LESSON 25
THE JOLLY OLD PEDAGOGUE

George Arnold, 1834-1865, was born in New York City. He never attended school, but was educated at home, by his parents. His literary career occupied a period of about twelve years. In this time he wrote stories, essays, criticisms in art and literature, poems, sketches, etc., for several periodicals. Two volumes of his poems have been published since his death.

'Twas a jolly old pedagogue, long ago,

Tall, and slender, and sallow, and dry;

His form was bent, and his gait was slow,

And his long, thin hair was white as snow,

But a wonderful twinkle shone in his eye:

And he sang every night as he went to bed,

“Let us be happy down here below;

The living should live, though the dead be dead, ”

Said the jolly old pedagogue, long ago.

He taught the scholars the Rule of Three,

Reading, and writing, and history too;

He took the little ones on his knee,

For a kind old heart in his breast had he,

And the wants of the littlest child he knew.

“Learn while you're young, ” he often said,

“There is much to enjoy down here below;

Life for the living, and rest for the dead! ”

Said the jolly old pedagogue, long ago.

With the stupidest boys, he was kind and cool,

Speaking only in gentlest tones;

The rod was scarcely known in his school—

Whipping to him was a barbarous rule,

And too hard work for his poor old bones;

Besides it was painful, he sometimes said:

“We should make life pleasant down here below—

The living need charity more than the dead, ”

Said the jolly old pedagogue, long ago.

He lived in the house by the hawthorn lane,

With roses and woodbine over the door;

His rooms were quiet, and neat, and plain,

But a spirit of comfort there held reign,

And made him forget he was old and poor.

“I need so little, ” he often said;

“And my friends and relatives here below

Won't litigate over me when I am dead, ”

Said the jolly old pedagogue, long ago.

But the pleasantest times he had of all,

Were the sociable hours he used to pass,

With his chair tipped back to a neighbor's wall,

Making an unceremonious call,

Over a pipe and a friendly glass:

This was the finest pleasure, he said,

Of the many he tasted here below:

“Who has no cronies had better be dead, ”

Said the jolly old pedagogue, long ago.

The jolly old pedagogue's wrinkled face

Melted all over in sunshiny smiles;

He stirred his glass with an old-school grace,

Chuckled, and sipped, and prattled apace,

Till the house grew merry from cellar to tiles.

“I'm a pretty old man, ” he gently said,

“I've lingered a long time here below;

But my heart is fresh, if my youth is fled! ”

Said the jolly old pedagogue, long ago.

He smoked his pipe in the balmy air

Every night, when the sun went down;

And the soft wind played in his silvery hair,

Leaving its tenderest kisses there,

On the jolly old pedagogue's jolly old crown;

And feeling the kisses, he smiled, and said:

“ 'Tis a glorious world down here below;

Why wait for happiness till we are dead? ”

Said this jolly old pedagogue, long ago.

He sat at his door one midsummer night,

After the sun had sunk in the west,

And the lingering beams of golden light

Made his kindly old face look warm and bright,

While the odorous night winds whispered, “Rest! ”

Gently, gently, he bowed his head;

There were angels waiting for him, I know;

He was sure of his happiness, living or dead,

This jolly old pedagogue, long ago!

STUDY NOTE

A pedagogue is a formal term for a teacher.

STUDY GUIDE

A. Vocabulary Power—Answer the questions related to the vocabulary in the story.

1. It says the “jolly old pedagogue” was sallow ( a sickly yellow colour). Do you think he was healthy? Explain.

2. Someone who has charity is very kind to people who need help. Did the “jolly old pedagogue” have charity? Explain.

3. To litigate is to make a claim in a court of law. Why won't anyone litigate when the“jolly old pedagogue” dies?

4. Cronies are friends. Did the “jolly old pedagogue” think cronies are important? Explain.

5. Glorious means great or wonderful. Why did the “jolly old pedagogue” think life was glorious?

B. Comprehension Questions—Answer the following questions with a partner.

1. Jolly means happy. How do we know the “jolly old pedagogue” was happy?

2. The “jolly old pedagogue” said “There is much to enjoy down here below”. What does this mean?

3. Why didn't the “jolly old pedagogue” hit his students? Explain.

4. Would you like to have a teacher like the “jolly old pedagogue”? Explain.

5. Tell your partner about a teacher who you really liked.

6. What are important qualities for a teacher to have?

C. True or False? Write T (true) or F (false). Explain your answers.

[ ] 1. The “jolly old pedagogue” was rich.

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[ ] 2. The “jolly old pedagogue” never smoked.

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[ ] 3. The “jolly old pedagogue” liked learning.

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[ ] 4. The “jolly old pedagogue” was nice to people who weren't smart.

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[ ] 5. At the end of the poem, the “jolly old pedagogue” died.

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