He once recited three thousand verses without stopping; but the strain upon his mental faculties was too great, and he was little better than an idiot from that day forth--a grievous misfortune for the school, for on great occasions, before company, the superintendent (as Tom expressed it) had always made this boy come out and "spread himself."
Una vegada, aquest recita tres mil versicles sense aturar-se; pero la tensió exercida damunt ses facultats mentals era massa gran, i des d'aquell dia esdevingué poc menys que un idiota: lamentable infortuni per a l'escola, perque en les grans avinenteses, davant d'espectadors, el superintendent sempre feia sortir aquell noi perque (com deia Tom) «s'engegués».