The Geometrical Giraffe.Professor Pikestaffe, Ph. D.,While wandering over land and sea,Once on the plains of TimbuctooMet a giraffe.“Why, how d’ ye do!”Exclaimed the amiable Pikestaffe.“I’m really charmed, my dear Giraffe!I’ve thought so much of you of late,Our meeting seems a stroke of FateParticularly fortunate.I long have had upon my mindSomething concerning you; be kindEnough to seat yourself, and prayExcuse, if what I have to saySeems personal!”“My dear Pikestaffe,I shall be charmed,” said the Giraffe,“To hear whatever you may say.You are too kind; go on, I pray.”“Well, then,” said Pikestaffe, “to resume,You are aware, sir, I presume,That though with your long neck at easeYou crop the leaves upon the trees,Your legs are quitetoolong, and makeIt difficult for you to slakeYour thirst—in other words, you’ve foundYour neck too short to reach the ground.Indeed, I’ve often wept to thinkHow hard it is for you to drink.“To right a wrong we must, of course,First try to ascertain the source;And in this case we find the causeIn certain geometric laws,Which I will quickly demonstrate(How lucky that I brought my slate!).“Well, to begin, let line A BBe your front legs; then line A C(A shorter line) your neck shall be.Measured, ’twill only reach so far,When bent down toward the ground, as R.Then R’s your head stretched down, and showsHow far the ground lies from your nose—Though if the ground lay not at B,But R, you’d reach it easily.Suppose it then at R to lie,And draw for ground line D R I.Your head then touches ground at R—But now your feet go down too far!My compasses then I will layOn A and B, and make round AA circle crossing line D IAt two points. Mark them X and Y;Then draw from X and Y to ATwo lines; then it is safe to sayThat line A X and line A YEqual A B,being radiiOf the same circle, as you see(According to geometry).But since at first we did agreeA B your length of leg should be,These, being equal to A B,Are just the same as legs, you see.So now on legs A X, A Y.You stand upon the ground D I,And drink your fill; for, as I said,D I is touched by R, your head.Thus we have proved—”What happened hereProfessor Pikestaffe has no clearImpression, but the little rowOf stars above will serve to showWhat madly reeled before his eyes,As he went whirling to the skies.Below he heard a mocking laugh,That seemed to come from the Giraffe:“Go up! go up! You’ve proved enough;You’ve proved geometry is stuff!You’ve proved, till I am well nigh dead,And feel a thumping in my head,That I must spread my feet apartTo take a drink—why, bless your heart!I knew that long ere you were born.I laugh geometry to scorn.”Professor Pikestaffe, Ph. D.,They say, has dropped geometry—It seems he dropped his slate as well,Which lies exactly where it fell(Also the diagram he drew)Upon the plains of Timbuctoo.
Professor Pikestaffe, Ph. D.,While wandering over land and sea,Once on the plains of TimbuctooMet a giraffe.“Why, how d’ ye do!”Exclaimed the amiable Pikestaffe.“I’m really charmed, my dear Giraffe!I’ve thought so much of you of late,Our meeting seems a stroke of FateParticularly fortunate.I long have had upon my mindSomething concerning you; be kindEnough to seat yourself, and prayExcuse, if what I have to saySeems personal!”
Professor Pikestaffe, Ph. D.,While wandering over land and sea,Once on the plains of TimbuctooMet a giraffe.
“Why, how d’ ye do!”Exclaimed the amiable Pikestaffe.“I’m really charmed, my dear Giraffe!I’ve thought so much of you of late,Our meeting seems a stroke of FateParticularly fortunate.I long have had upon my mindSomething concerning you; be kindEnough to seat yourself, and prayExcuse, if what I have to saySeems personal!”
“My dear Pikestaffe,I shall be charmed,” said the Giraffe,“To hear whatever you may say.You are too kind; go on, I pray.”
“My dear Pikestaffe,I shall be charmed,” said the Giraffe,“To hear whatever you may say.You are too kind; go on, I pray.”
