Then the boy jumped up and snatched the thing he had
held in his mouth.
"Oh, see, see!" he cried, holding up his treasure. "See what the
teacher gave me!"
What he held was the half of a lead pencil, a rarity to him, given
to him now as a prize at school.
"And see!" cried the excited lad once more.
He pulled from his reindeer coat a piece of paper. The paper was
part of his prize, too. He made some rude marks on the paper with
his pencil, and held them where they were visible by the light of
the small stone lamp, shaped like a huge clam shell, and burning
with walrus oil. The lad's face was illumined with enthusiasm. Never
before had he owned such treasures. To think they were his own! He
had earned them by good behavior, and diligent, though extremely
slow, attempts at learning. A sarcastic laugh came from one side of
the platform of snow, that was built around the whole circular
interior of the igloo. On the platform lounged the lad's brother,
Tanana. "You went without your breakfast yesterday, and ran to
school, and now you come back with those things!" laughed Tanana.
"You are a dog of the teacher's team, Anvik! He can drive you."
Anvik's black eyes snapped.
"He does not drive me!" cried the boy. "He teaches me to want to
learn! I have gone to school many days. I want to learn, to learn! I
can make A and B.
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