I had tried hard at it, but had made nothing of it.

Thus it was:-- Again and again and again, my sister had traced upon the slate, a character that looked like a curious T, and then with the utmost eagerness had called our attention to it as something she particularly wanted.

I had in vain tried everything producible that began with a T, from tar to toast and tub.

At length it had come into my head that the sign looked like a hammer, and on my lustily calling that word in my sister's ear, she had begun to hammer on the table and had expressed a qualified assent.

Thereupon, I had brought in all our hammers, one after another, but without avail.