A DIFFICULT TASK
A school inspector, finding that the boys whom he was examining were inattentive, endeavoured to pull them together.
"Now then," said he, "will somebody please give me a number and watch how I make the figures?"
"74," called out a youth, and the class gazed while the inspector wrote on the board 47.
Another number was called for and a boy cried out "65" the inspector turned round and wrote 56. As the class took no notice the inspector became annoyed, and asked the boys if they noticed nothing different in the figures. Nobody replied, so he thought he would make another attempt and called again for a number. A long pause ensued, but at last a boy stood up and said 33, adding in a low tone, "See what you can do to twist that round."