О дивный новый мир

           Atbreakfastthenextmorning,"Tommy,"someonesays,"doyouknowwhichisthelongestriverinAfrica?"Ashakingofthehead."Butdon’tyouremembersomethingthatbegins:TheNileisthe..."

           "The-Nile-is-the-longest-river-in-Africa-and-the-second-in-length-of-all-the-rivers-of-the-globe..."Thewordscomerushingout."Although-falling-short-of..."

           "Wellnow,whichisthelongestriverinAfrica?"

           Theeyesareblank."Idon’tknow."

           "ButtheNile,Tommy."

           "The-Nile-is-the-longest-river-in-Africa-and-second..."

           "Thenwhichriveristhelongest,Tommy?"

           Tommyburstintotears."Idon’tknow,"hehowls.)

           Thathowl,theDirectormadeitplain,discouragedtheearliestinvestigators.Theexperimentswereabandoned.NofurtherattemptwasmadetoteachchildrenthelengthoftheNileintheirsleep.Quiterightly.Youcan’tlearnascienceunlessyouknowwhatit’sallabout.

           "Whereas,ifthey’donlystartedonmoraleducation,"saidtheDirector,leadingthewaytowardsthedoor.Thestudentsfollowedhim,desperatelyscribblingastheywalkedandallthewayupinthelift."Moraleducation,whichoughtnever,inanycircumstances,toberational."

           "Silence,silence,"whisperedaloudspeakerastheysteppedoutatthefourteenthfloor,and"Silence,silence,"thetrumpetmouthsindefatigablyrepeatedatintervalsdowneverycorridor.ThestudentsandeventheDirectorhimselfroseautomaticallytothetipsoftheirtoes.