So they wrote twelve at the top of the circle, and six at the bottom; they wrote three at the right and nine at the left; then they put the other numbers between.
The Mamma said, “Put the long hand at twelve, and the little hand at nine; now tell the time!”
Not one of the Ink-Bottle Babies could tell what time it was. Could you?
Then the Ink-Bottle Mamma said,
“The little hand tells the hour, you know,
As round and round the two hands go;
The big hand never makes a sound;
It tells the minutes as it goes around!”
Then the Ink-Bottle Babies clapped their hands and said, “It is nine o’clock!”