Jean Toomer at his Desk
A very old version of The Tales, or better put, a partial draft version of The Tales has emerged. It is an edited version of parts of The Tales that Jean Toomer worked on back in the 1920s. It was rescued from waste-bin or fire and personally kept by someone for many years. The text of this manuscript is, in some parts, distinctly different from the published edition and even the 1931 Manuscript. Here is an excerpt taken from Beelzebub’s Second Descent:
“I made my second flight for the following reasons. Once, while I was on the planet Mars, I was observing through my Teskooano, or my small telescope. I must tell you that in my laboratory, on Mars there were two Teskooanoes or telescopes; one very large for observing points of the Universe situated at remote distances, and the other, a small one, for observing the surface of our planet Mars itself. I had directed my little Teskooano towards the mountain called there Apparition when I suddenly saw on this mountain, three Angels who wore engaged in closely examining through their sacred Teskooanoes the Heavens of our Mars.
“By observing very Intently I recognized one of them as no other than His Conformity, the Angel Looisos. You remember I told you & little while ago that the Angel Looisos was one of the chief originators of the creation of the conditions for regulating that cosmic difficulty caused by the fracture of the planet Earth.
“Having recognized His Conformity, I wished to see Him and perhaps to learn from Him what was happening in my native country, and also know how affairs on the planet Earth were progressing. For the future of that planet was a matter of concern to not only our own people dwelling there, but also to those dwelling on Mars, since the Earth being situated quite near Mars could not escape the same misfortune.
“I therefore Immediately gave orders to the ship ‘Occasion’ and on it flew to the mountain Apparition.
“After the blessing of His Conformity, I happened in conversation to ask Him about the Earth; and He was kind enough to reply to me in great detail. He told me that, accompanied by his helpers, He had descended on to this solar system chiefly on account of that planet Earth.
“ ‘After the regulating of that cosmic catastrophe,’ continue His Conformity, ‘I and other Archangels and Angels often descended there to observe its results. We were still anxious, being not quite sure whether these might not be very serious. Our apprehensions were justified, but glory be to our Creator, they were not so serious as we feared. A considerable catastrophe did not occur, but it was only of a local character and not on the large scale which we constantly dreaded’
“ ‘Only recently in this main piece of the former planet now called Earth, the shifting of its centre took place.
“ ‘Before the catastrophe, the centre of gravity was in the centre of the planet, but when the large piece was broken off, the position of this centre of gravity was not immediately changed but remained for some time in its former place, until the second catastrophe in fact, this main piece had its centre of gravity not in its own centre but considerably to the side, with the result that its movements were irregular, and earthquakes were frequent. At last, however, and only recently, this centre of gravity shifted to the actual centre, and as a result, this second catastrophe occurred. The whole surface of the Earth was affected, and as one of the consequences, its largest continent, Atlantis, was submerged. Only now has this main piece become a normal planet. This catastrophe has finally convinced us that we need no longer fear a catastrophe on a large scale. Not only has the main piece itself become a normal planet, but as regards its own large fragment, called at the present time Moon, it too has now become an independent planet and has entered finally into the general mechanism of the solar system. Even its. smaller fragment, called Anulios, has now acquired an Independent and harmonious movement around its main piece; and in future these movements in the solar system will be as harmonious as everywhere else.
“ ‘An atmosphere is in process of formation on the large piece called Moon, but unfortunately, this process is being a little hindered at present by a certain undesirable phenomenon. But for this, everything would be in order.