Calico Classics Illustrated: Journey to the Center of the Earth
1 A Mysterious Discovery When I look back at everything that has happened to me since that exciting day in 1863 it is hard for me to believe my adventures were real It amazes me to think even now of how wonderful they were I was living with my uncle Professor Von Hardwigg I was very much interested in learning from him a professor of chemistry geology mineralogy and more ologies I wanted to learn as much as possible about everything under Earth’s surface He had invited me to study under him We lived in his large house where his goddaughter the beautiful Gretchen and his cook lived On that fateful morning I was hungry and decided to go to the kitchens and ask our cook 4
Martha for a meal Suddenly my uncle burst into the house shouting my name Harry Harry Harry Come at once My uncle was a good man but stern and not someone to be kept waiting I ran up the stairs and into his study It was like a museum with every kind of mineral imagined I had cataloged them myself He was studying a book yellow with age My uncle loved old books Wonderful he kept repeating as he stared at the book Did you need me Uncle I asked He said It is the Heims-Kringla of Snorre Tarleson the famous Icelandic author of the twelfth century It is a true account of the Norwegian princes who ruled Iceland And it’s in the original Icelandic What is the language I asked I hoped it was a German translation 5
It is a runic manuscript my uncle shouted It is the language of the original people of Iceland My uncle picked up the book to show me when a small piece of old parchment fell from the book My uncle grabbed the paper only about fi ve inches by three inches in size There were strange looking letters on it more of the runic It did not seem important to me but my uncle could do nothing but stare at the paper After awhile the cook called out that dinner was on the table Forget dinner my uncle shouted But I was hungry and hurried to the dining room After waiting for my uncle a few minutes I decided to eat Just as I fi nished I heard my uncle yelling for me to come to his study again Look at this he said shoving the parchment in my face 6
