The woman recalled with the word, the morning when, to wean him, she had blackened her breast with charcoal, and the child had pushed away the blackened breast with his little hand and said, “nim bugala.” “And he calls everything else to eat 'A B.' Now why would he call milk 'bugala' an' bread an' butter 'A B'?” The School-teacher saw that this mystery attaching to the child was dear to the woman, and he could not disturb it. “Little children are very wonderful,” he said. “They are wonderful,” the woman continued. “Just think of the things they learn when they are real little.” She jerked her head toward the dog remaining behind her in the road. “Why, he learned Jim's name when he was awful little. He called him 'Nim' an' that's purty near right.” Her face again became deeply thoughtful. “I'd like to know if his word 'nim,' like he says 'nun bugala,' has anything to do with Jim's name. It sounds like it, but I don't see how it could be, because 'nim' means something that he don't like, an' he does like Jim. He's powerful fond of Jim.” The School-teacher thoughtfully considered the problem. “It might be that he has watched you give Jim the things that you did not want to eat yourself, and so he came to the conclusion that all such food belonged to Jim. It would not mean that he did not like Jim. It would only mean that the things that did not taste right to him ought to be given to Jim. They were not good things, they were 'nim' things.” The woman's mouth opened. “Dear me,” she said, “just think of him putting things together like that, an' him so little?” Then she looked up at the man with a sort of wonder. “Why, you understand him better than I do, an' I'm his mother. Maybe you're married an' got a little boy of your own.” “I was never married,” replied the man. “Then maybe you've got a little baby brother.” “No.” “Was there never any little children at your house?” “My father's house,” replied the School-teacher, “is full of little children.” “Just little children that he takes care of?” “Yes.” “Then you've been with 'em a lot.” “I am always with them,” replied the School-teacher. “I could a-told that,” said the woman, “by the way Sonny takes to you. I could a-told that you was used to little children, an' that you liked them.” She indicated the tiny boy with a bob of the head. “He knows it right away; babies and dogs allers knows it right away.” She regarded the man for some minutes in silence. Then she spoke like one come after thought to a conclusion. “I 'spose you're the new School-teacher?” “Yes.” “An' you're goin' down to the school-house now.” “Yes.” “Then if you'll wait till I git a bucket of water, I'll show you the way down. The path goes out by our house.” She went over to the spring and dipped the bucket into the keg. The dog that had been lying down 'n the path, his head lowered between his paws, now craw led up to the man and began to lick his feet.