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Schoolmaster Tyberg had to examine the sexton's pupils, and the sexton the Tyberg pupils. Any questions that could not he answered by the one school were to be taken up by the other. Each question had to be duly recorded so that the judges would be able to decide which school was the better. The sexton opened the contest.
He proceeded rather cautiously at first, but when he found that he had a lot of clever children to deal with he went at them harder and harder. The Tyberg pupils were so well grounded they did not let a single quizz get by them. Then came old man Tyberg's turn at questioning the sexton's pupils. The soldier was no longer angry with the sexton.
Tyberg could not get over his exasperation, and as soon as he reached home he told it all to his wife. "Why should you mind the sexton's chatter?" said the wife. "'Youth is elastic, but age is solid, as the saying goes. You're excellent teachers both of you." "Little good your saying it!" he grunted. "Others will think what they like just the same."
There was Karin Svens, the sprightly lass of a soldier's daughter, who had not missed a day at school. She, with the others, wondered why the sexton had not told them what there was remarkable about the stones in Motala Stream. Schoolmaster Tyberg stood looking very grave while Schoolmaster Blackie sat gazing at the floor, much perturbed.
That put an end to all order. "Now I think we'd better remove the benches and take a swing round the Christmas trees," said old man Tyberg. And never before had they had such fun in the schoolhouse, and never since, either.
But when old man Tyberg was on his way home, the sexton's remarks kept cropping up in his mind, and now he was even angrier than before. "Why should that strippling say I could teach the children more if I kept abreast of the times?" he muttered to himself. "He probably thinks I'm too old, though he doesn't say it in plain words."
"Maybe I don't teach them anything?" he shouted, striking the table with his hand. "What on earth has come over you, Tyberg?" said the sexton. "You seem to resent everything I say." "Well, you always come at me with so many allusions!" Just then other people happened in, and soon all was smooth between the schoolmasters; when they parted company they were as good friends as ever.
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