登陆注册
19501400000040

第40章 THE EDUCATIONAL BREAKFAST(1)

MRS.PETERKIN'Snerves were so shaken by the excitement of the fall of the three little boys into the enclosure where the cow was kept that the educational breakfast was long postponed.The little boys continued at school, as before, and the conversation dwelt as little as possible upon the subject of education.

Mrs.Peterkin's spirits, however, gradually recovered.The little boys were allowed to watch the cow at her feed.A series of strings were arranged by Agamemnon and Solomon John, by which the little boys could be pulled up, if they should again fall down into the enclosure.These were planned something like curtain-cords, and Solomon John frequently amused himself by pulling one of the little boys up or letting him down.

Some conversation did again fall upon the old difficulty of questions.Elizabeth Eliza declared that it was not always necessary to answer; that many who could did not answer questions,-the conductors of the railroads, for instance, who probably knew the names of all the stations on a road, but were seldom able to tell them.

"Yes," said Agamemnon, "one might be a conductor without even knowing the names of the stations, because you can't understand them when they do tell them!""I never know," said Elizabeth Eliza, "whether it is ignorance in them, or unwillingness, that prevents them from telling you how soon one station is coming, or how long you are to stop, even if one asks ever so many times.It would be useful if they would tell."Mrs.Peterkin thought this was carried too far in the horse-cars in Boston.The conductors had always left you as far as possible from the place where you wanted to stop; but it seemed a little too much to have the aldermen take it up, and put a notice in the cars, ordering the conductors "to stop at the farthest crossing."Mrs.Peterkin was, indeed, recovering her spirits.She had been carrying on a brisk correspondence with Philadelphia, that she had imparted to no one, and at last she announced, as its result, that she was ready for a breakfast on educational principles.

A breakfast indeed, when it appeared! Mrs.Peterkin had mistaken the alphabetical suggestion, and had grasped the idea that the whole alphabet must be represented in one breakfast.

This, therefore, was the bill of fare: Apple-sauce, Bread, Butter, Coffee, Cream, Doughnuts, Eggs, Fish-balls, Griddles, Ham, Ice (on butter), Jam, Krout (sour), Lamb-chops, Morning Newspapers, Oatmeal, Pepper, Quince-marmalade, Rolls, Salt, Tea Urn, Veal-pie, Waffles, Yeast-biscuit.

Mr.Peterkin was proud and astonished."Excellent!" he cried.

"Every letter represented except Z." Mrs.Peterkin drew from her pocket a letter from the lady from Philadelphia."She thought you would call it X-cellent for X, and she tells us," she read, "that if you come with a zest, you will bring the Z."Mr.Peterkin was enchanted.He only felt that he ought to invite the children in the primary schools to such a breakfast; what a zest, indeed, it would give to the study of their letters!

It was decided to begin with Apple-sauce.

"How happy," exclaimed Mr.Peterkin, "that this should come first of all! A child might be brought up on apple-sauce till he had mastered the first letter of the alphabet, and could go on to the more involved subjects hidden in bread, butter, baked beans, etc."Agamemnon thought his father hardly knew how much was hidden in the apple.There was all the story of William Tell and the Swiss independence.The little boys were wild to act William Tell, but Mrs.Peterkin was afraid of the arrows.Mrs.

Peterkin proposed they should begin by eating the apple-sauce, then discussing it, first botanically, next historically; or perhaps first historically, beginning with Adam and Eve, and the first apple.

Mrs.Peterkin feared the coffee would be getting cold, and the griddles were waiting.For herself, she declared she felt more at home on the marmalade, because the quinces came from grandfather's, and she had seen them planted; she remembered all about it, and now the bush came up to the sitting-room window.

She seemed to have heard him tell that the town of Quincy, where the granite came from, was named from them, and she never quite recollected why, except they were so hard, as hard as stone, and it took you almost the whole day to stew them, and then you might as well set them on again.

Mr.Peterkin was glad to be reminded of the old place at grandfather's.In order to know thoroughly about apples, they ought to understand the making of cider.

Now, they might some time drive up to grandfather's, scarcely twelve miles away, and see the cider made.Why, indeed, should not the family go this very day up to grandfather's, and continue the education of the breakfast?

"Why not indeed?" exclaimed the little boys.A day at grandfather's would give them the whole process of the apple, from the orchard to the cider-mill.In this way they could widen the field of study, even to follow in time the cup of coffee to Java.

It was suggested, too, that at grandfather's they might study the processes of maple-syrup as involved in the griddle-cakes.

Agamemnon pointed out the connection between the two subjects:

they were both the products of trees-the apple-tree and the maple.

Mr.Peterkin proposed that the lesson for the day should be considered the study of trees, and on the way they could look at other trees.

Why not, indeed, go this very day? There was no time like the present.Their breakfast had been so copious, they would scarcely be in a hurry for dinner, and would, therefore, have the whole day before them.

Mrs.Peterkin could put up the remains of the breakfast for luncheon.

But how should they go? The carryall, in spite of its name, could hardly take the whole family, though they might squeeze in six, as the little boys did not take up much room.

Elizabeth Eliza suggested that she could spend the night at grandfather's.