“Well, then,” said Pikestaffe, “to resume,You are aware, sir, I presume,That though with your long neck at easeYou crop the leaves upon the trees,Your legs are quitetoolong, and makeIt difficult for you to slakeYour thirst—in other words, you’ve foundYour neck too short to reach the ground.Indeed, I’ve often wept to thinkHow hard it is for you to drink.
“Well, then,” said Pikestaffe, “to resume,You are aware, sir, I presume,That though with your long neck at easeYou crop the leaves upon the trees,Your legs are quitetoolong, and makeIt difficult for you to slakeYour thirst—in other words, you’ve foundYour neck too short to reach the ground.Indeed, I’ve often wept to thinkHow hard it is for you to drink.
“To right a wrong we must, of course,First try to ascertain the source;And in this case we find the causeIn certain geometric laws,Which I will quickly demonstrate(How lucky that I brought my slate!).
“To right a wrong we must, of course,First try to ascertain the source;And in this case we find the causeIn certain geometric laws,Which I will quickly demonstrate(How lucky that I brought my slate!).
“Well, to begin, let line A BBe your front legs; then line A C(A shorter line) your neck shall be.Measured, ’twill only reach so far,When bent down toward the ground, as R.Then R’s your head stretched down, and showsHow far the ground lies from your nose—Though if the ground lay not at B,But R, you’d reach it easily.Suppose it then at R to lie,And draw for ground line D R I.Your head then touches ground at R—But now your feet go down too far!My compasses then I will layOn A and B, and make round AA circle crossing line D IAt two points. Mark them X and Y;
“Well, to begin, let line A BBe your front legs; then line A C(A shorter line) your neck shall be.Measured, ’twill only reach so far,When bent down toward the ground, as R.
Then R’s your head stretched down, and showsHow far the ground lies from your nose—Though if the ground lay not at B,But R, you’d reach it easily.Suppose it then at R to lie,And draw for ground line D R I.Your head then touches ground at R—But now your feet go down too far!My compasses then I will layOn A and B, and make round AA circle crossing line D IAt two points. Mark them X and Y;
Then draw from X and Y to ATwo lines; then it is safe to sayThat line A X and line A YEqual A B,being radiiOf the same circle, as you see(According to geometry).But since at first we did agreeA B your length of leg should be,These, being equal to A B,Are just the same as legs, you see.So now on legs A X, A Y.You stand upon the ground D I,And drink your fill; for, as I said,D I is touched by R, your head.Thus we have proved—”
Then draw from X and Y to ATwo lines; then it is safe to sayThat line A X and line A YEqual A B,being radiiOf the same circle, as you see(According to geometry).But since at first we did agreeA B your length of leg should be,These, being equal to A B,Are just the same as legs, you see.So now on legs A X, A Y.You stand upon the ground D I,And drink your fill; for, as I said,D I is touched by R, your head.Thus we have proved—”
What happened hereProfessor Pikestaffe has no clearImpression, but the little rowOf stars above will serve to showWhat madly reeled before his eyes,As he went whirling to the skies.Below he heard a mocking laugh,That seemed to come from the Giraffe:“Go up! go up! You’ve proved enough;You’ve proved geometry is stuff!You’ve proved, till I am well nigh dead,And feel a thumping in my head,That I must spread my feet apartTo take a drink—why, bless your heart!I knew that long ere you were born.I laugh geometry to scorn.”
What happened hereProfessor Pikestaffe has no clearImpression, but the little rowOf stars above will serve to showWhat madly reeled before his eyes,As he went whirling to the skies.Below he heard a mocking laugh,That seemed to come from the Giraffe:“Go up! go up! You’ve proved enough;You’ve proved geometry is stuff!You’ve proved, till I am well nigh dead,And feel a thumping in my head,That I must spread my feet apartTo take a drink—why, bless your heart!I knew that long ere you were born.I laugh geometry to scorn.”
Professor Pikestaffe, Ph. D.,They say, has dropped geometry—It seems he dropped his slate as well,Which lies exactly where it fell(Also the diagram he drew)Upon the plains of Timbuctoo.
Professor Pikestaffe, Ph. D.,They say, has dropped geometry—It seems he dropped his slate as well,Which lies exactly where it fell(Also the diagram he drew)Upon the plains of Timbuctoo.