the narrator discusses the earth''smplighters
so then the seventh was the earth.
the earth is not just an ordinary! one can count, there 111 kings (not forgetting, to be sure, the negro kings among them), 7000 geographers, 900,000 businessmen, 7,500,000 tipplers, 311,000,000 conceited men-- that is to say, about 2,000,000,000 grown-ups.
to give you an idea of the size of the earth, i will tell you that before the invention of electricity it was necessary to maintain, over the whole of the six continents, a veritable army of 462,511mplighters for the streetmps.
seen from a slight distance, that would make a splendid spectacle. the movements of this army would be regted like those of the ballet in the opera. first woulde the turn of the mplighters of new zend and australia. having set theirmps alight, these would go off to sleep. next, themplighters of china and siberia would enter for their steps in the dance, and then they too would be waved back into the wings. after that woulde the turn of themplighters of russia and the indies; then those of africa and europe, then those of south america; then those of south america; then those of north america. and never would they make a mistake in the order of their entry upon the stage. it would be magnificent.
only the man who was in charge of the singlemp at the north pole, and his colleague who was responsible for the singlemp at the south pole-- only these two would live free from toil and care: they would be busy twice a year.
so then the seventh was the earth.
the earth is not just an ordinary! one can count, there 111 kings (not forgetting, to be sure, the negro kings among them), 7000 geographers, 900,000 businessmen, 7,500,000 tipplers, 311,000,000 conceited men-- that is to say, about 2,000,000,000 grown-ups.
to give you an idea of the size of the earth, i will tell you that before the invention of electricity it was necessary to maintain, over the whole of the six continents, a veritable army of 462,511mplighters for the streetmps.
seen from a slight distance, that would make a splendid spectacle. the movements of this army would be regted like those of the ballet in the opera. first woulde the turn of the mplighters of new zend and australia. having set theirmps alight, these would go off to sleep. next, themplighters of china and siberia would enter for their steps in the dance, and then they too would be waved back into the wings. after that woulde the turn of themplighters of russia and the indies; then those of africa and europe, then those of south america; then those of south america; then those of north america. and never would they make a mistake in the order of their entry upon the stage. it would be magnificent.
only the man who was in charge of the singlemp at the north pole, and his colleague who was responsible for the singlemp at the south pole-- only these two would live free from toil and care: they would be busy twice a year.