My Schooling 



instead of the ten times of the metric system. 

 When this recital was over, the whole class, 

 the little ones included, took it up in chorus, 

 creating such an uproar that chicks and pork- 

 ers took to flight if they happened to be there. 

 And this went on to twelve times twelve, the 

 first in the row starting the next table and the 

 whole class repeating it as loud as it could yell. 

 Of all that we were taught in school, the multi- 

 plication-table was what we knew best, for this 

 noisy method ended by dinning the different 

 numbers into our ears. This does not mean 

 that we became skilful reckoners. The clever- 

 est of us easily got muddled with the figures 

 to be carried in a multiplication-sum. As 

 for division, rare indeed were they who 

 reached such heights. In short, the moment 

 a problem, however insignificant, had to be 

 solved, we had recourse to mental gymnastics 

 much rather than to the learned aid of arith- 

 metic. 



When all is said, our master was an excellent 

 man who could have kept school very well but 

 for his lack of one thing; and that was time. 

 He devoted to us all the little leisure which his 

 numerous functions left him. And, first of all, 

 he managed the property of an absentee land- 

 owner, who only occasionally set foot in the 

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