Dotty turned a short corner.  Pusheen had a fall; down came the little cab, kitty and all.

“To grow up and not know anything,” continued Prudy.  “O, it’s enough to break anybody’s heart!”

“Be you goin’ to cry?” said Dotty, in a soft voice, kneeling, and peeping up into Prudy’s eyes, with some curiosity.

Prudy was obliged to smile but hid her face in the sofa-pillow, and hoped Dotty did not see her.  She found she must hit upon some other plan.  Dotty could not be made to feel the terrors of growing up a dunce.

“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.