THE purpose of this book is to inspire an interest in the drama of world-making and an appreciation of the meaning of natural scenery. It is intended for children of all ages—young, old, and in between.

It is not a scientific book, not a manual of study, in any sense; it is only a story. It will have served its purpose if those who read it find pleasure in the reading, learn of many things which they knew not of and little appreciated, and thereafter look with kindling eye upon the mountains, the rivers, and the valleys of their great land.

This land is richer in scenery of sublimity than any other. Geology is the anatomy of scenery. To train the emotions to conscious and appreciative expression is to increase measurably the sum of happiness.

The fictional medium is my excuse for one conscious departure from fact. The leisurely excursion here described could not be compassed within a single vacation season.