"But the nuts themselves have no stems to be fastened by," answered the same boy.
"That is true; but I suppose this boy thought that God could have made them grow with stems, and that this would have been better than to have them in burrs."
After a little pause the master said that he would explain TO them what the chestnut burr was for, and wished them all to listen attentively.
"How much of the chestnut is good to eat, William?" asked he, looking at a boy before him.
"Only the meat."
"How long does it take the meat to grow?"
"All summer, I suppose, it is growing."
"Yes; it begins early in the summer, and gradually swells and grows until it has become of full size, and is ripe, in the fall. Now suppose there was a tree out here near the school-house, and the chestnut meats should grow upon it without any shell or covering; suppose, too, that they should taste like good ripe chestnuts at first, when they were very small. Do you think they would be safe?"
William said "No; the boys would pick and eat them before they had time to grow."
"Well, what harm would there be in that? Would it not be as well to have the chestnuts early in the summer as to have them in the fall?"