"What a fine thing it must be," said Huckleberry to himself, "to go out into the world and teach people things. I'm going to try it myself."
So, the next day, he started off on his mission. The first person he saw was a very small girl playing under a big oak-tree.
When the small girl saw the young gnome, she was frightened and drew back, standing up as close against the tree as she could get.
But up stepped Master Huckleberry, with all the airs and graces he could command.
"Can you tell me, my little miss," said he, "why an elephant with a glass globe of gold-fish tied to his tail is like a monkey with one pink eye and one of a mazarine blue?"
"No," said the small girl, "I don't know. Go away!"
"Oh," said Huckleberry, "perhaps that's too hard for you. I know some nice little ones, in words of one syllable. Why is a red man with a green hat like a good boy who has a large duck in a small pond?"
"Go away!" said the small girl. "I came here to pick flowers. I don't know riddles."
"Perhaps that one was too easy," said Huckleberry, kindly. "I have all sorts. Here is one with longer words, divided into syllables. I'll say it slowly for you: What is the dif-fer-ence between a mag-nan-i-mous ship-mate and the top-most leaf-let on your grand-mo-ther's bar-ber-ry bush?"
"I haven't got any grandmother," said she.