"I myself know a child of seven who can play most difficult piano compositions without ever having been taught, or knowing in the least how he does it." "Do you think of any one else ?" asked the prince.
"Yes," said St.George, "I know a little lad of about five, I should say, who can add enormous numbers and instantly give the accurate result.

And he has no idea how he does that, and no one has ever taught him to count above twelve.

Oh--every one knows those cases, I fancy." "Has any one ever explained them, Mr.St.George ?" asked the prince.
"How should they ?" asked St.George simply.

"They are prodigies." "Quite so," said the prince again.

"It is almost incredible that these instances seem to suggest to no one that there must be other ways to 'learn' music and mathematics--and, therefore, everything else--than those known to your civilization.