Infancy Gospel of Thomas 6:8–10

^8a Now when they seemed comforted by the child’s encouragement, the teacher said to his father, “Come, bring him into the school. I’ll teach him letters.” And Joseph took his hand and led him into the school. And the teacher flattered him, brought him into the school, and Zacchaeus wrote the alphabet for him and began to teach him, saying the same letter frequently. (IGT) ^8b But the child didn’t answer him. And the teacher became irritated and struck him on the head. And the child became irritated and said to him, “I want to teach you rather than be taught by you, since I know the letters you’re teaching more accurately. To me these things are like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal that don’t bring out the sound, nor the glory, nor the power of understanding.” (IGT) ⁹ When the child’s anger ceased, he said all the letters by himself, from the alpha to the omega, very skillfully. And looking straight at the teacher he said, “If you don’t know the nature of the alpha, how can you teach another the beta? Hypocrite! If you know, first teach me the alpha, and then I will trust you to speak of the beta.” Then he began to teach the teacher about the first element. And he couldn’t say anything to him. (IGT) ¹⁰ While many listened, he said to the teacher, “Listen, Teacher, and understand the arrangement of the first element. Now, notice how it has sharp lines and a middle stroke, which you see pointing, standing with legs apart, coming together, going out, dragging behind, lifting up, dancing around, <…>, in triple rhythm, two-cornered, of the same form, of the same thickness, of the same family, raised, balanced, isometric, of equal proportions. These are the lines of the alpha.” (IGT)