Search Alcuin and Flutterby


Search the Alcuin and Flutterby blog
search engine by freefind
Showing posts with label Pedantry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pedantry. Show all posts

Friday, January 27, 2012

Reasonable request


It is a rainy day.
 
A woman in a pleated skirt
Goes into the library
Approaches an earnest-looking young librarian
And says: "I need a book."

"What kind of book do you need?

Asks the librarian.

"I need a book with paper pages,
And neat printing
On two of the six sides of each page."

"That is a reasonable request

For two reasons,"

Says the librarian.
"
First, this is a library,
And for the convenience

Of the general public
Books with paper pages
Are stored in libraries such as this."

"And, second, four of the six sides

Of a piece of paper
Are insufficiently large in surface area
To carry print of a size
Which can comfortably be read

By the human eye."

"Would you mind awfully
If I punch you on the nose?"
Says the woman in the pleated skirt.
"I find your attitude

Insufferably pedantic,
Even for a librarian."



...........................................


The libraries do not fool us

Living text entity

More Norfolk koans

Index of blog contents