It was the last day but one of the 1999th year of our era, and the first day of the Long
Vacation. Having amused myself till a late hour with my favourite recreation of
Geometry, I had retired to rest with an unsolved problem in my mind. In the night I had a
dream.
I saw before me a vast multitude of small Straight Lines (which I naturally assumed to be
Women) interspersed with other Beings still smaller and of the nature of lustrous points --
all moving to and fro in one and the same Straight Line, and, as nearly as I could judge,
with the same velocity.
A noise of confused, multitudinous chirping or twittering issued from them at intervals as
long as they were moving; but sometimes they ceased from motion, and then all was
silence.
Approaching one of the largest of what I thought to be Women, I accosted her, but
received no answer. A second and a third appeal on my part were equally ineffectual.
Losing patience at what appeared to me intolerable rudeness, I brought my mouth into a
position full in front of her mouth so as to intercept her motion, and loudly repeated my
question, "Woman, what signifies this concourse, and this strange and confused chirping,
and this monotonous motion to and fro in one and the same Straight Line?"
Illustration 6
My view of Lineland
--------- | | | Myself|
| | My eye o--------
Women A boy Men The KING Men A boy Women + + + + - --- -- -- -- -- (>----<) -- -- --
-- --- - + + + + ^ ^ The KING'S eyes
much larger than the reality shewing that HIS
MAJESTY could see nothing but a point.
"I am no Woman," replied the small Line. "I am the Monarch of the world. But thou,
whence intrudest thou into my realm of Lineland?" Receiving this abrupt reply, I begged
pardon if I had in any way startled or molested his Royal Highness; and describing
myself as a stranger I besought the King to give me some account of his dominions. But I
had the greatest possible difficulty in obtaining any information on points that really
interested me; for the Monarch could not refrain from constantly assuming that whatever
was familiar to him must also be known to me and that I was simulating ignorance in jest.
However, by persevering questions I elicited the following facts:
It seemed that this poor ignorant Monarch -- as he called himself -- was persuaded that
the Straight Line which he called his Kingdom, and in which he passed his existence,
