"Stories of Science, History & Mystery"
The mouse who set out to find the edge of the world
1.
Once there was a very logical, but also very sceptical mouse. It would only believe what it could see, smell or touch with its own senses. Some might say that it was an empirical mouse.
Around the time that this mouse lived, a theory emerged in Mouseland that the Earth was really shaped like a sphere, kind of like a ball.
«What a lot of hogwash» the mouse would say «If that were true, the people in Australia would fall down» it said, laughing heartily.
Some tried to convince the mouse of this new theory.
«There is a force called gravity that pulls everything in.»
But the mouse would reply: «Where are the strings of this so-called gravity force? I don't see them.»
«Gravity is invisible» they would say «The air is invisible too, but it still exists.»
«Well, that's a poor analogy» the mouse contended «I can breathe the air, and I can feel the gust of the wind. Of course, the air exists. I would never doubt it.»
Then it added: «Tell me rather, why is there such a force as gravity? What causes it?»
«It's the mass that is responsible for gravity.»
The mouse probed further: «How does the mass cause gravity, and what is the mass anyway?»
At this point, they had no further answers. «Gravity is a fundamental force of nature. One just has to accept that.»
«So you want me to believe in an invisible force, for which you have no real explanation. Why not simply believe in a much simpler and obvious answer: the world is flat!»
« But if there is no gravity, why then does an apple always fall down, and not up?» they would ask.
«Because the apple is denser than the air. If the apple was lighter, it would float. One does not need gravity to explain that.» the sceptical mouse responded.
«But if the Earth was flat, why would the water not run away at its edges?» they would say. «All the ocean's water would simply disappear.»
The mouse rolled its eyes. The answer was more than obvious.
«Because there are mountains at the edge of the world that hold the water in.»
Now, they rolled their eyes. «What evidence do you have for those mountains?»
The mouse thought about it. «Well, none to be honest. But, it is a very plausible explanation.»
The audience was not convinced. Thus, the sceptical mouse felt obliged to make a pledge. «Look, I will prove it to you. I will set out on a voyage to the edge of the world, so that I can see the mountain range with my own eyes.»
Some supported the mouse for its travels, giving it food and clothes for the long journey. Others were dismissive. «Don't fall off the edge.» they sneered.
It was not an easy endeavor. First, the mouse had to decide which way to go. «I will follow the sun, it will show me the way I have to travel.»
After a few days of walking, the mouse got tired, and wondered if there was a faster way to travel. It asked another mouse that it met on the way. «Suppose that I want to travel to the seaside. How would I get there fastest?»
«You could hitch a ride on a stagecoach. It is pulled by horses that have an average speed of about eight miles per hour.»
Quite a speed, the mouse thought. Mice can in fact reach similar speeds, but only over short distances, when chased by cats for example. This would make the journey much faster, and it would be a whole lot less tiresome too!
As the stagecoach approached the coast, the mouse could see the immensity of the Atlantic ocean; it merged with the sky in the far distance. It was almost dusk; and the sun was about to disappear on the horizon. The mouse got very excited when it saw this spectacle.
«I can almost see the edge of the world.» However, then it considered how it might get there. «But I cannot swim very well. I suppose, horses cannot swim that well either. So, I will have to find something that can float on water. It needs to be something light.»
The mouse asked some locals for advice. «You have come to the perfect place. A great many ships leave from here that can take you over the ocean.»
Thus, the mouse boarded a ship to head West over the Atlantic. After a few weeks, it got to a place they called America. In this land, they spoke the same language, and the mouse was happy that things had worked out so well.
With some satisfaction, the mouse noticed that the ocean was stopped by the huge landmass of the American continent. «I knew that the water would not run away. What a lauguable idea.»
«It would appear then that the edge of the world is not far away. I shall have to see how I can get there.» The mouse again asked some locals for advice. «I would like to travel to the end of this continent. What means of transportation are there?»
«You could go on horseback. It is rather arduous, but there are many places to explore. If, however, you are in a rush, you should take the railway. It can travel 40 miles in an hour, over very long distances.»
The mouse was in a rush. Moreover, it was very interested in the engineering contraptions that humans had come up with. It was impressive that the ship that it traveled on over the Atlantic was made of steel. Since steel is denser than water, one would normally expect it to sink. Yet, the hollow shape of the ship allowed it to stay afloat. The ship was also powered by a mechanical engine, which meant that it was not at the mercy of which way the wind was blowing. «It just keeps going full steam ahead.» the mouse would joke.
