"Now, little sister," said she, "if you'll let me be your teacher, and keep school here in the nursery--" "O, hum! A _little gell_ keep school! Would you send me to the bottom of the foot?" "O, no! I'll do something for you--let's me see!" "Well, what?" cried Dotty, her eyes sparkling like blue gems; "what'll you do for me, Prudy?" Prudy thought a minute. Meanwhile the muffled kitty slowly freed herself from the shawl, and slyly leaped to the top of the bureau, out of reach of her little mistress. "O, Prudy," said Dotty, dancing about; "do something quick." "Listen, dear! Will you promise to learn to read if I'll tell you a story about every single letter there is on your blocks?" "How long a story? As long as this room? Yes, I'll promige," cried Dotty, with a gleeful laugh. "Go get the stories, and tell 'em this minute!" "Now we'll begin," said Prudy, no less delighted, pouring the blocks out of the box upon the floor. "I'll ring the little tea-bell, and call the school to order. The school means _you_, and you must walk in and take your seat." "Yes, if you'll let me sit in the rocking-chair!" "O, but that is mine, because I'm the teacher." "Then I'm goin' off into the kitchen," said Dotty, loftily, "and I don't know as I'll come back. I won't promige." "O, take the rocking-chair!" replied Prudy quickly. "I'll sit on the ottoman; it's just as good. Glad you spoke of it, Dotty; 'twouldn't be proper for the teacher to rock. Hark! now I tingle the bell. School's begun!" Dotty walked along, and very demurely seated herself in the big chair. "Here," said Prudy, showing her a block, "is your first letter; guess what the picture means, and I'll tell you the name of the letter." "That?" said Dotty, glancing at it; "that's a monkey; what you s'pose?" "O, no! it's pretty near a monkey, not quite: it's what we call an _ape_." "A nape!" echoed Dotty, pointing at it, and laughing. "O, my! you don' know nothin' at all but just--do you, Prudy Parlin? Funny gell to keep school! Didn't you never see a monkey? I've seen 'em dancing tummy-tum-tum, and a man making music with a little mite of a churn." "Well, perhaps this is a monkey, and ape is its baby name," said Prudy, doubtfully. "Got a face like a dried apple--hasn't he?" said the young pupil, admiringly. "Rally round the flag, boys!" "Hush! You mustn't sing in school. The name of this letter is A. Look at it ever so long, and say it over." "A, A, A," repeated Dotty, to the tune of "John Brown." Prudy took courage. "All right, only you mustn't sing. I couldn't speak the letter better myself than you do, _so_ soon. A stands for ape." "No, for monkey." The little teacher yielded the point. She had begun her school with plenty of love and patience. "Now tell a story," said Dotty, settling herself in the chair. "Can't you say 'please'?" suggested Prudy, mildly. "'Please' is but a little word, and 'thank you' is not long." "Well, please, and thank you,--'bout a ape."