The junior school teacher wrote the word "contagious" on the blackboard, explained to the class what it meant, then said to her class, "Right, now I want you to write a sentence using the word 'contagious'!"

After a while she called up little Julie to the front and said to her, "Right, Julie, would you like to read your sentence to the class?"

"Yes, miss," said Julie, "My dad saw the man next door painting his house with a two-inch brush, and he said that it would take the contagious."