NUMBER LESSONS

THE DAY'S LESSON IN MR THOMAS'S

KINDERGARTEN CLASS WAS NUMBERS.

HE WROTE A "1" ON THE BOARD.

"WHO KNOWS WHAT NUMBER THIS IS?"

HE SAID.

SEVERAL HANDS WENT UP.

"MICHAEL?" HE SAID.

"THAT'S A "1,"

MICHAEL REPLIED.

"VERY GOOD. AND WHO KNOWS

WHAT COMES AFTER 1?"

FEWER HANDS WENT UP.

"MARGARET?"

MARGARET REPLIED "2."

"VERY GOOD.

AND WHAT COMES AFTER 2?"

ONLY A COUPLE HANDS WERE RAISED.

"YVONNE?"

"3," YVONNE REPLIED.

"VERY GOOD," SAID MR THOMAS.

"NOW, WHAT COMES AFTER 3?"

SHE CONTINUED.

ONLY PAT'S HAND WAS RAISED.

"PAT?"

"4 COMES AFTER 3!"

SHE SAID, ENTHUSIASTICALLY.

"VERY GOOD."

MR THOMAS REPLIED.

PAT CONTINUED,

"AND AFTER THAT COMES 5, 6 AND 7."

"THAT'S RIGHT. VERY GOOD, PAT!"

"AND AFTER THAT, 8, 9 AND 10!"

"IMPRESSIVE!"

SAID MR THOMAS.

"WHERE DID YOU LEARN YOUR NUMBERS?"

"MY FATHER TAUGHT ME,"

PAT ANSWERED.

"WELL, YOU HAVE A VERY CARING

AND ATTENTIVE FATHER,"

MR THOMAS SAID.

"YES, HE'S THE BEST!"

WAS PAT'S REPLY.

"DID HE TEACH YOU

WHAT COMES AFTER 10?"

"YES," PAT SAID.

"JACK, QUEEN, KING AND ACE."