And So It Goes

Vag belched contentedly, loosened his tie, and left the dinning hall. "It's 7:00 now," he thought, "and me exam isn't until 11:00 tomorrow morning." As he walked towards his room, he began calculating. "At least six hours for sleep," he said half aloud, "and one more for breakfast, and twenty minutes for a shave and a shower."

That left him eight hours and forty minutes to devote to pure lucubration. Vag was pleased--this time he'd planned it all very carefully. He remembered his hour exams last year when he'd had to read almost a thousand pages the night before. This year, though, he'd been unusually thorough; he had only one book left.

"Should I stretch out or sit up?" Vag asked himself. "I might as well compromise." He sat down on a soft red chair at the far end of the room, put his feet up on a coffee table, and began to read. "If I study without underlining this time," he thought, "if should improve my memory."

After reading three pages in five minutes, Vag began to contemplate the problem of studying. "I wonder," he wondered, "whether I could read a line, then shut my eyes and have a photograph of it in my mind. When I finish the book, the only problem will be turning the pages: but perhaps memory can even do that for me." He spent fifteen minutes experimenting, but all he could picture was the book's publication date.

For thirty-nine minutes, he concentrated perfectly. "Gradually," he decided, "I'm developing study habits. In fact, after this exam period, I'll probably spend twelve hours each day reading." Vag spent twenty minutes thinking of all the books he wanted to read, than twenty more trying to remember their authors.

It was nearly 11 o'clock, and Vag had read one chapter. The time had finally come, he told himself, to get down to work. "But first, I'll look at my roommate's Dali print for inspiration." Each of his roommate's had wanted to write a poem to the picture, and now Vag tried to work out his.

In the process of such deep thinking, Vag had found it helpful to stretch out on his couch. "I really can apply myself better this way," he reminded the victrola. So there he stayed, reading carefully for ten minutes.

Just then the door opened and one of Vag's roommates walked in, carrying a green bookbag in one had, and several pages of notes in the other. He walked around the room for a while, first searching for his mail, then for a place to throw his jacket. "Vag," he said, "I'm about studied out. Let's both get to bed early so we can make breakfast tomorrow morning."

For a minute, Vag pondered. "Well," he decided, "what's the difference. Most guys I know haven't done the reading anyway."

Fifteen minutes later he was asleep; and some how the alarm didn't ring until 10:15 the next morning.