Fathers and daughters -- Fiction; Sweden -- Fiction; Swedish fiction -- Translations into English
During the examination Jan sat near the teacher's lectern, up among
the School Commissioners and other fine folk. He had to sit there;
otherwise he could not have seen anything of Glory Goldie but the
back of her neck, as she sat in the front row, to the right of the
lectern, where the smaller children were placed. In the old days
Jan would never have gone so far forward; but one who was father to
a little girl like Glory Goldie did not have to regard himself as
the inferior of anybody. Glory Goldie could not have helped seeing
her father from where she sat, yet she never gave him a glance. It
was as if he did not exist for her. On the other hand, Glory
Goldie's gaze was fixed upon her teacher, who was then examining
the older pupils, on the left side of the room. They read from
books, pointed out different countries and cities on the map, and
did sums on the blackboard, and the teacher had no time to look at
the little tots on the right. So it would not have mattered very
much if Glory Goldie had sent her father an occasional side-glance;
but she never so much as turned her head toward him.
However, it was some little comfort to him that all the other
children did likewise. They, too, sat the whole time with their
clear blue eyes fastened on their teacher. The little imps made
believe they understood him when he said something witty or clever;
for then they would nudge each other and giggle.
No doubt it was a surprise to the parents to see how well the
children conducted themselves throughout the examination. But
Sexton Blackie was a remarkable man. He could make them do almost
anything.
As for Jan of Ruffluck, he was beginning to feel embarrassed and
troubled. He no longer knew whether it was his own little girl who
sat there or somebody else's. Of a sudden he left his place among
the School Commissioners and moved nearer the door.
At last the teacher was done examining the older pupils. Now came
the turn of the little ones, those who had barely learnt their
letters. They had not acquired any vast store of learning, to be
sure, but a few questions had to be put to them, also. Besides,
they were to give some account of the Story of the Creation.
First they were asked to tell who it was that created the world.
That they knew of course. And then, unhappily, the teacher asked
them if they knew of any other name for God.
Now all the little A-B-C-ers were stumped! Their cheeks grew hot
and the skin on their foreheads was drawn into puckers, but they
could not for the life of them think out the answer to such a
profound question.
Among the larger children, over on the right, there was a general
waving of hands, and whispering and tittering; but the eight small
beginners held their mouths shut tight and not a sound came from
them. Glory Goldie was as mum as the rest.
"There is a prayer which we repeat every day," said the teacher.
"What do we call God there?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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