The mouse did not regret taking the train. «What a delight, to travel at great speed, and see the land go by.» The mouse would see mountains and valleys. Then there were plains, traversed by large rivers. Further still, the land became very dry, almost desert-like. As the travels went on for several weeks, the mouse was starting to become restless.
Finally, a large mountain range appeared in the distance. «That must be it. The edge of the world!» it said excitedly.
The train chugged up the steep incline. Its wheels were squeaking under the strain. The mouse was surprised that the train just kept on going, despite being so close to the edge. «This could be dangerous, we could fall off!»
When they arrived at the highest mountain pass, the mouse could see that a huge swathe of land was visible further on. «I guess we haven't arrived at the end of the world just yet.» the mouse said, with some disappointment.
It is then that the mouse fell into a deep sleep. It had kept awake for days, anticipating that the edge of the world was about to appear. Now, however, its energies were depleted, and it needed to rest.
When the mouse woke up, the train had stopped. There was much chatter outside. «Perhaps we have arrived at the end of the world? Must be some kind of a tourist attraction.» the mouse wondered.
The mouse went outside. It saw a large group of people looking at the sunset. The mouse made its way to the front of the group, carefully meandering between their feet.
When it got to the front, it was surprised to find that the sun was still far away. Even more daunting, a large body of water separated the mouse from it. «Where is the edge?» it asked feebly.
«What edge are you talking about?» another mouse asked.
«Well, the edge of the world of course.» the sceptical mouse said.
«I'm afraid, you have just found the water's edge; it's called the Pacific Ocean.»
The sceptical mouse could not hide its disappointment. It had already traveled for a few months, and had still not arrived at the edge of the world. «I only expect to live for a few years. I still want to get home alive to tell my tale. Now I will never make it. It is too far.» It started to weep.
The other mouse tried to console it. «But is it not beautiful?»
The sceptical mouse looked at the many shades of red in the sunset. «Yes, it is beautiful.» Regaining its composure, it asked: «What lies beyond it?»
«Many exotic lands. China, Japan and Russia, among others.»
«Tell me more about those places.»
«In Japan, there are volcanoes and earthquakes. Incredible forces of nature.»
«That sounds like it could be edge of the world.» the sceptical mouse said.
«I doubt it. As an island, it is completely surrounded by water, so probably not the place you are looking for. » the stranger said, before adding: «Besides, it is a very clean place. I do not think that we mice are very welcome there.»
«What about China then?» the sceptical mouse asked.
«China is full of wonders. There are dragons and other mysterious creatures. If you appreciate a beautiful sunset, then you would really enjoy Chinese fireworks. They illuminate the sky in the most beautiful colors.»
«Well, that sounds wonderful. I would love to go there.»
«There is just one problem» the stranger said «the food.»
«Is it not very good?» the sceptical mouse asked.
«No, the food is excellent. The problem is, that they eat many types of meats, including that of dogs, cats, rats, and yes, mice too.»
«I see, that could be a rather dangerous journey. Well, what about Russia?»
«I don't know much about Russia, I must admit. From what I gather, it is cold there. It snows a lot, so traveling for a mouse could be difficult. Though, I did hear that they have some trains.»
«Well, I do like trains.»
«Then perhaps Russia would be a good choice for you. Just make sure to get a thicker coat, to keep warm.»
The mouse made some inquiries as to which ship could take it to Russia.
«It's a long journey» some would warn.
«I have come thousands of miles, I cannot turn back now.» the sceptical mouse would respond.
The journey was long and hard. It was a fishermen's ship that stopped at several places along the way. The ship got into icy snow storms, and was almost hit by an iceberg. Then again, the long journey gave the mouse a chance to pick up some Russian, and toughen it up for the remaining journey to come.
In Russia, things turned out to be more complicated. The mouse boarded the Trans-Siberian Express, and made good headway; but then extreme weather conditions shut down the line.
«I guess I will have to use some more traditional means of transportation.» Again, the mouse turned to locals for advice.
«You could travel by dog sleigh. It is well-suited here in snow-bound Siberia.»
But after a few weeks, the mouse could see that it was barely making any progress.
