide me to the solution。 So mechanically
repeating； like a charm； the words； 〃Upward； yet not Northward；〃 I fell
into a sound refreshing sleep。
During my slumber I had a dream。 I thought I was once more by the
side of the Sphere； whose lustrous hue betokened that he had exchanged
his wrath against me for perfectly placability。 We were moving together
towards a bright but infinitesimally small Point； to which my Master
directed my attention。 As we approached； methought there issued from it a
slight humming noise as from one of your Spaceland bluebottles； only less
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resonant by far； so slight indeed that even in the perfect stillness of the
Vacuum through which we soared； the sound reached not our ears till we
checked our flight at a distant from it of something under twenty human
diagonals。
〃Look yonder；〃 said my Guide； 〃in Flatland thou hast lived； of
Lineland thou hast received a vision； thou hast soared with me to the
heights of Spaceland； now；； in order to complete the range of thy
experience； I conduct thee downward to the lowest depth of existence；
even to the realm of Pointland； the Abyss of No dimensions。
〃Behold yon miserable creature。 That Point is a Being like ourselves；
but confined to the non…dimensional Gulf。 He is himself his own World；
his own Universe； of any other than himself he can form no conception； he
knows not Length； nor Breadth； nor Height； for he has had no experience
of them； he has no cognizance even of the number Two； nor has he a
thought of Plurality； for he is himself his One and All； being really
Nothing。 Yet mark his perfect self…contentment； and hence learn his lesson；
that to be self…contented is to be vile and ignorant； and that to aspire is
better than to be blindly and impotently happy。 Now listen。〃
He ceased； and there arose from the little buzzing creature a tiny； low；
monotonous； but distinct tinkling； as from one of your Spaceland
phonographs； from which I caught these words； 〃Infinite beatitude of
existence！ It is； and there is nothing else beside It。〃
〃What；〃 said I； 〃does the puny creature mean by ‘it'？〃 〃He means
himself；〃 said the Sphere： 〃have you not noticed before now； that babies
and babyish people who cannot distinguish themselves from the world；
speak of themselves in the Third Person？ But hush！〃
〃It fills all Space；〃 continued the little soliloquizing Creature； 〃and
what It fills； It is。 What It thinks； that It utters； and what It utters； that It
hears； and It itself is Thinker； Utterer； Hearer； THought； Word； Audition； it
is the One； and yet the All in All。 Ah； the happiness； ah； the happiness of
Being！〃
〃Can you not startle the little thing out of its complacency？〃 said I。
〃Tell it what it really is； as you told me； reveal to it the narrow limitations
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of Pointland； and lead it up to something higher。〃 〃That is no easy task；〃
said my Master； 〃try you。〃
Hereon； raising by voice to the uttermost； I addressed the Point as
follows：
〃Silence； silence； contemptible Creature。 You call yourself the All in
All； but you are the Nothing： your so…called Universe is a mere speck in a
Line； and a Line is a mere shadow as compared with〃 〃Hush； hush； you
have said enough；〃 interrupted the Sphere； 〃now listen； and mark the
effect of your harangue on the King of Pointland。〃
The lustre of the Monarch； who beamed more brightly than ever upon
hearing my words； shewed clearly that he retained his complacency； and I
had hardly ceased when he took up his strain again。 〃Ah； the joy； ah； the
joy of Thought1 What can It not achieve by thinking！ Its own Thought
coming to Itself； suggestive of its disparagement； thereby to enhance Its
happiness！ Sweet rebellion stirred up to result in triumph！ Ah； the divine
creative power of the All in One！ Ah； the joy； the joy of Being！〃
〃You see；〃 said my Teacher； 〃how little your words have done。 So far
as the Monarch understand them at all； he accepts them as his own for he
cannot conceive of any other except himselfand plumes himself upon the
variety of ‘Its Thought' as an instance of creative Power。 Let us leave this
God of Pointland to the ignorant fruition of his omnipresence and
omniscience： nothing that you or I can do can rescue him from his self…
satisfaction。〃
After this； as we floated gently back to Flatland； I could hear the mild
voice of my Companion pointing the moral of my vision； and stimulating
me to aspire； and to teach others to aspire。 He had been angered at firsthe
confessedby my ambition to soar to Dimensions above the Third； but；
since then； he had received fresh insight； and he was not too proud to
acknowledge his error to a Pupil。 Then he proceeded to initiate me into
mysteries yet higher than those I had witnessed； shewing me how to
construct Extra…Solids by the motion of Solids； and Double Extra…Solids
by the motion of Extra…Solids； and all 〃strictly according to Analogy；〃 all
by methods so simple； so easy； as to be patent even to the Female Sex。
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SECTION 21 How I tried to teach the Theory of
Three Dimensions to my Grandson； and with what
success
I awoke rejoicing； and began to reflect on the glorious career before
me。 I would go forth； methought； at once； and evangelize the whole of
Flatland。 Even