The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-09-07
CRAM

OIlI1uls
Once-and it was upon a time, of
course-there lived king who had one
daughter and two sons. The king did
not believe in the education of girls, but
for the instruction of the princess he had
one professor-in-chief, with staff of
one who was called tutor.
The professor took for his share
of the pupils the bright Prince Quickly,
who learned everything by reading it
over once. The tutor, however, was
compelled to teach Prince Slowboy, who
was too tired to study, and did not want
to study, and saw no use in studying,
and could not remember any way, so
there! The very much younger than the
professor-in-chief, the tutor, was the
wiser of the two; and yet the wisest man
in the world cannot teach youngster
who will not learn. / know, for l have
tried it.
Because Prince Slowboy would not
learn, both the king and the professor-in-
chief constantly found fault with the
tutor, as if he were to blamel The poor
young man was in the palace garden
one day moaning over his sad lot, when
he bethought him of something his old
nurse had taught him, of which he was
to make use only when in great trouble.
So the Tutor did as his old nurse had
told him. He picked leaf of tansy and
black and yellow pansy, and he found
a four leaf clover underneath maple
tree, and with these three in his right
hand he knocked with all his might and
main upon the hollow oak where dwelt
the Busy Bee. The Busy Bee was a
fairy, who came out immediately upon
the application of this charm and sang:
come at the call of the symbols three,
What does the tutor want with meS
Now, though the tutor was very
bright young man he had never before
this found any use for poetry and not
rhyme came into his head. In plain
and vigorous prose, therefore, he told
his woes
81 am set to teach Prince Slowboy,
who is always too tired to study, and
does not want to study, and sees no good
| in studying, and cannot remember any
way, so there! Iwork hard, and think
l know as much as the professor-in chief;
but he teaches Prince Quickly, who learns
everything by reading it over once.
So he gets all the praise and get all the
| blame"
The Busy Bee was very indignant and
| sang:
Fie upon the lazy wight
Rub the books upon his head
Leaf by leaf, from left to right;
| Thus our fairy books are read,
Then she flew back into the hollow
| oak.
The tutor considered this decidedly ri
diculous advice; but that very afternoon
Prince Slowboy was SO provokingly stu
pid over his geography lesson that really
nothing remained untried except the
fairy charm. So the tutor solemnly and
carefully rubbed the three pages of that
days lesson over the princes head from
left to right, the boy meanwhile looking
somewhat frightened and astonished, as
was natural, to be sure. Then the tutor
began his questions again, and found to
his delight that Prince Slowboy had a
perfect lesson. He knew all the capitals
and principal cities, and could bound
everything and tell its products.
Progress was easy and pleasant from
that moment. Latin, history, arithmetic
grammar-it was all play to Prince Slow.
boy now. Four times the ordinary les
sons were learned in wonderfully short
time. Newspapers were read, and vast
amount of general information wa;
picked up from the magazines, all il
this expeditions manner. Small wonder
that when the king next came to examine
his two sons he found Prince Slowboy as
much in advance of his brother as he haC
before been behind him. The chagriI
and astonishment of the professor-in
chief can hardly be imagined. He re
doubled his efforts, and still the tutors
marvellous pupil grew rapidly wiser thar
his own.
At length he decided to be present, un
seen, at one of Prince Slowboy's recita
tions, that he might gain some insigh
into the new methods which had been 81
strangely successful. Thus he learned
the fairy charm, and hurried off In grea
glee to tell the king about it. "AuC
now, your majesty" said he, with
chuckle, 'let US bring that young peda
gogue to confusion. Allow me to use hi
5 charm most vigorously upon Prime
! Quickly for few hours, and then cal
e the boys up for examination. When W
have exposed the tutor we may well dis
miss him, as shall then be able mysel
to care for the two"
The king did not quite like it, but h
agreed to the programme of the professor
in-chief, and in few hours sent for tn
boys and their teachers, as he often did
K to test their progress. II was to be oil
served that the professor chief wa
o very warm, and appeared fatigued, hi
. arms hanging quite limp, while Prime
Quickly's hair was in a shockingly cor
5. "A word used In college to express hard stud
for the sole purpose Of passing ogamination.
fused state, and his books sadly crumpleC
p Both, however, seemed confident an
pleased.
Then the king began to ask question
But what had happenedg Prince Sloy
boy replied more readily than ever b
fore, but Prince Quickly appeared
have forgotten everythingl He coul
not decline mensa, he could not parse
- common noun, he could not give tt
multiplication of tens, he did not kno
40 where London is He was in an alarr
le ing state of ignorance.
be Ibu "What have you done to himY" cri'
the king in a fury, and dismissed d