“There is a father with twice six sons; these sons have each thirty daughters, who are parti-coloured, having one cheek white, the other black. They never see each other’s faces, nor live above twenty-four hours.”
“A very strange and unsociable family!” observed Louisa.
“I should never guess it,” said Tom, “if I were to dedicate a year to it.”
“You have, nevertheless, my boy, just pronounced the name of the said father, and that, too, after a single moment’s consideration,” replied the vicar.
“The name of the father!--how?--where?”
“It is a YEAR!”
“A year!” exclaimed the astonished boy.
“A year!” echoed Louisa; “to be sure it is; I now see it all clearly. His ‘twice six sons’ are the twelve months; the ‘thirty daughters’ the days of each month; and, since one day must necessarily pass away before the next can arrive, they may be truly said never to see each other’s faces.”
“Admirably expounded!” cried the vicar.
“And each day,” added Tom, “is certainly ‘parti-coloured,’ as it is made up of light and darkness.”