Extract from “The Dream — or posthumous work on lunar astronomy” by Ludwig Kepler⁴⁹⁸

Abstract

Fifty thousand German miles away in the ether there lies the island of Island of Levania [the Moon]. The way to it from Earth and back to it is very seldom open for passage. We demons from Levania ourselves then have quite easily access to it; for the Earthborn human willing to travel there, however, this is very difficult and fraught with the greatest danger. To accompany us, therefore, we never choose humans who only know how to sit and do nothing, fat persons or those who are only interested in sensual delights; instead we choose those who spend their lives diligently riding their hunting horses or who frequently visit India by ship and thus are used to live on hard bread, garlic, dried fish and other food despised by gourmets. We especially find gaunt old women suitable, because they are already well-versed in the art of riding broomsticks or shabby cloaks to cover never-ending distances on Earth. From Germany no men are suitable, but we don’t refuse the Spaniards’ skinny bodies.