Page:Philosophy and Fun of Algebra.djvu/71

 CHAPTER XII JACOB'S LADDER

Chapter X. I set you children a question:—Why did Jacob's angels come down a ladder, whereas other Hebrews saw angels mixed up with romantic pretty things such as wings and clouds?

I hope some of you have made a guess before now; but some are not good at guessing. I will tell you what may help you to find out.

If a bird wants to go up and down from the roof to the garden, it trusts to its wings. A man has to use a ladder: step,—step,—step.

If a bird is not fully fledged or has a broken wing, it has to find something more or less like a ladder; and go up and down bit by bit: hop,—hop,—hop.

If an artist wishes to draw a parabola, he does it freehand, that is to say, he just draws the curve. He does not take all the trouble which Mrs Somervell's book makes little children take, of 67