Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-01-10

nut this, of course, only made it the more

but this, of course, only made it the more
Tommy's curiosity soon got the better
of his manners, and he interrupted them
with
"What did you have for dinner what's
your name and how old are you ?''
"Boy," said the prince, ''you are as
yet unnumbered."
'sWen, come now, that amt my fault,
you Know" argued Tommy.
The king had never seen it in this light
before, and his face grew milder and
more gentle as Tommy dared to add:
'What's your name or number ?"
"T," said the king, with pride, 81 am
the Innumerable Nought." "
"Whatever is that ?' thought Tommy /;
but he didn't ask only went on to him.
self. Thought into neught, nought re-
mains multiply by nought, and then di-
vide by nought, and the answer is
nought." But he soon became confused
and gave it up.
"You do not seem to understand"
And so saying, the king unwound from
his waist white satin scarf ofprodigious
length, on which was embroidered in
gold thread an endless succession of
noughts-thus, 00000000, etc. Tom look
ed at him with awe.
What divides your" he asked, repeat
ing the current phrase, and acting up to
the spirit of that proverb which advises
you what course to pursue when you find
yourself in the city of the seven hills.
"Everythingw was the proud reply; on
which Tommy resumed his former calcu-
lations, and relapsed into temporary
rf I,
No. 1 and Tommy both passed a rest
less and feverish night; but ere they left
for Arithmetical Progression in the
morning, the mind of No. was made
up. He would gain the promised nought;
and being thus promoted to 10 (while the
original of that number was degraded to
his humble positionl, he would have no
less than three servants.
"And which of you," asked the In
Vulnerable Nought, ''has thought of a
number to bestow ON this waif of the
skies?"
His majesty piqued himself ON the
poetical turn of his sentence.
"Please sir, have" And l stepped
forward with little bow and flourish.
"Well," said o, eyeing him scornfully,
proceed"
40, o the infinite, what if he should
be fraction?"
GA what?" asked chorus of voices.
''What in the world Of numbers do you
mean?"
"May I never be divided" said the
king, eff | can understand you'll"
No. 1 began to explain what fraction
was, and suggested that Tommy should
be. Z: .,,o,,,z :. - -, -. l.. p.a 70 ,,po
wretched boy had hitherto been number
less, and therefore half loaf would be
better than no bread"
The king, ever ready to encourage tai
ent by his example, and to reward it law
No. 1, who knelt and humbly kissed it.
"Your ingenuity is-as virtue ever is
its own reward. You are no longer the
lowest in the kingdom; for Tommy Spratt
-" (that young gentleman had been care
full, in the absence of any number to
which he could lay claim, to inform
them of his name), "for Tommy Spratt
takes his place as the slave OF slaves and
dIvisor of /.
Tommy was about to weep-he had &C
tually gone so far as to lift his cuff for
the purpose of drying his eyes, when a
thought struck him.
"And where's II then? He'd divide
me, and a, and 1-16, and 1-32, and 1.64?"
he went on, taking spiteful delight in
seeing the grand blank of incomprehen-
sion which overspread the features of
his listeners. "And dare say, if the truth
was known, you're some of you fractions
yourselves.
"Youth," said the king, in tone of the
utmost severity, che silent"
"AndI have heard" continued Tommy,
whose hitherto despised ana hated arith-
metic began to stand him in good stead,
"and I have heard tell of decimals, and
if you are innumerable, believe you're
neither more nor less than circulating
decimal yourself!"
For one moment only the king was
stunned by Tommy's unexplained audaci-
ty; then his great mind rose to the oc-
casion.
''He is convicted by his own mouth of
treason" for though 0 was ignorant of
the meaning of the word, he guessed no
compliment was intended by the term.
"Take him and 1 to the battlements, and
cast them into the moat."
Once more Tommy found himself the
center of a crowd of numbers, who,
seizing on him and the hapless 1, bound
them together hand and foot, and bore
them in triumph to the battlements.
They only met with one slight Interrupt
ton, when wrathful number, with
cruel laugh, fastened to them the air ball,
the faithful companion of Toms perilous
voyage to that inhospitable world.
Thus they proceeded in procession to
the ramparts, where large crowd was as
sembled to witness their execution. With
many a taunt and jeer they tossed them
over, but, to the astonishment of the mul-
titude, after sinking slowly for some
seconds, the air-ball began to take effect,
and, impelled by a favoring breeze, they
arose out of reach of their tormenters.
Ere he could utter word of thankful
ness or Joy at this unexpected deliver
ance, Tommy Spratt found himself lying
in the grass under the shady tree, the gin
gerbread crumbled to nothing in his hand,
and the air-ball floating serenely above
him.
From that day Tommy Spratt becamea
changed boy, remarkable especially for
two good qualities-his persevering at
tention to arithmetic, and his unremlt-
ting and tender care of No. 1.-Hoods
London Aaa7auat.
A curious copper coin was recently
unearthed near Manchester, N. I'll. On
one side appears the date, 500, in Arabic
numerals, and a small crown; upon the
other is the number six in Roman numer-
ais, and four small parallel pillars. The
oo;,, &c much oorrodod op6 WORN oud No