Reb Shloimeh lived more indoors than out,
and he used to listen to the teacher instructing his grandchildren.

"I shall become a doctor in my old age!" he would say, laughing.

The teacher was one day telling his pupils about mathematical geography.
Reb Shloimeh sat with a smile on his lips, and laughing in his heart at
the little teacher who told "such huge lies" with so much earnestness.

"The earth revolves," said the teacher to his pupils, and Reb Shloimeh
smiles, and thinks, "He must have seen it!" But the teacher shows it to
be so by the light of reason, and Reb Shloimeh becomes graver, and
ceases smiling; he is endeavoring to grasp the proofs; he wants to ask
questions, but can find none that will do, and he sits there as if he
had lost his tongue.

The teacher has noticed his grave look, and understands that the old man
is interested in the lesson, and he begins to tell of even greater
wonders. He tells how far the sun is from the earth, how big it is, how
many earths could be made out of it--and Reb Shloimeh begins to smile
again, and at last can bear it no longer.

"Look here," he exclaimed, "that I cannot and will not listen to! You
may tell me the earth revolves--well, be it so! Very well, I'll allow
you, that, perhaps, according to reason--even--the size of the
earth--the appearance of the earth--do you see?--all that sort of thing.
But the sun! Who has measured the sun! Who, I ask you! Have _you_ been
on it? A pretty thing to say, upon my word!" Reb Shloimeh grew very
excited. The teacher took hold of Reb Shloimeh's hand, and began to
quiet him. He told him by what means the astronomers had discovered all
this, that it was no matter of speculation; he explained the telescope
to him, and talked of mathematical calculations, which he, Reb Shloimeh,
was not able to understand. Reb Shloimeh had nothing to answer, but he
frowned and remained obstinate. "He" (he said, and made a contemptuous
motion with his hand), "it's nothing to me, not knowing that or being
able to understand it! Science, indeed! Fiddlesticks!"

He relapsed into silence, and went on listening to the teacher's
"stories." "We even know," the teacher continued, "what metals are to be
found in the sun."

"And suppose I won't believe you?" and Reb Shloimeh smiled maliciously.

"I will explain directly," answered the teacher.

"And tell us there's a fair in the sky!" interrupted Reb Shloimeh,
impatiently. He was very angry, but the teache