"Oh," answered Thorwald, "I haven't told you that it never rains in the
day-time, have I?"

"No, indeed, that's another surprise for us. But how is it managed?"

"You will remember I told you," said Thorwald in reply, "that it was found
that rain enough fell for all parts of the world if it could only be
rightly distributed. Then when we had discovered by a long series of
experiments how to make the clouds shed their water at our pleasure, we
set about devising a means whereby we could give each section the right
quantity of rain at just the right time.

"We established a central bureau in each country and let the people in
every city or district vote and send in their request for a shower or a
long rain ten days in advance. At first it required only a majority vote,
but this occasioned no end of trouble, as half the community would often
believe they were suffering for want of rain when the other half wanted
fair weather. Then the rule was changed so as to make a three-quarters
vote necessary, which did not help matters much, for very often the crops
would be seriously damaged before so large a proportion of the people
could be brought to see the desirability of a rainy day.

"At length the happy thought was conceived of letting it rain over each
part of the country every night, and giving the right to vote only on the
quantity desired. This keeps everything fresh and has been found of
immense benefit to vegetation. Besides, it inconveniences no one, in the
present state of our society, however it might have been when the plan was
first adopted."