Five or six months went by, and the boys had not yet learned that the three scholars with the pretty names were the girls of last year. Then one boy came to the teacher and asked, “Why do those boys have girls’ names? I wish to know.”
The teacher thought a moment and said, “Lily—Beauty—Moon. That boy was called Lily, I think, because he was so red[2] when he was a little baby. The mother thought he ought to be called ‘Red,’ but [[194]]that is not a pretty name for a baby, and so they called him Lily.
“And do you not think that Beauty’s name suits him? He is the handsomest boy in the school. I think his mother called him Beauty because he was such a pretty baby. He is as pretty as a girl. I think it is right that he should be called Beauty. Moon’s name is suitable for him, too. You know he is gentle and fair. Did you ever see a more gentle boy in school? I think he was always very gentle and fair, and so his mother gave him that name. All his friends like him as they do the moon.”
The boy ran away and told the other pupils what his teacher had said about the three boys with the pretty names.
New Year came, and each boy had to write his name on a piece of paper and hand it to the teacher, so that he could give them their school names.[3] Eight gave [[195]]their names as Beauty, and seventeen as Moon, while all the others wanted to be called Lily. They expected the teacher would allow them to have those as their school names.
In the summer time the scholars had a vacation and the teacher went away for a time.
One day they were all on the playground playing “Theater.” They took nine of the prettiest boys and put red and white on their faces and dressed them like ladies and bound their feet to make them small. Six boys put on false beards. Then they piled up chairs and tables high to make a mountain, and the boys with bound feet were to cross over to the other side. The boys who had to climb over the mountain from the opposite side were careless, and when all met at the top, they tumbled and fell down in a heap. One boy broke his arm, one broke his finger, and one hurt his eye. The other boys did not stay to help or see what they could do for those who were hurt. All but the three girls, who were dressed like boys, ran away in fear, and left the wounded children lying on the ground.
One girl ran for the doctor. The other two stayed and gave the hurt ones water to drink, fanned their faces, kept the flies away, and cared for them like little mothers. [[196]]
In a few minutes the doctor came. He asked, “What were you doing, boys?” The boys were so hurt and scared that they could not talk, but the girls told how it had all happened.
The doctor bound up the broken arm and finger, and dressed the bruised eye. He was a good doctor and said, “These boys must lie still several days. They can not get up without my orders; now who is willing to take care of them?”