From the Word “Goo!”

But the modern young St. George enjoys none of these advantages. He doesn't even know what particular make of dragon he will meet, where

“The dragon was a fire-breather who could be put out with a puff of the Nero Fire Extinguisher.”

he will meet it, or exactly how he will give it the works. All he is taught is that somewhere there dwells a lovely lady named Success whose form runs into four figures and who waits to welcome him with open alms if he can drag off her dragon whose unchristian name is Fear. But Saidie Success is so elusive that even the Tax Office is not certain of her address.

Thus it is evident that the pursuit and capture of this gilt-edged baby with the gold-crowned smile and eyes as warm as the tops of lead-headed nails is no egg-and-spoon race.

Also, it is understandable why every baby, be it bonny or bony, is, before it has put a tooth into its first rusk, tentatively tossed to the dragon that guards the lady Sadie.

He is trained to one end—to whit, to woo. He is taught the craft of laying page 51 tasty baits that he might snare her and bring her back alive bound up with marriage lines and a deed of gift.

This branch of wouldcraft is called Education, but why—nobody seems to know except that it sounds the kind of name for that kind of thing. Of course, Education must not be confused with Thought which is practised by poets and philosophers and suchlike people who are so unsuccessful that they have to pay cash for everything they get. So, from safety pin to safety-first, from the word “goo!”, from shorts gasps to long pants, from LL.B. to L.S.D., modern youth is educated in the art of making two and two add up to five and everything else add up, and up, and up.