eppelin

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

When the Baron and his fiancée Lady Angela went to visit his cousin Thomas, who lived in the United States, they usually took a luxury liner. Thomas lived in Maine and it was a pleasant drive from the Port of New York to his cousin’s house.

But this time the Baron wanted to return home on the luxury liner, but go over in an airship called a zeppelin.

When the Baron approached Lady Angela with the idea, she was delighted and was eagerly looking forward to the trip. It would be a new experience for both of them and as Lady Angela had her own hot air balloon, they knew the view from so high up would be spectacular.

When Cousin Thomas learned of the Baron’s plans to come over by zeppelin, he decided to drive to the air station in New Jersey to watch the airship land.

The day of their trip soon came and everything was all set. The zeppelin took off on schedule and arrived on time in the United States. Both the Baron and Lady Angela were thrilled with their first trip on a zeppelin across the Atlantic Ocean.

Much of the two-week stay at Cousin Thomas’ home in Maine was spent telling and retelling the experience of the crossing in the clouds.

Cousin Thomas said that the next time he went to visit Lilliland he was going to make the trip in a zeppelin both ways. “The trip could be counted in hours rather than in days,” Thomas would say. But the Baron liked the slow cruise on the luxury liner. There was time to relax and enjoy the fresh air, the sun, the social events and the superb service.

If the Baron had to choose between the two ways of traveling, it would be a tossup. Both modes of travel were delightful for their own reasons.

Upon their return to Lilliland, the Baron was asked which part of the trip he liked the best, the flight over on the zeppelin, or the cruise back on the luxury liner?

The Baron thought for a minute and with a reserved smile, he answered saying that it was the return trip. Lady Angela was somewhat surprised and asked why. The Baron said, “Because on the cruise back, I could spend more time with you, my dear.”

Lady Angela smiled and was a little embarrassed, but liked the Baron’s answer.