| `Wouldn't it be better to tell me after the lessons are over?' I suggested.
`Very well,' Bruno said with a resigned air: `only she wo'n't be cross then.'
`There's only three lessons to do,' said Sylvie. `Spelling, and Geography, and Singing.'
`Not Arithmetic?' I said.
`No, he hasn't a head for Arithmetic--'
`Course I haven't!' said Bruno. `Mine head's for hair. I haven't got a lot of heads!'
`--and he ca'n't learn his Multiplication-table--'
`I like History ever so much better,' Bruno remarked. `Oo has to repeat that Muddlecome table--'
`Well, and you have to repeat--'
`No, oo hasn't!' Bruno interrupted. `History repeats itself. The Professor said so!'
Sylvie was arranging some letters on a board--E--V--I--L. `Now, Bruno,' she said, `what does that spell?'
Bruno looked at it, in solemn silence, for a minute. `I know what it doesn't spell!' he said at last.
`That's no good,' said Sylvie. `What does it spell?'
Bruno took another look at the mysterious letters. `Why, it's "LIVE", backwards!' he exclaimed. (I thought
it was, indeed.)
`How did you manage to see that?' said Sylvie.
`I just twiddled my eyes,' said Bruno, `and then I saw it directly. Now may I sing the King-fisher Song?'
`Geography next,' said Sylvie. `Don't you know the Rules?'
`I think there oughtn't to be such a lot of Rules, Sylvie! I thinks--'
`Yes, there ought to be such a lot of Rules, you wicked, wicked boy! And how dare you think at all
about it? And shut up that mouth directly!'
So, as `that mouth' didn't seem inclined to shut up of itself, Sylvie shut it for him--with both hands--and
sealed it with a kiss, just as you would fasten up a letter.
`Now that Bruno is fastened up from talking,' she went on, turning to me, `I'll show you the Map he does
his lessons on.'
And there it was, a large Map of the World, spread out on the ground. It was so large that Bruno had to
crawl about on it, to point out the places named in the `King-fisher Lesson'.
`When a King-fisher sees a Lady-bird flying away, he says "Ceylon, if you Candia!" And when he catches
it, he says "Come to Media! And if you're Hungary or thirsty, I'll give you some Nubia!" When he takes
it in his claws, he says "Europe!" When he puts it into his beak, he says "India!" When he's swallowed it,
he says "Eton!" That's all.'
`That's quite perfect,' said Sylvie. `Now, you may sing the King-fisher Song.'
`Will oo sing the chorus?' Bruno said to me.
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