Excerpt from Wilson's Guide to Avalon the Beautiful and the Island of Santa Catalina: With Sixty Illustrations

Once upon a time there was an old man who had made his "pile," and he was a Wise Old Bird. The old man had a wife whom he loved dearly, and three sons, and they also had wives whom they loved dearly, and numerous progeny and also a Baby.

The three sons took counsel together and said, "Let us all leave our business and take a vacation; let us gather together the whole progeny and also the baby and have a grand family party, and let us also take the Wise Old Bird and his wife." But then they said, "Where shall we go?" And they smoked many cigars and discussed the matter until three in the morning, for they all wanted to go to different places, as all the progeny had their own pet and favorite pastimes and their parents knew it. They then said, "Let us talk to the Wise Old Bird."

And the Wise Old Bird said, "You come with me and I will foot the bill," and they agreed with a unanimity which in them was quite wonderful, and entirely unprecedented.

And so they came to Avalon.

And at Avalon they found all that they wanted. The Baby wanted milk, pure milk fresh from the cow, and he got it; and he wanted warm summer weather, not too hot, and he got that too; and he thrived and was never peevish, and his milk agreed with him.

The numerous progeny also got what they wanted; the younger ones played in the sands, and swung in the swings, and rode on the see-saws; the boys did gymnastics, the girls rode burros, and they all of them bathed in the sea, for in the Bay of Avalon there was perfectly safe bathing. And the elder children enjoyed themselves to their heart's content, for those who liked swimming could stay in the water as long as they wished, and then lie in the sands until they got hot and dry again, and then plunge in from the diving-board and swim out to the float and generally behave themselves as if they were seals.

And some of them took row boats and fished; and some of them took sail boats and sailed; and in the evening those who were not too dead-tired to move employed themselves in dancing.

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