Lessons For Life

Grabbing the boy's ear, the old man roared, "Why do we study alchemy, you smear of dung?" 

"Ai! Sahib, please! I do not know!" 

The ear was wrenched harder, and the squeals grew louder. 

"Aiiiii! SothatwecanfillShahran'scofferswithgold, Sahiiib!" 

The ear remained firmly in the old man's possession but his voice lost some of its anger. "And because we need gold to make the Seer's Cordial, you unteachable dolt. Do you want to be dead before you reach manhood?" He let go of the boy. 

The child rubbed his ear. At least it hadn't been the cane today. "Sahib, if you keep pulling bits of me off, there will be nothing left to reach manhood." 

"Shameless! Cursed we are in Shahran to be stuck with such a lafanga! A Seer I must make him? Not if I spent my whole life instructing him would this brainless lump see his own nose. Pah!" Harrumphing, the old man stormed out of the laboratory.