The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11
school.

Grandpa's school.
mrs. C. Z. Bamford in New York Observer.l
Although Grandpa Brown was nearly sew
enty years of age, still he was not old Ia
teach q queer little school for the benefit oil
his grandchildren.
AT precisely three o'clock every Satur.
day afternoon, grandpa tinkled his little
hand bell, and in five minutes there were
seated in a row before HIM five wide AVA ke
grandchildren, three girls and two boys.
The pupils brought NJ bookst to study, but
before taking their seats they deposited sir
Of PAGER in grandpa hat, On which were
written certain questions that he was to
answer. These questions were upon any
subject the children might self CT, but they
usually bad reference TO something heard
seen, or read during the week, and the chi.
dreD we're al ways on the alert for q puzzle
Question. Perhaps a description of the tx.
ercises upo- one afternoon may prove inter
estiDg.
AS soon as the children were all seated
grand pa put on his spectscles, took his hal
from the table, and opening the first paper
he read as follows:
Dear Grandpa-The past week | have
been learning from an old sailor how TO tie
various kinds of knots, such as reef knots
loop knots, figure eight knots, etc now
this sailor says he can teach me to tie ell
kinds of knots but the Gordian knot Can
you tell me what that is and how TO tie it? ,
Frank.
An" said grandpa, when he bad finished
reading. that Is q hard question, indeed; |
could tell you better how the 'Gordian knot
was severed than how it was made"
That will do just as we'll" repliet Frank.
WELL said grandpa, "the 'Gordian knot
was made by a rustic king of Phrygia.
named Gordius. The cord was made from
the ferrous bark of the cornel-tree, and the
knot fastened the OK yoke to the pole of a
wagon which King GOrdius had used. The
knot proved so intricate that no one could
unite 1t, or even ind where it began or
ended"
The oracle had declared that he who
should unite the knot should be master Of
Asia. Alexander the Great was resting bis
army after a battle ia the city of Gordium,
about the year 333 before Christ, aud he de.
termined TO unite this celebrated knot. but
not being successful, he became impatient,
aud striking with his sword he severed the
knot with one blow"
THAT is a good story. grandpa" replied
Frans; 1.-The next time L see the sailor l
must tell him all about it,"
The second slip was then taken from the
hat, ano the question was this:
Grandpa Is 1t right to throS stones al
frogs.-Julla"
When this question was read, Willie and
Frank looked troubled, as though guilty Of
such conduct. Grandpa did not appear to
notice this, but remarked that frogs were
quite sensitive to pain, and he thought that
no pupil of bis would be guilty of pelting
frogs. Then turning to Frank he said, Il
wish YOU would bring q frog to school next
Saturday, for | want you to see what a pecu-
liar tongue it has"
us it foTked like a snakes toDgue?' in.
'quired Frank.
mo, my son, but you know that the
tongue of most animals lies with the tip
pointing towards the lips; now the base or
large portion of the frogs tongue is joined to
the point OF the lower Jaw, and the TIP points
down the throat. So, whenever the frog
catches an insect, it is quickly thrust bach
into the throat by the tongue, and its fate is
sealed"
The third question was from Emily, I'll
was this: Grandpa, can the people On the
moon see the earth?"
ut is not known" replied grandpa,
whether the moon is inhabited; bat if so,
the earth must present to them all the phases
that the moon presents to Us, only in a re.
verse order. For instance when We have q /
new moon they have a full moon. Only one
side OF the moon is turned toward Us, there
fore the moon Inhabitants upon the opposite
side might have to take long Journey to
take a peep at our planet. but it would
well repay them. for the earth
would look when full fourteen times as large
as our full moon"
"Wouldn't it be q grand sight 1 wish /
could see such q large moon as that" said
i
Mamie's question was in regard to the
echoes She had been in the woods with
some of her friends the day before, aud when
they shouted the sound was repeated, some
in one syllable, at other times in two
Her question was this: "Can more than two
syllaoles ever be heard as an echo?'
Grandpa replied that when several par.
allel surfaces are properly situated the echo
may repeat back ward and forward many
For instance, In Virginia there is al
cho which is said TO return twenty notes
played upon a flute, and at Woodstock
England, there is one which repeats seven
teen syllables by day and twenty by night
When the exclamation 'ha! is quickly and
spoken, there returns back q hs, ha,
{
vas a growing. hungry boy, and could not
,eieve that persons might suffer more thirst {
han from hunger. IS
He writes: "Grandps, Is water more i'm
to life than food2 / have eaten five i
heals since yesterday morning, and / :
haven't drinked a drop of water; now, | ara !
lot thirsty one bit, but 7 feel as though / C
ould eat two meals at once q
You may not have drinked clear water" :
eplied grandpa. "for two days, but do you 5
'ot take milk with every meal, and haven't I
on eaten apples. melons, potatoes and tur- b
lips since yesterday morning?' q
"Yes, sir" replied Willie. u
"Weli,' said grandpa, "all of these things a
ontain q great amount of water, and that b
ccounts for Jour not being Thirsty. OUR I