Page:The queen's museum, and other fanciful tales.djvu/42

 less time than they would otherwise have required.

The Hermit's Pupil was very active, climbing into and out of houses with great agility. He obtained his answers quite as easily as did the others, but whenever he left a house there was a shade of disappointment upon his features. Among the last places that he visited was a room in which two boys were sleeping. He awoke them and asked the usual question. While they were trembling in their bed, not knowing what to answer, the Pupil drew his sword and exclaimed: 'Come, now, no prevarication; you know it's fishing-tackle. Speak out!' Each of the boys then promptly declared it was fishing-tackle, and the Pupil left, greatly gratified. 'I was very much afraid,' he said to himself, 'that not a person in my district would say fishing-tackle; and I am glad to think that