And a certain teacher, Zacchæus by name, was standing in a certain place, and heard Jesus thus speaking to his father; and he wondered exceedingly, that, being a child, he should speak in such a way.
2And a few days thereafter he came to Joseph, and said to him: Thou hast a sensible child, and he has some mind.
3Give him to me, then, that he may learn letters; and I shall teach him along with the letters all knowledge, both how to address all the elders, and to honour them as forefathers and fathers, and how to love those of his own age.
4And He said to him all the letters from the Alpha even to the Omega, clearly and with great exactness.
5And He looked upon the teacher Zacchæus, and said to him: Thou who art ignorant of the nature of the Alpha, how canst thou teach others the Beta?
6Thou hypocrite! first, if thou knowest, teach the A, and then we shall believe thee about the B.
7Then He began to question the teacher about the first letter, and he was not able to answer Him.
8And in the hearing of many, the child says to Zacchæus: Hear, O teacher, the order of the first letter, and notice here how it has lines, and a middle stroke crossing those which thou seest common; (lines) brought together; the highest part supporting them, and again bringing them under one head; with three points of intersection; of the same kind; principal and subordinate; of equal length.
9Thou hast the lines of the A.