3. How is it that, though the moon turns round on its axis, we never see the other side?
Almost everyone tried to answer this query, but a good many—especially among our younger contributors—failed; not for want of originality—oh, no!—but for want of information. One, for example, put it that it was because the earth turned round as well as the moon, another asserted that it all arose from our never seeing the moon in the daytime—“the sun’s rays are so strong then that they hide it.” The right answer is that it results from the moon turning round only once on its own axis in the same time that it takes to journey round the earth.
For the general good, let us quote an illustration given by a competitor, which makes this very clear: “Place a vase of flowers,” she says, “on a table, take up your position opposite the window, and then walk round the table, keeping your face to the flowers. When you are half-way round, you will have your back to the window; but, on reaching the starting-point, you will find you have your face to the window again. You will have turned completely round (on your axis) once yourself, and at the same time have gone round the table, yet never have shown your back to the flowers.” Now the table is the earth; you are the moon; your face stands for the moon’s shining countenance; and your back for that unknown side which the earth never sees.
4. Why is hard water very unsuitable for cooking and washing?
As was fitting with sensible girls, we had numerous and intelligent answers to this question. There was a knowing air about them. A strong case was made out against hard water—a waster of fuel, a waster of time, a waster of tea, a destroyer of the colour of vegetables, a waster of soap, an enemy to the skin. Poor hard water!
5. What celebrated work was written in a week to defray the cost of the funeral of the author’s mother?
Rather more skipped this question than gave the go-by to our first one; but nearly all who attempted an answer gave the right one. And, indeed, it is one of the familiar facts of literary history that Dr. Samuel Johnson wrote his “Rasselas” in a week for the purpose of defraying the expense of his mother’s funeral and paying some small debts she had left behind. How did one competitor make it out to be “The Task” by Cowper, and another Sir Walter Scott’s “Legend of Montrose” and “Black Dwarf”? As a curiosity we may mention that a competitor who gives an account of Dr. Johnson all right, says she has got her information from her grandfather, “who knew him.” As Johnson died a hundred and fifteen years ago, our friend must have a remarkably aged grandfather!
6. How did the thistle come to be the emblem of Scotland?
In a matter of legend we did not expect all to tell the same tale, neither did they. Most girls, however, had it that the thistle was raised to this proud position out of national gratitude, and gave the story of the Danes trying to surprise the Scots by night, when one of them set his foot on a thistle and gave such a yell that he roused the Scots, who thereupon repulsed their foes. This was a question very well answered on the whole.
7. What sea has water so thick that you can move in it with difficulty?