COMMAS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 6, 6 February 1892, Page 143

COMMAS.

The London Journal of Education says that a Prussian school inspector appeared at the office of the burgomaster of a little town to ask him to accompany him on a tour of inspection through the schools. The burgomaster was out of sorts, and was heard to mutter to himself, ‘ What is this donkey here again for ?' The inspector said nothing, but waited his time, and with the unwilling burgomaster set out on his tour. At the first school he announced his wish to see how well punctuation was taught. ‘Oh, never mind that,’ said the burgomaster. •We don't care for commas and such trifles.’ But the inspector sent a boy to the blackboard, and ordered him to write, ‘ The burgomaster of R says, the inspector is a donkey.’ Then he ordered him to transpose the comma, placing it after R , and to insert another one after inspector, and the boy wrote, ‘ The burgomaster of R , says the inspector, is a donkey.’

It is probable that the refractory official gained a new idea of the value of ‘ commas and such trifles.'