The Books He Counted Twice

Chapter 1A Busy Library Table

Rebbi asked Nachum to help record eight classroom books returned during the morning.

The books had large number labels. Nachum used the teacher's approved check sheet, marking each number when its book reached the table.

Later, Rebbi checked the books and allowed Nachum to place them on the reachable return shelf.

Nachum marked their numbers in a second column as he shelved them.

Eight received. Eight shelved.

He smiled. That looked like sixteen books handled.

Chapter 2The Big Total

Rebbi asked how many different books had been returned.

"Sixteen," Nachum answered.

Yanky looked at the shelf.

"I only see eight."

"There are eight marks here and eight there."

Nachum tapped both columns.

Yanky began looking beneath the table for the missing stack.

Nachum had marked each step as requested.

Chapter 3Book Four

Rebbi asked Nachum to show the journey of book four.

Nachum pointed to four in the received column.

Then he pointed to four in the shelved column.

"Is that one book or two different books?"

Nachum turned toward the shelf. Book four stood there only once.

The two marks described two steps for the same book.

He had counted completed steps and answered a question about different books.

Yanky stopped looking beneath the table.

"So nothing is missing?"

"Not because of this total," Rebbi said. "We will check the actual numbers."

Chapter 4Number by Number

Under Rebbi's guidance, Nachum compared the received numbers with the shelf and second column.

Books one through eight were all present, each on the reachable shelf in its proper place.

Nachum corrected his answer to eight different books.

He did not erase the second column. It showed the useful fact that every received book had reached the shelf.

The marks were good records of steps. Adding them together had made them answer the wrong question.

Chapter 5One Waiting Book

During the next approved library period, another book arrived.

Nachum marked its number in the received column.

Rebbi needed to check a loose page before shelving it, so it stayed in the teacher's review tray.

Nachum did not mark it as shelved just to make the columns match.

Now the difference between the columns meant something real: one received book was still waiting for an adult check.

He reported that to Rebbi instead of inventing another missing book.

Chapter 6What the Marks Mean

After checking the page, Rebbi approved shelving the book.

Nachum added the second mark only then.

The number appeared twice. The book had not multiplied.

Yanky grinned.

"A pity. We could have had twice as many stories."

"We had twice as many steps," Nachum said.

He kept both step records and the accurate book total.