So, “Ogged”:http://www.unfogged.com/ links to a Guardian column that has an “amusingly incisive commentary”:http://www.guardian.co.uk/britain/article/0,,1606559,00.html that reminds me of a line from ??The Stand?? which Stephen King quoted in his introduction to trade edition for ??Sandman: World’s End?? collection, “Country don’t mean dumb.”
bq.. At university I once came across the following true story in a textbook. A young teacher from Leeds had accepted a temporary job teaching a class of four-year-olds out in one of the most isolated, rural parts of north Wales. One of her first lessons involved teaching the letter S so she held up a big colour photo of a sheep and said: “Now, who can tell me what this is?” No answer. Twenty blank and wordless faces looked back at her. “Come on, who can tell me what this is?” she exclaimed, tapping the photo determinedly, unable to believe that the children were quite so ignorant. The 20 faces became apprehensive and even fearful as she continued to question them with mounting frustration.
Eventually, one brave soul put up a tiny, reluctant hand. “Yes!” she cried, waving the snap aloft. “Tell me what you think this is!” “Please, Miss,” said the boy warily. “Is it a three-year-old Border Leicester?”
p. Of course, I have to admit that I thought the payoff was going to be more, err, sexual in nature. But that’s just the sort of gutter mind I have.