I found myself in the midst of a wild and beautiful forest, so full of
the sweet music of singing-birds that it seemed as if every leaf on
every tree had the tongue and figure of a nightingale. The ground was
covered with unknown, lovely flowers, with a magical scent. As soon as I
smelt it I became twenty years younger. My thin grey hairs changed into
thick, brown, wavy tresses; my wrinkled face grew fresh and rosy; and my
blood flowed through my veins with the speed and vigour of youth.

I was surprised to find no trace of human habitation in the forest. But
in wandering about I came upon two strong, great animals, about twelve
cubits long. One of them came towards me, and the other fled into the
forest. But it quickly returned with seven hundred other beasts. As they
approached me, I perceived that they were creatures with a human shape,
who, however, went on all-fours like some gigantic kind of monkey. They
shouted with admiration when they saw me; and one of them took me up by
the neck and flung me on his back, and galloped with me into a great
town.

When I saw the splendid buildings of the city I recognised my mistake.
The four-footed creatures were really enormous men. Seeing that I went
on two legs, they would not believe that I was a man like themselves.
They thought I was an animal without any reasoning power, and they
resolved to send me to their queen, who was fond of collecting strange
and curious monsters.

All this, of course, I did not understand at the time. It took me some
months to learn their language. These men of the Moon have two dialects;
one for the nobility, the other for the common people. The language of
the nobility is a kind of music; it is certainly a very pleasant means