"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.

"Got a face like a dried apple--hasn't he?" said the young pupil,
admiringly. "Rally round the flag, boys!"

"Hush! You mustn't sing in school. The name of this letter is A. Look at
it ever so long, and say it over."

"A, A, A," repeated Dotty, to the tune of "John Brown."

Prudy took courage. "All right, only you mustn't sing. I couldn't speak
the letter better myself than you do, _so_ soon. A stands for ape."

"No, for monkey."

The little teacher yielded the point. She had begun her school with
plenty of love and patience.

"Now tell a story," said Dotty, settling herself in the chair.

"Can't you say 'please'?" suggested Prudy, mildly. "'Please' is but a
little word, and 'thank you' is not long."

"Well, please, and thank you,--'bout a ape."