Chapter V

Experiments and reasoning of the two travelers.

Micromegas very gently stretched his hand toward the spot where the object appeared. Extending two fingers, withdrawing them for fear of a mistake, then opening and closing them, he very deftly caught the ship carrying these gentlemen and set it too on his nail, without pressing too hard for fear of crushing it. "Here is an animal quite different from the first," said the dwarf of Saturn. The Sirian placed the supposed animal in the hollow of his hand. The passengers and crew, who had thought themselves swept up by a hurricane and now believed they were on a sort of rock, all began to move. The sailors took barrels of wine, threw them onto Micromegas's hand, and jumped after them. The geometers took their quadrants, their sectors, and two Lapland girls, and descended onto the Sirian's fingers. They made such a commotion that at last he felt something moving and tickling his fingers: it was an iron-tipped staff being driven a foot into his forefinger. From this pricking he judged that something had come out of the little animal he held, but at first suspected nothing more. The microscope, which barely allowed him to distinguish a whale and a ship, could not reach beings as imperceptible as men. I mean to wound no one's vanity here, but I am obliged to ask the self-important to make one small observation with me: taking men's height at about five feet, we cut no greater figure on Earth than an animal about a six-hundred-thousandth of an inch tall would on a ball ten feet around. Imagine a substance capable of holding Earth in its hand, with organs proportioned to ours—and there may very well be a great many such substances. Now consider, please, what they would think of those battles which win the victor a village only to lose it again.

I have no doubt that, should some captain of towering grenadiers ever read this work, he will raise his soldiers' caps by at least two full feet. But I warn him that, try as he may, he and his men will never be anything but infinitesimals.

What marvelous skill, then, our philosopher of Sirius must have needed to perceive the atoms I have just described! When Leeuwenhoek and Hartsoeker first saw, or thought they saw, the seed from which we are formed, theirs was nothing like so astonishing a discovery. What delight Micromegas felt at seeing these little machines move, at examining all their tricks, at following them through all their operations! How he exclaimed! How joyfully he put one of his microscopes into his traveling companion's hands! "I see them!" they both said at once. "Don't you see them carrying loads, bending down, standing up?" As they spoke, their hands trembled with the pleasure of seeing such new objects and the fear of losing them. The Saturnian, passing from excessive doubt to excessive credulity, thought he could see them engaged in propagation. "Ah!" he said. "I have caught nature in the act." But appearances deceived him—as happens only too often, whether one uses a microscope or not.

The two travelers experiment and reason.

Micromegas very gently reached toward the place where the object appeared. He moved two fingers forward, drew them back for fear of making a mistake, then opened and closed them. Very skillfully he picked up the ship carrying these gentlemen and again put it on his nail, taking care not to squeeze it too hard and crush it. "Here's an animal very different from the first," the dwarf from Saturn said. The Sirian put the supposed animal in the palm of his hand. The passengers and crew had thought a hurricane was carrying them away, and now believed they were on some kind of rock. They all began moving about. The sailors took barrels of wine, threw them onto Micromegas's hand, and jumped down after them. The mathematicians took their quadrants, their sectors, and two Lapland girls, and climbed down onto the Sirian's fingers. They made such a fuss that at last he felt something moving and tickling his fingers. It was an iron-tipped stick being driven a foot into his index finger. From this prickling, he judged that something had come out of the little animal he was holding. At first he suspected nothing more. The microscope could barely make out a whale or a ship; it could do nothing with beings as invisible as humans. I don't mean to offend anyone's vanity here, but I must ask self-important people to join me in a small observation. If we take human height as about five feet, we make no greater impression on Earth than an animal about one six-hundred-thousandth of an inch tall would make on a ball ten feet around. Imagine a being that could hold Earth in its hand and whose organs were in the same proportions as ours. There may well be many such beings. Now please imagine what they would think of those battles that win the victor a village, only for him to lose it later.

I have no doubt that if a captain of tall grenadiers ever reads this work, he will raise his soldiers' caps by at least two whole feet. But I warn him that, whatever he does, he and his men will never be anything but infinitely small.

What extraordinary skill our philosopher from Sirius needed to see the atoms I have just described! When Leeuwenhoek and Hartsoeker first saw, or thought they saw, the seed from which we are formed, their discovery was nowhere near as astonishing. How delighted Micromegas was to watch these tiny machines moving, examine all their maneuvers, and follow everything they did! How he cried out! How happily he put one of his microscopes into his traveling companion's hands! "I can see them!" they both said at once. "Don't you see them carrying loads, bending down, standing up again?" As they spoke, their hands shook with the pleasure of seeing such new objects and the fear of losing them. The Saturnian went from extreme doubt to extreme willingness to believe. He thought he could see them working at reproduction. "Ah!" he said. "I've caught nature in the act." But appearances had misled him, as happens all too often whether we use a microscope or not.