Charlotte Perkins Gilman

“ In the course of our previous studies we had been at some pains to tell them about the big world outside, to draw sketches, maps, to make a globe, even, out of a spherical fruit, and show the size and relation of the countries, and to tell of the numbers of their people. ”

“ Of course we know that among other animals it is not so, that there are fathers as well as mothers; and we see that you are fathers, that you come from a people who are of both kinds. We have been waiting, you see, for you to be able to speak freely with us, and teach us about your country and the rest of the world. You know so much, you see, and we know only our own land. ”

“ Jeff was eager to reassure them. Of course he did not tell on Terry, but he made it clear that he was ashamed of himself, and that he would now conform. As to the language--we all fell upon it with redoubled energy. They brought us books, in greater numbers, and I began to study them seriously.
"Pretty punk literature," Terry burst forth one day, when we were in the privacy of our own room. "Of course one expects to begin on child-stories, but I would like something more interesting now."
"Can't expect stirring romance and wild adventure without men, can you?" ”

“ Terry demanded incredulously.
"MILK? We have milk in abundance--our own."
"But--but--I mean for cooking--for grown people," Terry blundered, while they looked amazed and a shade displeased.
Jeff came to the rescue. "We keep cattle for their milk, as well as for their meat," he explained. "Cow's milk is a staple article of diet. There is a great milk industry--to collect and distribute it."
Still they looked puzzled. I pointed to my outline of a cow. "The farmer milks the cow," I said, and sketched a milk pail, the stool, and in pantomime showed the man milking. ”

“ There they were--Celis, Alima, Ellador--looking just as they had when we first saw them, standing a little way off from us, as interested, as mischievous as three schoolboys.
"Hold on, Terry--hold on!" I warned. "That's too easy. Look out for a trap."
"Let us appeal to their kind hearts," Jeff urged. "I think they will help us. Perhaps they've got knives."
"It's no use rushing them, anyhow," I was absolutely holding on to Terry. "We know they can out-run and out-climb us." ”

“ To compare the history of two thousand years, to see what the differences are-- between us, who are only mothers, and you, who are mothers and fathers, too. Of course we see, with our birds, that the father is as useful as the mother, almost. But among insects we find him of less importance, sometimes very little. ”

“ Terry began, out of a clear sky, as it were, "are there no men in this country?"
"Men?" Somel answered. "Like you?"
"Yes, men," Terry indicated his beard, and threw back his broad shoulders. "Men, real men."
"No," she answered quietly. "There are no men in this country. There has not been a man among us for two thousand years." ”

“ Jeff said. "Nice time we'll have getting down if they have confiscated our machine!" For which suggestion he received summary chastisement.
What we could see inland was peaceable enough, but only moonlit glimpses; by daylight we lay very close. As Terry said, we did not wish to kill the old ladies--even if we could; and short of that they were perfectly competent to pick us up bodily and carry us back, if discovered. ”

“ Old women and young women and a great majority who seemed neither young nor old, but just women; young girls, also, though these, and the children, seeming to be in groups by themselves generally, were less in evidence. ”

“ But they seemed somewhat impressed; and after a murmured consultation they produced from their pockets certain little packages, and with the utmost ease and accuracy tossed them into our hands.
Jeff was most appreciative of this; and Terry made extravagant gestures of admiration, which seemed to set them off, boy- fashion, to show their skill. While we ate the excellent biscuits they had thrown us, and while Ellador kept a watchful eye on our movements, Celis ran off to some distance, and set up a sort of "duck-on-a-rock" arrangement, a big yellow nut on top of three balanced sticks ”