THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN MICROMEGAS AND THE INHABITANT OF SATURN
His excellency having laid himself down, and the secretary approached his nose:
"It must be confessed," said Micromegas, "that nature is full of variety."
"Yes," replied the Saturnian, "nature is like a parterre, whose flowers --"
"Pshaw!" cried the other, "a truce with your parterres."
"It is," resumed the secretary, "like an assembly of fair and brown women, whose dresses--"
"What a plague have I to do with your brunettes?" said our traveler.
"Then it is like a gallery of pictures, the strokes of which--"
"Not at all," answered Micromegas, "I tell you once for all, nature is like nature, and comparisons are odious."