I therefore endeavoured by every means to sooth and relieve her somewhat wounded sensibility. I assured her how much I admired her courage, and that I considered her adventure as a proof that women possess that fine quality in as great perfection in their hearts, as some men exhibit instances of it in their conduct. Do not then distress yourself, my love, but tell me if I shall make you a balloon of sail-cloth, to enable you to arrive at your country seat amongst the branches.
Yes, yes, said she, laugh as much as you like, if it amuses you; but I assure you my plan is not so silly as you imagine; one advantage, at least, it is certain we should derive,—the being out of reach of jackalls and other wild beasts. Do you recollect the large lime-tree in the public walk of the town we lived in, and the pretty little room which had been built among its branches, and the flight of stairs which led to it? What should hinder us from effecting such a contrivance in one of my giant trees, which afford even superior facilities in the enormous size and strength of their branches, and the peculiar manner of their growth?
Well, well, we shall see about it. In the mean while, my boys, let us extract a little lesson in arithmetic, from the subject of these marvellous trees; for this, at least, will be deriving a real benefit from them. Tell me, learned Mr. Ernest, how many feet there are in thirty-six braches? for that, your mother assures us, is the height of the trees.
Ernest.—To answer this question, I must know first how many feet or inches the brache contains.
Father.—I thought you knew long ago as much as this; but, as usual in young heads, what goes in at one ear goes out at the other. I must then remind you, as you have forgot, that the brache, or half-ell, contains one foot ten inches, or twenty-two inches. Now then make your calculation.
Ernest.—I do not find it so easy as I thought. You must help me, Fritz, you are older than I am.
Fritz.—With all my heart. First we take thirty-six braches; then multiply 36 by 22, the number of inches each brach contains, and you have 792; divide this by 12, the number of inches in a foot, and it will give us 66 for the number of feet. Is that right, father?
Father.—Yes, quite right. So, my dear wife, you will have every evening to climb sixty-six feet to get to bed, which, as we have no ladder, is not the easiest thing imaginable. Now then let us see how many feet the tree is in circumference, taking it round the roots. Your mother found that she walked round it in thirty-two steps. Now then, Ernest, how many feet do you think these thirty-two steps would make?
Ernest.—You always ask me the things that I know nothing at all about: you should tell me, at least, how many feet there are in a step.
Father.—Well, say two feet and a half to each step.