Lesson Three A SWEET POTATO PLOT

When the door had closed upon them丆the schoolgirls began to stir. Without a word丆the teacher put her arms around Manya and kissed her. Manya was in tears.
This was the year 1877丆and the school was in Warsaw丆 Poland, A large part of Poland had been conquered (夁嫀姰惉帪揑旐摦幃)丂by Russia. The Russian Tsar would not allow Polish children to study the history of their own country or even their own language. But here the teacher and her pupils were doing just that, although the Russians had spies everywhere in Warsaw.
"Now name the members of the Imperial Russian Family, 乭Manya gave the names.
乬Now tell me丆乭Hornberg demanded, 乬who is our ruler. 乭
Manya乫s face went pale. She opened her mouth丆but the words would not come.
Suddenly a boy with wings appeared before him. It was Mercury. God had sent him to help the poor woodcutter. When he heard what had happened to the axe丆he jumped into the river and came out with a silver axe in his hand. 乬Is this your axe?" he asked. 乬No丆said the woodcutter.
MERCURY AND THE WOODCUTTER
Once there was a poor woodcutter. Every day he went out into the forest to cut wood. He sold the wood he had cut to the villagers丆but he got very little money for it.
乬So丆my little Polish patriot丆you do not wish to tell me who Байду номын сангаасules over us丆乭 the Russian inspector said. 乬Answer me!乭
"His Majesty Alexander I丆Tsar of All the Russias丆乭 she said. But her voice was trembling,
The outer door opened. There stood Inspector Hornberg. Hornberg had been put in charge by the Russians of the private schools of Warsaw. He was a heavy man in a tight-fitting yellow and blue uniform. With him was Mademoiselle Sikorska丆 the head of the school.
Then Mercury said丆乬I see you are an honest man. Here is your iron axe. And I will give you the other two axes丆too.
THE WRONG DIRECTION
one day a man was driving in a carriage to the north an old man met him on the way and asked him where he was going. the man said he was going to chu the old man told him that he was in the wrong direction since chu was in the south the man said that doesn't matter I have a fast horse the old man said that won't help the faster your horse is the farther you will be from chu since you are in the wrong direction but the man wouldn't listen to him you can be sure that the man never got to chu.
乬That乫s more like it丆乭 Hornberg rose from his chair, 乬Now Mademoiselle Sikorska, I wish to visit one of the other classes, 乭
乬 Certainly丆Mr. Inspector丆乭 Mademoiselle Sikorska an伿swered.
乬We have two sewing classes a week丆Mr. Inspector, 乭ex伿plained Mademoiselle Tupalska, the teacher. 乬I read to the chil伿dren while they work. 乭
乬And what have you been reading 乮尰嵼姰惉恑峴帪乯to your pupils, Mademoiselle?乭 Inspector Hornberg demanded.
One day as he was cutting wood his axe fell into the river. He could not get it out. He called out丆乬Help! Help!乭 But no one heard him and no one came.
Every head came up. Quick hands grabbed all the Polish history books off the desks丆and hid them away. The girls swift伿ly took sewing materials from their desks. They began to em伿broider little squares of cloth.
She held up the book. "Russian fairy tales丆乫 she said. The inspector gave a grunt of approval 乬Now丆乭 he said丆乬I should like to question one of your pupils, 乭
Then Mercury jumped into the river again. This time he took out a golden axe. 乪 Is this your axe?乫 he asked. 乬No丆乭 said the woodcutter, 乬My axe is not made of gold or silver. It is made of iron.乫 So Mercury jumped into the river a third time. This time he took out an iron axe. The woodcutter was very glad. It was his axe.
乬Manya Sklodovska丆please stand up,乭 the teacher said quietly.
Manya rose from her seat without a word丆trying not to tremble.
乬Recite the Lord乫s Prayer ? in Russian丆乭 Inspector Horn伿berg ordered. Manya recited the prayer in a low voice. careful not to show her feelings.
Among the children was Manya Sklodovska, She was a very bright pupil. She was deep in the book she was reading. Sudden伿ly there came the faint sound of a bell. Manya listened fearfully. Was it the signal? Yes! Two long rings, two short rings.
Lesson Twenty-Four
Inspector Hornberg Visits a School
TEXT?暥
INSPECTOR HORNBERG VISITS A SCHOOL
The classroom was very quiet. Outside丆the leafless trees were white with the first snowfall. But not one pair of eyes strayed from the history books which twenty-five little girls were studying so earnestly.