E. Hershey Sneath

An Emperor In School

One evening, after Betty and Ben had gone to bed, Billy sat beside his mother before the large fireplace.

Suddenly his mother said: "Billy, how would you like to have a king or an emperor visit your school?"

"I'm afraid that we shouldn't study very well," said Billy. "We should be too excited."

"Well, do you want me to tell you a story about a great emperor who visited a school?"

"I wish you would, Mother," replied Billy. "He didn't live in this country, though. We have presidents instead of kings and emperors, haven't we?"

"He lived in Europe, Billy, and his name was Charles the Great, and he lived long, long ago. He was a great soldier and fought many battles. But he was more than a soldier and an emperor. He was a good scholar, too, and built many schools.

"One day he went to one of them. Some of its pupils were children of poor people, and others were children of rich nobles.

"As the emperor listened to the children reciting, he noticed that the poor children knew their lessons better than the rich children. And what do you think happened, Billy?"

"I suppose the rich children were kept in after school," said Billy.

"No," said his mother. "Something else happened. The emperor wasn't pleased with the boys and girls of the rich nobles. He knew that they had been idle. So he put the poor children in one class on his right, and the rich children in another class on his left."

"What did he do then?" asked Billy.

"Why, he looked sternly at the class on his left and said: 'You are proud because your parents are rich. But instead of being proud, you ought to be ashamed, for you haven't done as well as these poor children. You have been idle and careless. The King will not be pleased with you until you make up your work.'

"Of course the children of the left class felt badly. It was considered a great thing to have the King for one's friend. But the King would not be friendly to those who were idle and careless.

"Now, Billy," said his mother, "suppose the President of our country should visit your school to-morrow, and were to listen to the children reciting. And suppose that he should put them in two classes. Suppose he were to put the idle and careless in a class on his left, and those who were diligent and careful in a class on his right, in which class would you be?"

Billy was silent a moment. Then he went to his desk and got a little card. There was a smile on his face as he took it to his mother. It was his school report.

His mother read it and found that Billy stood at the head of his class.

"Well, Billy," said his mother, "that means that the President would put you in the class at his right."

Then she kissed her boy "Good-night," and soon Billy was dreaming that the President had really come to school.