Page:Smith - Number Stories of Long ago (1919).djvu/64

OF LONG AGO “Did all these boys really live?” asked George.

“Really; every one of them.”

“What are the funny marks under the picture of Gupta?” asked Clara.

“That is the way he wrote his name in his language. People in India did not know our alphabet in those days. They had a curious one of their own.”

“But the marks don't look like those under Mohammed's picture,” said Helen.

“That is because Mohammed wrote his name in Arabic,” said the Story-Teller.

“Gerbert was a French boy,” said Edward, “so why did n't he use French letters?”

“That is because the French use Latin letters. Did you ever think how odd it seems that Americans speak English and write in Latin letters?”

“How did they ever work with such curious figures?” asked Maude.

“That is another —”

“So there is another story!” interrupted the Crowd.

“That depends on the Question Box,” said the Story-Teller. 43