The Kingdom of Potu and Its People

The kingdom of Potu is enclosed within very narrow boundaries, and occupies but a small space of the inner globe.

The kingdom of Potu has very narrow borders and covers only a small part of the inner globe.

The whole planet Nazar is scarcely six hundred miles in circumference, and may be travelled over its whole extent without guide or interpreter, for there is but one language throughout. As the Europeans on our globe take the first rank among the nations, so are the Potuans distinguished among the nations of Nazar for their virtue and understanding.

The entire planet Nazar is barely six hundred miles around. You can travel across the whole planet without a guide or interpreter, because everyone speaks the same language. Just as Europeans rank first among the nations of our globe, the Potuans stand out among the nations of Nazar for their virtue and intelligence.

The roads are dotted by stone pillars, which, covered with inscriptions, denote every mile; affixed to them are hands pointing the road to every city and village;—splendid cities and prosperous villages! The country is intersected by greater and lesser canals, on which boats propelled by oars, skim with wonderful celerity. The oars are driven by self-moving machines, so quietly that very little motion is given to the water. The planet Nazar has the same motion with the earth, and all the peculiarities of the latter planet: night and day; spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The inhabitants consist of oak, lime, poplar, thorn, and pine trees, from which the months—there being six in each subterranean year—take their names.

Stone pillars line the roads, with inscriptions marking every mile. Hands attached to the pillars point the way to every city and village. What splendid cities and prosperous villages! Large and small canals cross the country, carrying boats driven by oars at remarkable speeds. Self-moving machines drive the oars so quietly that they barely disturb the water. The planet Nazar moves in the same way as Earth and has all of Earth's features: night and day, spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The inhabitants are oak, lime, poplar, thorn, and pine trees. The months take their names from these trees. There are six months in each underground year.

The chronology is peculiar, being fixed by remarkable occurrences. Their oldest tradition is, that three thousand years ago, a mighty comet appeared, immediately after which followed a flood, which swept off all the races of trees, animals, &c., with the exception of one or two of each race, who saved themselves upon a high mountain, and from whom descended the present inhabitants. Corn and other grain with the fruits common to Europe, grow here in great profusion. The waters are filled with fish, and upon the banks of the rivers are seated splendid country houses. Their drink is prepared from certain herbs, which bloom at all times of the year.

Their way of dating events is unusual, as they measure time by remarkable events. Their oldest tradition says that three thousand years ago, a mighty comet appeared. Immediately afterward, a flood swept away all kinds of trees, animals, and other living things. Only one or two of each kind survived by taking refuge on a high mountain. The present inhabitants descended from these survivors. Corn and other grains, along with fruits common in Europe, grow here in great abundance. The waters are full of fish, and splendid country houses stand along the riverbanks. Their drink is made from certain herbs that bloom throughout the year.

In Potu is established a very useful law called the "generation law."

In Potu, there is a very useful law called the "generation law."

This law varies the liberties and advantages of the people according to the number of children each one possesses. Thus, he who is the father of six children is exempted from all common and extraordinary taxes. Therefore generation is quite as useful and desirable in this country as on the earth it is burthensome and dangerous: below ground never was such a thing imagined as a small-pox-tax.

Under this law, people's freedoms and benefits vary according to how many children they have. A father of six children is therefore exempt from all regular and special taxes. So having children is as useful and desirable in this country as it is burdensome and dangerous above ground. Below ground, no one ever imagined such a thing as a smallpox tax.

No one can hold two offices at once. It is thought that each office, however small, requires the sole attention of its occupant, and that none should be employed in that which they do not understand.

No one can hold two offices at once. People believe every office, however minor, requires the full attention of the person holding it. They also believe no one should be employed in work they do not understand.

I remember to have heard the philosopher Rakbasi speak thus: "Every one should know his own talents, and should impartially judge of his own merits and faults; otherwise the actor must be considered more sensible than natural men; for he chooses, not the best part, but that which he can execute best. Shall we allow the actor to be wiser on the stage than we in life?"

I remember hearing the philosopher Rakbasi say: "Everyone should know their own talents and judge their own strengths and faults fairly. Otherwise, we must consider actors more sensible than people in real life. For an actor chooses not the best role, but the one he can play best. Should we let actors be wiser on stage than we are in life?"

The inhabitants of this kingdom are not divided into classes; those alone being regarded who are noted for virtue and industry. The highest rank, if rank it may be called, is given to those who possess the greatest number of branches, they being enabled to do the most work.

The people of this kingdom are not divided into classes. Only those known for virtue and hard work are respected. Those with the most branches hold the highest rank, if it can be called a rank. This is because they can do the most work.