The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-08-20
WILLIAM H. CoRBIN, Receiver.

into the new methods which had been SO
strangely successful. Thus he learned
the fairy charm, and hurried off in great
glee to tell the king about it. "And
now, your majesty" said he, with a
chuckle, 'let Us bring that young peda-
gogue to confusion. Allow me to use his
charm most vigorously upon Prince
Quickly for a few hours, and then call
the boys up for examination. When we
have exposed the tutor we may well dis
miss him, as / shall thGn be able myself
to care for the two
The king did not quite like it, but he
agreed to the programme of the professor
in-chief, and in a few hours sent for the
boys and their teachers, as he often did,
to test their progress. 1t was to be OBJ
served that the professorin-chief was
very warm, and appeared fatigued. his
arms hanging quite limp, while Prince
Quickly's hair was in a ~shockingly con-
fused state. and his books sadly crumpled.
Both, however, seemed confident and
pleased,
Then the king began to ask questions.
But what had happened? Prince Slow
boy replied more readily than ever be-
fore, but Prince Quickly appeared to
have forgotten everything! He could
not decline mensa, he could not parse a
common noun, he could not give the
multiplication of tens, he did not know
where London is. He was in an alarm
ing state of ignorance.
"What have you done to him?" cried
the king in a fury, and dismissed the
professor-in-chief on the spot, while the
tutor was promoted to his place with
double salary.
What did I do, to be sure??' muttered
the old man, as he crept away. "And
why did not the charm work as well in
my hands as in his?:" After long thought
the truth suddenly flashed upon MIN. He
had rubbed in the wrong direction. Rub
hing from right to left had reversed the
charm, and had drawn out of poor Prince
Quickly's brain all the learning it had
aver contained. Having come to this
opinion, he did not despair, but watched
his chance.
The education of the princes, under
the new professor-in-chief, went on
charmingly, of course. Prince Slowboy
had gained such a start, through the
laundering application of the charm to
his brothers head, that he always kept a
little in advance of him, though both
We're becoming veritable sages. The king
was SO well satisfied that for some weeks
he had not examined the boys at all.
Such was the condition of affairs when
the princes, after a long ramble in the
woods, one hot day, lay down and fell
sound asleep. They were all alone. Not
quite alone, however. Soon, from be-
hind a large tree trunk peeped a great
pair of spectacles, and behind them the
sparkling eyes of the old professor-in-
chief. On his back he carried an enor-
NOUS bundle of books. These unfasten-
ing, he sat down back of the two boys
as they lay ON the ground, and softly
and noiselessly, with wonderful swift
ness and patience, rubbed page after
page and volume after volume over the
heads of both princes, and in the wrong
direction. This done, with a chuckle he
gathered up his books and set off to the
kings palace.
"Your majesty" said he to the king,
when admitted after some difficulty, 81
fear you are mistaken in regard to the
ability of the young mar who occupies
at present the position of professor-in-
chief. His methods are questionable;
his results are therefore questionable.
May l inquire how recently you have
examined the princess
And when the king confessed that il
was now some weeks since he had in
quired into their progress the old man
continued:
Then I advise you to investigate the
matter at once. Call the young man and
his pupils, and if everything is well ]
will be off and neve trouble you again.
The king thought this a very easy and
reasonable way Of getting rid of the old
gentleman. and SO he sent for the new
Professionalism and for the princes,
who had just returned, and proceeded al
once to ask questions.
Well, the result may be conjectured.
Every trace of knowledge seemed tc
have vanished from the boys minds.
Indeed, they could scarcely read. Star.
tied more and more, the king piled them
with every Imaginable question. To
their own grief as well as his, they
found themselves absolutely ignorant.