question him. The dreamer started as if a thunderbolt had fallen close
to his elbow.

"Young man, how far is it from the earth to the sun?"

"Thirty-three millions of leagues," replied John, without the least
hesitation.

"As if I did not know that he would know," said the little man to
himself, with a smile.

"And how long would it take a humming-bird who could fly a league in a
minute to get there!"

"Twenty-eight years, sir," was Durer's answer.

"When one calculates so well, and so rapidly, no wonder one is
melancholy," said the little man to himself. Then going on--"Who was the
greatest man of antiquity?" asked he.

"Alexander."

"Who was the wisest?"

"Socrates."

"Who was the proudest?"

"Diogenes."