238 Tommy Twister’s Discovery

What ‘would they have said if they had
been compelled to learn the date at which
you were going to be born, and the date of
your first tooth, and the time at which you
go to bed and get up? They would have
said, ‘‘This is no business of ours! If he
ever zs born let him learn his own dates and
not try to put his duties on other people’s
shoulders!”

Just so; and if they had attended to ¢hezr
duties, and learned their own dates while
they lived—if they ever did live—you would
not have to bother about them now. As far
as you are concerned, the world began when
you were born; and the better you behave,
the better the world will be.

Well, a very little time ago—long, long
after you were born—there lived a small boy
named Tommy ; and he still lives, no doubt ;
although I have not seen him lately.

One day his father was telling him about
Doctor Nansen having gone away in a
ship to discover the North Pole. You have
heard of the North Pole, eh? It is a place
at the top of the world—at least the map of