He found the place, and read the lines without a mistake. It was his
first term at school, but his mother had found pleasure in teaching him,
and he read quite as well as some of the younger pupils.

"Read the next paragraph, Reginald," said Aunt Charlotte.

"'When the king rode over the highway, the sun glistened upon his,--on
his,--'"

It was a word which Reginald had never seen, and he frowned until an
odd little pucker appeared on his forehead.

"'When the king rode over the highway, the sun glistened upon
his,'"--again he paused. The word looked no easier this time than when
he had first read the lines.

"I _can't_ pronounce that word," he said.

"Read the lines again, and when you come to the word that puzzles you,
pronounce it as you think it should be," said Aunt Charlotte.

The other pupils were interested, but when Reginald glanced toward
Arabella, he saw that she was smiling in evident delight at his
discomfiture. He resolved to rush through the reading in a way that
would tell her that he could read _anything_. He drew a long breath, and
then, as fast as possible, he read:

"'When the king rode over the highway, the sun glistened upon his
_carrot_ wheels!'"