Chapter 5
"First, children, we will be having a vocabulary lesson. Boys, what do the following words mean?"
The fourteen boys had between them discovered the meanings of all three words. When the meanings were plugged into what Mingo had said, the boys understood that he meant that playing pranks may be fun but they took away from the learning process. The girls all wore smug looks but they learned the meanings of the words also, and so the lesson had the desired result.
Geography began with the land that was the setting for Macbeth. Mingo bent and drew a reasonable facsimile of the British Isles, with the focus on Scotland. They discussed vocabulary such as "moor", "highlands" and "cairn". Then they discussed the similarities between the highland mountains of Scotland and their own Appalachian chain. Most of the children remembered traveling over the eastern mountains so the lesson was easily understood. From the geography of Britain the students moved into history. Mingo explained how the Romans under Caesar had conquered the land of Britain. The class learned Latin phrases as Mingo was able to quote many passages from his memory. Jason Anderson even raised his hand to ask if he could memorize one of Caesar's passages describing the wild tribes that he found occupying Britain. The correlation between the wild men of Britain and the wild men of Kentucky struck a cord with the young Swede. Mingo arranged to meet with the youth the next day before school and give him a copy of several passages.
It was nearly time for the day's dismissal when Mingo began the math lesson. He was feeling much more confident than he had when he faced the schedule that morning, so he took the entire class outside to measure the angles made by the building's shade in relation to the walls. He then took them back inside and explained angles and circles, how the earth was divided into latitudes and longitudes and how men navigated using the relationships of the stars. When the angle of the sun indicated that it was mid-afternoon, Mingo laid his chalk on Mr. Clover's desk and faced the children one last time.
"Children, it has been a privilege to spend this day as your teacher. You have given me many new memories, and I thank you. Class is dismissed."
No one moved. After several seconds, Jason Anderson rose and began to clap his hands. The Himmel children followed suit, then the Boones, Smallwoods and Custers. Finally the McCarthy children joined in the applause. Mingo blushed and grinned, then made a graceful bow from the waist. The children laughed and exploded through the doorway, shouting and talking. The teacher stood a few more minutes inside the now empty classroom, then quietly walked over the threshold, saluted the empty room and closed the door behind him.
When Mingo arrived back at the Boone cabin he was greeted by Mr. Clover. Though his voice was rough, it was there. Becky's ministrations of honey and wild horehound had begun to take effect, and Mr. Clover was certain that he could resume his duties the following day. Having little appetite, the schoolmaster retired early with a hot toddy and fell asleep almost immediately.
That evening around the dinner table Jemima and Israel told their parents the same stories that were circulating around other supper tables of the community. Mingo sat silently listening to the children's view of the day, shaking his head at their perception of events.
The overriding position was that Mingo was a very interesting teacher and they wished that he could be their teacher every day. Mingo would have been amazed to find that the same feeling was expressed in the McCarthy household, the Custer household, the Himmel household, the Anderson household and even the Smallwood household. Though the parents shook their heads at the idea, all twenty children understood that they had received a special gift from the tall Cherokee. Just what that gift was they had trouble putting into words. After Jemima and Israel were in bed, Rebecca Boone found the way to express the thought.
"The children all saw that education gives a man a perspective that they do not now have. And," Rebecca smiled at her friend sitting opposite her beside the fire, " they discovered that an Indian may possess something of value. They will never be able to forget the example that you set for them today. No matter what happens to them from this day forward, they will know one Indian as a person, a man. What an invaluable lesson you taught them! Who can foretell the limit of the reach that you gave them today?"
Mingo smiled at the pretty woman. He was very tired but very pleased. He now knew that he was capable of controlling a roomful of squirming children, and was able to impart knowledge to those squirmers. Deep in his heart he hoped that Rebecca was right in her assessment of the gains made in relations between Indian and white. He understood that such gains were often made one person to another. With that thought, he turned his gaze to Daniel dozing on the bench.
"Daniel, what will you do if the Smallwoods and McCarthys continue to complain about today?"
Daniel's light eyes twinkled as he looked full into his friend's face. "Mingo, I will suggest that they ease their minds by attempting to walk where angels fear to tred. And good luck!"
The three adults laughed companionably together. Rebecca glanced at the movement that caught her eye. "Israel Boone, what are you doing down here? You are supposed to be asleep, young man!"
Mingo turned his head to look at Israel standing in the center of the floor, his light nightshirt pinpointing his position. "Rebecca, I think that I am the cause. May I take Israel outside for a moment?"
Though she frowned, she agreed. "But only a few moments, Mingo. And no stargazing!"
Mingo nodded as he rose and beckoned the boy through the door. They walked to the edge of the porch and sat. Israel looked sideways out of the corner of his eyes. Mingo's head was bowed as he chose his words.
"Israel, I had no intention of embarrassing you today. I thought that you would remember "Macbeth". You said that you liked it when you gave it back to me. I am sorry. Will you accept my apology?"
"I guess," the little boy murmured.
Mingo heard the hesitation and explored farther. "Israel, what is really bothering you? Tell me, please."
Hanging his head, Israel whispered so quietly that Mingo had to bend far forward to hear the words. "The other boys called me 'Shakespeare' on the way home today. They'll keep doing it now. "
"I see. Do you consider that a bad name?"
"Not really. But I know they mean that I didn't know the answer. I looked stupid."
"Aaaah. Are you stupid, Israel?"
"I don't know. I don't seem to learn as fast as most of the other boys. I don't read real good."
"Israel, do you remember when you were with me and I got caught in the bear trap?" The boy nodded his head. "You learned very fast that time, didn't you? You remembered what your father and I had told you about the wilderness. You learn what you want to learn, son. All of us do. So, the goal now is for you to want to learn to read well. Until you want to do it, you won't be good at it. Understand?"
The blue eyes caught the moonlight and sparkled. Mingo could tell that the boy was thinking about what he had just said. In the silence the tree frogs buzzed. Far away, an owl hooted. A slight breeze rustled the tree leaves. Mingo leaned over and whispered, "Double double, toil and trouble, fire burn and caldron bubble." He grinned and ruffled Israel's hair.
"Mingo, could you and me read that book together? I think I'd learn it better if I listened to you read it first. "
"Israel, I would be honored to be your private tutor."
The two rose and entered the cabin, their close bond restored. Teacher and pupil, they began that evening to find the magic that words could weave within a receptive mind. And that was Mingo's final lesson of the day.