ter how thrifty, will be
eager to buy costly encyclopedias, or books of all knowledge. Almost
every simian family, even the dullest, will think it is due to
themselves to keep all knowledge handy.

Their idea of a liberal education will therefore be a great
hodge-podge; and he who narrows his field and digs deep will be viewed
as an alien. If more than one man in a hundred should thus dare to
concentrate, the ruinous effects of being a specialist will be sadly
discussed. It may make a man exceptionally useful, they will have to
admit; but still they will feel badly, and fear that civilization will
suffer.

* * * * *

One of their curious educational ideas--but a natural one--will be
shown in the efforts they will make to learn more than one "language."
They will set their young to spending a decade or more of their lives
in studying duplicate systems--whole systems--of chatter. Those who
thus learn several different ways to say the same things, will command
much respect, and those who learn many will be looked on with awe--by
true simians. And persons without this accomplishment will be looked
down on a little, and will actually feel quite apologetic about it
themselves.

Consider how enormously complicated a complete language must be, with
its long and arbitrary vocabulary, its intricate system of sounds; the
many forms that single words may take, especially if they are verbs;
the rules of grammar, the sentence structure, the idioms, slang and
inflections. Heavens, what a genius for tongues these simians have![2]
Where another race, after the most frightful discord and pains, might
have slowly constructed _one_ language before this earth grew cold,
this race will create literally hundreds, each complete in itself, and
many of them with quaint little systems of writing attached. And the
owners of this linguistic gift are so humble about it, they will marvel
at bees, for their hives, and at beavers' mere dams.

[2] You remember what Kipling says in the Jungle Books, about how
disgusted the quiet animals were with the Bandarlog, because they
were eternally chattering, would never keep still. Well, this is
the good side of it.

* * * * *

To return, however, to their fear of being too narrow, in going to the
other extreme they will run to incredible lengths. Every civilized
simian, every day of his life, in ad