Prompt: Abacus #LWG – 10 Minute Writing Exercise
10-minute Exercise #2 – 04/12/2018
“So, if I push one along here that makes five. Then I have to push one of these along here to signify the five that I have, and push these five back here to the beginning.?”
“Yes. That is correct. You now have the basis for a far-reaching knowledge of Mathematics. When you become the 13th Emperor of the Ting Dynasty you shall be able to add to your wisdom and to the happiness of your subjects through being able to add, subtract, divide and multiply numbers.”
“Is this all that I need? A knowledge of numbers?”
“You will also need to know how to treat your subjects. Be a benefactor and not a tyrant – bring prosperity to all and not just some.”
“And these people here who perform the part of a human abacus… are they not worthy too?”
“They are the subjects of our enemies – they have been treated kindly and given jobs. Some are Abacusians like these, others man the human table-football games; and yet others are models for our Terracota army.”
“Have we a need for an army?”
“It is a Terracotta one. It’s hardly going to be much use in a battle.”
“True. So what is the point of it?”
“We do have rather a lot of Terracotta that we didn’t know what to do with.”
“Figures.”
“Indeed. So, let us get back to our sums, Little Master. We move one across here and that makes…?”
