CHAPTER X.
SERJEANT PARSING IN SCHOOLROOM-SHIRE AGAIN.
IS · BETTER
THAN · RICHES
Before the court met again, Serjeant Parsing paid another visit to Schoolroom-shire.
“MY dear young friends,” he said, “will you kindly get your slates, and divide them into four parts, writing at the top of each part, the name of Mr. Noun, Mr. Pronoun, Mr. Adjective, and Dr. Verb. Then cut off two corners somewhere, for little ragged Article and Interjection. Then listen to the following story, and when any word that you know is read out, give a mark to the Part-of-Speech to whom it belongs. If you come to an adjective-pronoun, of course you must put a little man astride between Mr. Pronoun’s ground and Mr. Adjective’s; and whenever you come to a verb, please to say whether it is in the present, past, or future tense. When you have done, we will count up, and see which Part-of-Speech has gained the most marks.
“This is the story:—
“THE TWO NEIGHBOURS.
“A man lived by his labour; and as he had strong arms and a brave heart, he supported, easily, his wife, his little children, and himself.
“But a famine came upon the land, and work failed.
“The man spent all the money which he had saved, until he had not a penny to buy food for his children.
“Then he went to a rich neighbour, and said: ‘My little children are crying for food, and I have no bread to give them. Help me.’
“And the rich man said:—
“‘I am a just man; I always pay my debts; but I owe you no money. Go! I cannot give you charity.’
“Then the poor man went to another neighbour, almost as poor as himself.
“‘Give me food for my little children,’ he said.
“‘Brother,’ said the poorer neighbour, ‘we have not much ourselves, but you shall share with us as long as a crust of bread remains.’
“Then they divided between them the little food that was left, and that food lasted until the hard times had passed.”