In  my  opinion  the  man  ain't  in  his  right  mind."

"In  my  opinion  he  hain't  got  any  mind."

No.  3  said:  "Well,  he's  a  lummox,  anyway."

"That's  what  he  is,"  said  No.  4,  "he's  a  labrick
— just  a  Simon-pure  labrick,  if  ever  there  was  one."

"Yes,  sir,  he's  a  dam  fool,  that's  the  way  I  put
him  up,"  said  No.  5.  "Anybody  can  think  different
that  wants  to,  but  those  are  my  sentiments."

"I'm  with  you,  gentlemen,"  said  No.  6.  "Per-
fect jackass — yes,  and  it  ain't  going  too  far  to  say
he  is  a  pudd'nhead.  If  he  ain't  a  pudd'nhead,  I
ain't  no  judge,  that's  all."

Mr.  Wilson  stood  elected.  The  incident  was  told
all  over  the  town,  and  gravely  discussed  by  every-
body. Within  a  week  he  had  lost  his  first  name;
Pudd'nhead  took  its  place.  In  time  he  came  to  be
liked,  and  well  liked,  too;  but  by  that  time  the
nickname  had  got  well  stuck  on,  and  it  stayed.
That  first  day's  verdict  made  him  a  fool,  and  he
was  not  able  to  get  it  set  aside,  or  even  modified.
The  nickname  soon  ceased  to  carry  any  harsh  or
unfriendly  feeling  with  it,  but  it  held  its  place,  and
was  to  continue  to  hold  its  place  for  twenty  long
years.
CHAPTER  II

Adam  was  but  human — this  explains  it  all.  He  did  not  want
the  apple  for  the  apple's  sake,  he  wanted  it  only  because  it  was
forbidden.  The  mistake  was  in  not  forbidding  the  serpent;
then  he  would  have  eaten  the  serpent.
— Pudd'nhead  Wilson's  Calendar.
