ts are different."

The bell began to ring again. Recess was over. The children moved toward
the classroom. All the children except one--Johnny Malone, husky Johnny
Malone, twelve years old--the Mayor's son. Johnny Malone kicked at the
dirt. A robot proctor approached. The metallic voice sounded.

"The ringing of the bell means that classes are resumed. You will take
your place, please."

"I won't go inside."

"You will take your place, please."

"I won't. You can't make me take my place. My father is the Mayor."

The metal voice carried no feeling. "If you do not take your place you
will be punished."

"You can't lay a hand on me. No robot can."

The robot moved forward. Two metal hands held Johnny Malone. Johnny
Malone kicked the robot's legs. It hurt his toes. "We were made to teach
the children. We can do what is necessary to teach the children. I will
do everything for the children's good. It is my prime law. All other
laws are secondary to the children's good."

The metal arms moved. The human body bent across metal knees. A metal
hand raised and fell, flat, very flat so that it would sting and the
blood would come rushing, and yet there would be no bruising, no damage
to the human flesh. Johnny Malone cried out in surprise. Johnny Malone
wept. Johnny Malone squirmed. The metal ignored all of these. Johnny
Malone was placed on his feet. He swarmed against the robot, striking it
with small fists, bruising them against the solid smoothness of the
robot's thighs.

"You will take your place, please."

Tears were useless. Rage was useless. Metal cannot feel. Johnny Malone,
the Mayor's son, was intelligent. He took his place in the classroom.

One of the more advanced literature classes was reciting. The
roboteacher said metallically,

"_The weird sisters, hand in hand,
Posters of the sea and land,
Thus do go about, about:
Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine,
And thrice again, to make up nine.
Peace! the charm's wound up._"

Hands shot into the air. The metallic voice said, "Tom?"

"That's from Shakespeare's _Macbeth_."

"And what is its meaning?"

"The weird sisters are making a charm in the beginning of the play. They
have heard the drum that announces Macbeth's coming."

"That is correct."

A new hand shot into the air. "Question, teacher. May I ask a question?"

"You may always ask a question."

"Are witches real? Do you robots know of witches? And do you know of