Part 5 (2/2)
”O, respectful Susy Parlin, don't you whip me!”--at the same time turning a somerset.
”I forgot one thing,” said the teacher, as her obedient pupils stood upright again, with flushed faces. ”You ought to have brought me a present, every one of you, such as a fig of tobacco rolled up in a banana leaf, or--”
”We didn't know you chewed,” said Florence, laughing.
”Now you take your seats. No, not there! On the floor! What do you suppose? You're in India, children. There are mats on the floor (we'll pretend).”
The children seated themselves.
”O, we ought to say a prayer to the Muse; but I can't remember what it is. No matter. Multiplication Table comes next. Mother says it's just the same thing in India that it is in America.”
The school repeated part of the table, making very absurd mistakes intentionally. Susy walked the floor like a general. ”Angeline, please look up some more palm-leaf fans, and some splinters of wood.”
Angeline was the soul of good nature, and left her baking to hunt in the meal-room for the fans.
”A pretty kind of school!” growled Johnny. ”Don't they do anything out there in Hindoo but just fan themselves?”
”O, we pretend these fans are green, just off the trees. We are studying arithmetic, all so fast, and ciphering on these leaves with reeds--(that's our splinters). Indian boys don't know what slates are.
They think these leaves are good enough. They come off of the tallest palm trees. Fans don't grow in this country. Where did you ever see a leaf as broad as this?”
”Poh, plenty of 'em in Kennebec County!” said Johnny, confidently.
”Now,” said the teacher, after a few moments of mock arithmetic, ”now I've looked at my watch, and find it's seven o'clock. How _conscionable_ late! And that Drop of Honey hasn't come to school yet! Joggo, you and Young Beauty go and bring her!”
Prudy, who was sitting at a little distance, under a swing-table, eating ginger snaps, was suddenly seized upon by the two little Indian constables.
”Why, what an idea!” said Prudy, with her mouth full; ”I didn't know that was the way to play it.”
”Yes,” said Susy, ”truants must come to school. If they don't come they must be arrested.”
”Why, I've _been a-resting_ all the time,” said Prudy, laughing.
”Well, that doesn't make any difference, Miss Honey Drop,” said Johnny, taking her by the shoulders, while Dotty dragged her feet. There was great laughing and scrambling, during which Prudy swallowed a crumb the wrong way, and was finally carried into school on a litter.
”Now, I should judge,” said the heartless teacher, looking sternly at the crimson-faced victim, ”I should judge that this wicked creature ought to have a terrific whipping!”
”That's so!” shouted Johnny; ”we found Honey Drop top of a house, firing mud into a man's eyes.”
”Yes, so we did,” said Dotty, fully restored to good humor, ”black mud; Honey's a bad Nindian. If you can't whip her hard enough, Joggie will help.”
”There, now!” said the teacher, after dealing several ”love-pats” with great pretended force; ”now I should think 'twas time for school to be out. As you go by me, each of you, I must strike you just as many times as you were minutes late. Now go home, and eat rice for your dinners.”
”Well, I don't think it's much of a play, any way,” said Johnny.
”Who said it was?” retorted Florence. ”Susy and I didn't want to come down; we did it just to please you.”
”Please _me_!” sniffed Johnny. ”_I_ wanted to play poison, out in the yard!”
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