Note 134 — THE STORY OF THE THREE SHARPERS.[17] (continued 2)

MS. iii. 210–214. Scott’s “Story of the broken-backed Schoolmaster,” vi. pp. 72–75, and Gauttier, “Histoire du Maitre d’école éreinté,” vi. 217. The Arabic is “Muaddib al-Atfál” = one who teacheth children. I have before noted that amongst Moslems the Schoolmaster is always a fool. So in Europe of the 16th century probably no less than one-third of the current jests turned upon the Romish clergy and its phenomenal ignorance compared with that of the pagan augur. The Story of the First Schoolmaster is one of the most humorous in this MS.