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The Well Rounded Curriculum
One time, the animals had a school. The curriculum consisted of running, climbing, flying and swimming, and all the animals took all of the subjects.
The duck was good in swimming -- better, in fact than his instructor; and he made passing grades in flying. But he was made to stay after school and drop his swimming class in order to practice running. He kept this up until he was only average in swimming ( though because of his waddle, he never did learn to run any better.) But average is acceptable, so nobody worried except the Duck, who remembered how well he used to swim.
The Eagle was considered a problem pupil and was disciplined severely. He beat all the others to the top of the tree in climbing class, but he used his own way of getting there. He Flew.
The Rabbit started out at the top of the class in running, but he had a nervous breakdown and had to drop out of school on account of so much make-up work in swimming.
The squirrel led the climbing class. but his flying teacher made him start his flying lesson from the ground instead of from the top of the tree down. He developed charley horses from over exertion at the take off and begun getting C's in climbing and D's in running.
The practical Prairie Dog apprenticed their offspring to a Badger when the school authorities refused to add digging to the curriculum.
At the end of the year, an abnormal eel, that could swim fairly well, climb a little, and fly slightly, and even "run" in a squirmy sort of fashion, made top -of -the -dean's list honors and was valedictorian of the class!
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