"That's correct. Now, what does 'la' and 'dy' spell?"
"Custard-Pie!" exclaimed the urchin, with great exultation at his success.
Now, this is very good, and very possibly it may have occurred, precisely as narrated; but we have a suspicion—perhaps not a "shrewd suspicion"—that the whole thing was borrowed from the following dialogue, which is indubitably an actual occurrence:
"James," said a schoolmaster to a dull pupil, after the morning chapter had been read in the school, "James, we have read this morning that Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth; now, James, will you tell us who was the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth?"
"Sir?" said James, inquiringly.
"Why, James," answered his colloquist, "you have seen that Noah had three sons, and that their names were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. These were Noah's sons, James. Now, who was the Father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth?"
"Sir?" said James, dubiously pondering the full extent of the query.
"Why, James," said the preceptor, "don't you know who the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth was, after I've told you so much?"
"No, sir—I d' know!"
"You are very dull, James—very! You know Mr. Smith, don't you, that lives next to your house?"