اِثْنَا عَشَرَ ضَرْبَ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ

عَادَ ابْنُ جُحَا مِنَ الْمَدْرَسَةِ بَاكِيًا:

— يَا أَبِي، ضَرَبَنِي الْمُعَلِّمُ لِأَنَّنِي لَمْ أَعْرِفْ كَمِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ ضَرْبَ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ!

ذَهَبَ جُحَا إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ وَسَأَلَ الْمُعَلِّمَ:

— مَاذَا فَعَلَ ابْنِي؟

— لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ أَنْ يُجِيبَ عَنِ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ ضَرْبَ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ!

— وَكَمْ هِيَ اثْنَا عَشَرَ ضَرْبَ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ؟

— مِئَةٌ وَأَرْبَعَةٌ وَأَرْبَعُونَ! قَالَ الْمُعَلِّمُ بِفَخْرٍ.

رَبَّتَ جُحَا عَلَى رَأْسِ ابْنِهِ وَقَالَ:

— تَعَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ نَعُودُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ. هَذَا يَعْرِفُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ ضَرْبَ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ وَيَضْرِبُ الْأَطْفَالَ، تَخَيَّلْ مَاذَا سَيَفْعَلُ لَوْ تَعَلَّمَ ثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ ضَرْبَ ثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ!

Jeha’s son came home from school crying:

“Father, the teacher hit me because I didn’t know what twelve times twelve is!”

Jeha went to the school and asked the teacher:

“What did my son do wrong?”

“He couldn’t answer twelve times twelve!”

“And what is twelve times twelve?”

“A hundred and forty-four!” said the teacher proudly.

Jeha patted his son on the head and said:

“Come, son, let’s go home. He knows twelve times twelve and still hits children — imagine what he’d do if he learned thirteen times thirteen.”