«I have come so far, but now I'm stuck. It seems like I'm going in circles. I wonder if I will ever arrive at my destination.»
«Where are you aiming to go?» a friendly Russian dog asked. In Siberia, the animals were kinder to each other, also because life was so harsh.
The sceptical mouse explained its life mission in finding the edge of the world.
«Well, I think you have gone about this in the wrong way.» the dog said «You will not find the end of the world by traveling it.»
The mouse was baffled. «But I have already traveled more than fifteen thousand miles, I must be getting close.», before adding «I am certainly not turning around now!»
«Well, I am not suggesting that either. It is actually shorter to continue your journey. Give or take another ten thousand miles, and you should get right back to where you started.»
«But that would mean that the Earth is round.»
«Yes, it is a sphere, with a circumference of about twenty-five thousand miles.»
Tears welled up in the mouse's eyes. «But then my journey was all in vain.»
«Perhaps not.» the dog said, trying to cheer it up.
«What do you mean?» the sceptical mouse asked.
«Even if the Earth is a sphere, there is still an edge. Everything has a boundary.» The dog made a snow ball, to show the mouse.
«Yes, indeed.» the mouse said. «But, to see that boundary, one would have to travel upwards, high in the sky. I see now that I have been traveling in the wrong direction.»
«Indeed.»
«Birds can fly, but not high enough I suspect.» the mouse said.
«No, one needs to travel at great speeds, so as to escape gravity, at least a little.»
«What can go so fast as to escape gravity?»
«Rockets can.»
«Tell me more about rockets.»
«Rockets have a continuous stream of fire coming out, kind of like little explosions, giving them great thrust. They are pushed into the air at enormous speeds.» the dog explained.
«How fast can they travel?»
«I don't know exactly. Maybe several thousand miles per hour.»
«That would mean I could travel in a few hours, what I did in the past year. Why do people not travel with them? It would be so much faster.»
«Well, they are powered by explosives, so they are rather dangerous. Most humans would be too afraid to fly with them.»
«Well, I would like to fly one.»
«Funny you should say that. While humans are too afraid to fly them themselves, they are very happy to put animals in their devices. I suppose, they would like to test that their contraptions work.»
«Well, that all sounds very interesting, but where would one find such a rocket?»
«Not far from here, the Russian military is testing such machines. It is all top secret, which is why it is done in the middle of nowhere. I trust you are not a spy though?»
«Of course not! I did not even know that the world was round, never mind that rockets and such devices existed.»
«Well, the military guys can be a little paranoid. With your accent, they would likely suspect something, so just let me do the talking.»
The mouse did not know what to think.
«I am just pulling your leg. Even Russians don't suspect animal spies, though perhaps they should.» the dog said with a wink.
When they got to the rocket center, there were lines of animals there, that were inspected for a rocket mission. None were eager to go. They all pretended to be ill or lame, to get out of their predicament. The sceptical mouse, on the other hand, was bursting with energy. It ran circles around everyone. It also eagerly took a seat in the tiny rocket cockpit. The rocket scientists were ecstatic. They had finally found a willing animal to go into space.
A few days later, the mouse's rocket mission was scheduled. When the great day arrived, the dog gave the mouse a few more pieces of advice.
«Don't forget to close your eyes when the rocket takes off, the thrust could shatter your eye balls.»
«Count to ten before opening your eyes. Then don't forget to hold your breath, there is no air high up in the atmosphere.»
«When you come down, make sure that the parachute opens. If it does not by the time you fall for twenty seconds, pull the red lever.»
«Finally, don't forget to start breathing again, otherwise you will faint.»
«Good luck!»
And so, the mouse who set out to find the edge of the world, did just that. From space, the Earth looked magnificient, and round of course.
«I did it!» the mouse cried. «I saw the edge of the world.»
Having followed the dog's careful instructions, the mouse survived the rocket mission unscathed. There was much celebration at the rocket base after the successful launch.
When it was time to leave, the dog asked sadly: « I suppose you will now go back home to tell them about your travels?»
«Well, I'm not sure anyone would believe my story.» the mouse said.
«And maybe I have traveled far enough for a little mouse. It is time to settle down.»
«Perhaps you have.» the dog laughed.
And they lived happily ever after.
© Credit for the art work goes to my children Emile and Winnie. All rights of this work are protected.