The Governess Club: Claire Read Online Free PDF Page A

feeling came over him, one that made him think that perhaps this would be one time that he wouldn’t fail. Striding to the door, he called out, “Gentlemen, we are going tree climbing.”
    J acob positioned the brothers at the base of the tree, poised to climb. “Right now, you are still, not in motion. But that does not mean that nothing is happening. Right now, you are full of potential energy. Do you know what potential means?”
    “It’s like a promise,” Peter chirped.
    “That’s right. Right now you are full of the promise of energy, the promise of movement. Scientifically, it is referred to as potential energy. Once you start moving, however, it changes from potential energy to kinetic energy. Can you guess what kinetic means?”
    “Is it like kindle , to start a wood fire?” Peter asked.
    “Or like kite flying?” Michael offered.
    “If potential energy means the promise of moving, but it keeps that promise by changing to kinetic energy, what do you think might have happened?”
    “Did it start moving?”
    “Exactly! Kinetic energy means that something has started to move. Now, as I said, right now you two are full of potential energy. I want you to get to the first branch by changing your potential energy into kinetic energy.”
    “You mean you want us to climb the tree?” Peter asked. Michael had already started scrambling up the trunk. Within minutes, both boys were sitting on the first branch, slightly above Jacob’s head.
    “Well done, gentlemen. Remind me, what does it mean when something has potential energy?”
    “It isn’t moving.”
    “And what does it mean when something has kinetic energy?”
    “It is moving, like climbing a tree.”
    “Excellent.” Much better. Jacob felt a surge of something in his chest, expanding and warming him all over. “Those two things are energies. Let’s talk about a particular force right now.” Helping the boys move, he quickly had them hanging from the branch by their hands. “How does it feel to be hanging there?”
    “The bark is hurting my hands,” Michael complained.
    “It will do that. Later we’ll talk about why trees are made the way they are. Right now, try pulling yourselves up.” The boys struggled and managed to move themselves somewhat, but essentially remained in the same position.
    “Mr. Knightly, my arms are hurting,” Peter whined.
    “Why do they hurt? Why don’t you pull yourself up onto the branch?”
    “I’m trying, but it’s hard. There’s something pulling me down!”
    “Exactly. That’s the force we’re going to talk about.” Gently he lifted each boy down and they all sat on the grass, the boys rubbing their arms. “Both of you felt something pulling you down when you were hanging. That is a force called gravity . It’s something invisible from the earth that pulls things down to the ground. You see the leaves and branches on the tree? Most of them are pointing toward the ground. That is because gravity has a good grip on them and is pulling them back down.”
    “Does the earth have invisible arms?” Michael asked.
    Jacob chuckled. “I guess you could say that. Gravity is like the earth reaching out and grabbing hold of something, pulling it back to the ground. The bigger something is, the better grip gravity can have on it, making it more difficult for something to move away from the earth.”
    “Is that why birds fly and we don’t?” Michael asked. “Because we’re bigger than them?”
    “Partly. We can talk more about the differences between human and bird anatomy later.” He glanced up and spotted their sisters and governess heading their way with a picnic basket. “Why don’t you give Miss Bannister a demonstration of your kinetic energy?”
    With eager cries, the boys streaked off toward the approaching group, hollering at the top of their lungs about their kinetic energy. Even from that distance, Jacob could feel Claire’s gaze on him.
    He just smiled.
    J acob rose from his chair as