Tommy Twister’s Discovery 241

the world is always placed that way up, so
it must be called the top—and is surrounded
by ice; and people have been trying for
hundreds of years to reach it; but, as those
people lived before you were born, we will
not trouble ourselves about them for fear
they might want us to learn their dates.

‘“Why do people want to discover the
North Pole?” asked Tommy.

His father wondered a minute, for the
question had never occurred to him be-
fore, because he was a jam-manufacturer,
and never had to send any of his jam to the
North Pole.

Presently he said—

“T really don’t know. Probably because
there mzght be people living there who
would like to buy things—jam, for instance.”

“But how did they get the idea?” asked
Tommy.

‘They didn’t get the idea,” said his father.
“It was a little piece of steel that got the
idea—a little needle. It kept pointing always
toward the North Pole, and keeps on doing so
still. It evidently wishes to get there. No

Q