The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1901-01-15
SAYINGS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN
bright. Ant or Literal Remarks Made
by Brooklyn Pupils to
Teachers.

schools have heaps OF fun over the
strange things that happen when the
specialists come around with new
lodges in physical culture or clay
modelling, but they have to devote so
much time to the fads added TO the
course of study that, they say, they
find the children backward in arith-
metic and spelling, says the New
York Sun. In consequence of this
they say many of the children reach
the grammar grades without knowing
the meaning of words that appear
in their schoolbooks. To prove this
several of the teachers have collect
ed patches of ludicrous answers to
questions put to the children. For
example, in one Of the schools in the
Bedford district of Brooklyn a teach
er asked little boy to give the defni-
tion Of the word effeminate. The boy
shouted out:
"A man who parts his hair in the
middle and sings In the Cleaning. /"
The teacher smiled and said my
dear child, where did you hear that?'
The boy repIied; There was a
young man at our house on Sunday
night and he had his hair parted in
the middle and he sang the song In
the Cleaning. When he went away
my sister said he was very effemi-
nate"
In one of the schools situated in the
Pickleville district of Brooklyn where
the majority of the children are OF
German parentage a teacher asked a
boy in the primary department to
give the definition of the word
treat" the sentence being: I'VE
must treat people well.' Every boy in
the class raised hand and all shout
ed in chorus:
II know, teacher!"
"Well what is it?''
"Gitting beer" yelled the crowd.
mo, it DON'T" remarked another
boy; ''it means Citing beer and pret-
zels when your aunt comes to see
your mother"
In another school where the teach
er asked little girl to define gimp
the girl answered:
That's the name OF beggar man
what begs in our bakery"
One of the Brooklyn high school
boys was asked to give the feminine
Of hero, and he promptly answered
"shero.n f-
In one Of the South Brooklyn pub
lie schools a boy who was asked to
write what he knew about Robert
Burns, wrote this:
Robert Burns worked at his trade
as a free mason and when he was not
working at his trade as a free mason
he worked on poetry"
A teacher in one Of the Williams
burg schools asked small boy to
give the definition of greedy.
'When you don't leave none for
your brother" he said
II was in a night school class in
that the teacher asked if
anyone knew the meaning of the
word fable.
Dots when you ask somebody to
do you fable und you say you will
10 a fable for him some day" an
swered German boy.
1T names when yer git old and
fable" said a young Irishman.
NO, it don't, teacher" remarked
he tough boy of the class; "a fable
S a fake"
In the Pickleville district the chill.
iren arrive at school laden with food |
which they begin to eat as soon as
hey are assigned to their classes,
ind it generally takes some vehement
protests from the teacher to convince |
hem that school is not a continuous |
scheme. One little maid |
asst week sat calmly eating an apple |
while her teacher with stern eye on
he culprit told her that recess was
he only legitimate time to eat ap- |
lies. When the lecture was ove- sAe
title maid. unabashed, raised her |
and and mildly asked:
where shall throw the core?"
1t often happens that the children
a the Pickleville schools tell the
eacher what they are going to have
or dinner and ask: "Will l bring you
ONE saurkraut and beer?" OF course
he teacher is compelled to declis.s with
hanks. Some of the children tell the
eacher that they are not learning rap
lily enough, and one who said this add
d: MY mother went to The highest
chool in Germany and she was in the
ighest class on the top floor when she
nlv was in school three davsn y