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She was very much ashamed and hurt , for it was the first time that she had ever been in disgrace at school . The other girls felt sorry that she should suffer for so small a fault . The boys looked at her and wondered if the master would really be as good as his word . The clock kept on ticking . It lacked only one minute till the bell would strike the time for dismissal . What a shame that dear , gentle Lucy should be punished for all those unruly boys and girls ! Then , suddenly , an awkward half - grown boy who sat right in front of the master's desk turned squarely around and whispered to Tommy Jones , three desks away . Everybody saw him . Little Lucy Martin saw him through her tears , but said nothing . Everybody was astonished , for that boy was the best scholar in the school , and he had never been known to break a rule . It lacked only half a minute now . The awkward boy turned again and whispered so loudly that even the master could not help hearing : " Tommy , you deserve a thrashing ! " " Elihu Burritt , take your place on the floor , " said the master sternly . The awkward boy stepped out quickly , and little Lucy Martin returned to her seat sobbing . At the same moment the bell struck and school was dismissed . After all the others had gone home , the master took down his long birch rod and said : " Elihu , I suppose I must be as good as my word . But tell me why you so deliberately broke the rule against whispering . " " I did it to save little Lucy , " said the awkward boy , standing up very straight and brave . " I could not bear to see her punished . " " Elihu , you may go home , " said the master . All this happened many years ago in New Britain , Connecticut . Elihu Burritt was a poor boy who was determined to learn . He worked many years as a blacksmith and studied books whenever he had a spare moment . He learned many languages and became known all over the world as " The Learned Blacksmith . " HOW A PRINCE LEARNED TO READ I A thousand years ago boys and girls did not learn to read . Books were very scarce and very precious , and only a few men could read them . Each book was written with a pen or a brush . The pictures were painted by hand , and some of them were very beautiful . A good book would sometimes cost as much as a good house . In those times there were even some kings who could not read . They thought more of hunting and fighting than of learning . There was one such king who had four sons , Ethelbald , Ethelbert , Ethelred , and Alfred . [ Footnote : Eth'el bald , Eth'el bert , Eth'el red , Al'fred . ] The three older boys were sturdy , half - grown lads ; the youngest , Alfred , was a slender , fair - haired child .
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