reputations. Schoolmaster Tyberg had to examine the sexton's
pupils, and the sexton the Tyberg pupils. Any questions that could
not he answered by the one school were to be taken up by the other.
Each question had to be duly recorded so that the judges would be
able to decide which school was the better.

The sexton opened the contest. He proceeded rather cautiously at
first, but when he found that he had a lot of clever children to
deal with he went at them harder and harder. The Tyberg pupils were
so well grounded they did not let a single quizz get by them.

Then came old man Tyberg's turn at questioning the sexton's pupils.

The soldier was no longer angry with the sexton. Now that his
children had shown that they knew their bits, the demon of mischief
flew into him. At the start he put a few straight questions to the
sexton's pupils, but being unable to remain serious for long at a
time he soon became as waggish as he usually was at his own school.

"Of course I know that you have read a deal more than have we who
come from the backwoods," said he. "You have studied natural
science and much else, still I wonder if any of you can tell me
what the stones in Motala Stream are?"

Not one of the sexton's pupils raised a hand, but on the other
side hand after hand shot up.

Yet, in the sexton's division sat Olof Oleson--he who knew he had
the best head in the parish, and Där Nol, of good old peasant
stock. But they could not answer. There was Karin Svens, the