同类推荐
  • 三余赘笔

    三余赘笔

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 诸经要略文

    诸经要略文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 道要灵祇神鬼品经

    道要灵祇神鬼品经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 四明十义书

    四明十义书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 佛说善乐长者经

    佛说善乐长者经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 总裁来袭:我家有个腹黑大人

    总裁来袭:我家有个腹黑大人

    第一次相遇,两个人因着一桩车祸,闹的不欢而散。第二次相遇,她喝的酊酩大醉,被他一把扛回了酒店,一夜过后,被迫付钱。第三次相遇,她成了他阻挡相亲对象的专属挡箭牌。第四次相遇,她被迫签下一纸婚约,从此开始了纠缠不休的漫漫长路。夏星凡不满的说道:“顾辰,遇见你是我这辈子最倒霉的事情!”某人邪魅的一笑,“夏星凡,倒霉的缘分也是缘分,你这辈子注定就是我的!”
  • 寓言中的经营智慧

    寓言中的经营智慧

    本书中的寓言内容涵盖了企业经营中的基本方面,诠释了现代企业里经常出现的各种不同的问题。这使得更多的人,尤其是企业经营管理者能够更实际地在经营活动中运用那些通俗易明的古今智慧。
  • 魔术师与大侦探

    魔术师与大侦探

    我是一个著名的世界级大侦探兰主正在读高中,不过案子对我来说简直是过眼云烟,我的推理能力被别人称为预言的魔法师,但直到我遇到了他。他的名字叫彭宁,是一个精通催眠,移形换影,同时精通化学物理的魔术师,是个利用魔术手法四处抢劫,偷盗的神偷,他的手法缥缈莫测,难以捉摸,但终究瞒不过我的法眼,可他没回却在千钧一发之际使用连我都意想不到的手法突然消失,他是个大胆的魔术师,很受别人欢迎,在我知道他就是岁月神偷之后,他依然大庭广众的进行表演,表演的同时总会有偷盗案发生!他的作案手法相当高明,不会留下任何证据,因此我必须当场抓到他!将他绳之以法!但经过侦查,岁月神偷竟然就是我的同班同学!你等着,我一定会抓到你。
  • 瞳破苍穹

    瞳破苍穹

    血海之中,拳影漫天;九霄之上,龙吟激荡;群峦之巅,剑影重重;世间万道,看我瞳破苍穹!
  • 临渊羡鱼

    临渊羡鱼

    当日月老说:三十三天宫,离恨天最高。四百四十病,相思病最苦。我现下可算是明白了。自夙彦君走后,每过一日,我便在园内梨树上刻一道,如今,那树上刻得如饺子的褶子一般,夙彦君还是没回来。你回来娶我?好。彼时,我们皆不晓得这承诺实现的委实太难了些。是缘是劫,从来半点不由人。
  • 意志力提高手册

    意志力提高手册

    意志力是一种发自内心的、自我驱动的力量,它是每个成功人士都拥有的最主要的精神特质。一个能自觉修炼自我意志的人,将获得无比巨大的力量,这种力量不仅能够完全地控制一个人的精神世界,而且能够引导人的忙乱达到前所未有的高度,帮助他克服各种困难,并最终到达成功的彼岸。
  • 勾心娇妻:总裁索爱成瘾

    勾心娇妻:总裁索爱成瘾

    如果在V省做个问卷调查,谁是最坏的女人,答案一定非许一一莫属。她的脸有多美,心就有多毒。不但勾引妹夫,睡了姐夫,还把继母的三个孩子都收拾的死的死残的残,就连亲生父亲都送进了牢房。可在墨子彦的眼里,他的一一就是世界上最好的女人。她带着一身仇恨出现在他的世界,睡了他一晚,立刻翻脸不认账:“墨子彦,我只是利用你。”后来,她利用了他一次又一次,他甘之如饴。她踩着他的肩膀越爬越高,终于有一天,善心大发:“墨子彦你走吧,我不需要你了。”
  • 天地残缺

    天地残缺

    只想安稳度日的少年,等待他的却是种种不公
  • 为爱而生——帝王宠妃

    为爱而生——帝王宠妃

    出身高贵的姐妹二人因一场火灾而家破人亡,最后阴差阳错遇到了各自的真命天子,虽然知道一入宫门深似海,王府中亦困难重重,但他们都因爱而生,从不放弃对方。直到有一日当初那场火灾的重要证人忽然出现,姐妹俩在宫廷里不仅要为了身份地位而苦苦斗争,也要为查明当年真相而断不放弃,最终的真相却出乎意料,所有的恩仇爱恨都在一刹那一触即发......
  • 宠妻成瘾:亿万前妻买一送二

    宠妻成瘾:亿万前妻买一送二

    (汐若新书已发,书名《完美婚宠:帝少vip爱人》,新书求收藏求推荐求一起快乐玩耍~么么哒)“老婆我们复婚吧,”某男可怜兮兮盯着某女。某女傲慢的抬起头,“我不要,除非……”********某一天,“儿子,你爹地想要和你妈咪复婚,你怎么看?”腹黑儿子很变态,“妈咪你忘记了没良心爹地当年怎么对待你的吗?”杨绍林因自己有这样一个混蛋儿子而感伤。小丫头笑嘻嘻的说:“妈咪,你和爹地复婚吧,这样我们就不会是没有爹地的孩子。”当腹黑遇上腹黑,外加一个腹黑儿子,拼的是经验,拼的是演技,那么,且看谁更技高一筹。【本文已完结,放心阅读。】风汐若的群号:【139845733】,微信:【keshirui3310】