In those days the schools were not like our schools. Just a few boys went to school. They learned to read. They learned to write. They learned some other things, too.

But most of the boys did not go to school at all. They worked at home. They learned to do the work their fathers did. They never learned to read. They never learned to write.

Little girls did not go to school. Their mothers showed them how to paint pretty pictures. They showed them how to sing and play music. They showed them how to be kind and make others happy.

One day Benedict's father said, "Benedict, you are big enough to go to school. I want you to learn to read and write."

Benedict was happy. He wanted to learn many new things.

Scholastica wanted to go to school, too. Her father said, "No Scholastica. You can not go with Benedict." Scholastica began to cry.

Her mother said, "I will tell you many stories. I will show you how to do many new things. I will show you all the things little girls like to do."

Benedict did not like to see Scholastica cry. "When we get big," he said, "we can be together all the time." And that made Scholastica happy.