--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The present Mr. Parslow was teaching his…" description: "\"“The present Mr. Parslow was teaching his son the craft; the two of them and their three workmen would scramble like industrious termites over the scaf..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/philip-pullman-525_craft-workmen_the-present-mr-parslow-was-teaching-his_2543706.png" --- # The present Mr. Parslow was teaching his son the craft… ![“The present Mr. Parslow was teaching his son the craft; the two of them and their three workmen would scramble like industrious termites over the scaffolding they’d erected at the corner of the library, or over the roof of the chapel, and haul up bright new blocks of stone or rolls of shiny lead…” quote by Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/philip-pullman-525_craft-workmen_the-present-mr-parslow-was-teaching-his_2543706.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/philip-pullman-525_craft-workmen_the-present-mr-parslow-was-teaching-his_2543706.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/philip-pullman-525_craft-workmen_the-present-mr-parslow-was-teaching-his_2543706.png) > ““The present Mr. Parslow was teaching his son the craft; the two of them and their three workmen would scramble like industrious termites over the scaffolding they’d erected at the corner of the library, or over the roof of the chapel, and haul up bright new blocks of stone or rolls of shiny lead or balks of timber. The”” [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vivid scene shows a father teaching his son through hands‑on work, emphasizing learning by doing and the bustling energy of craftsmanship. **In simple terms:** Learning by doing together builds skill and community. Key Takeaway Engage in practical mentorship. Themes learning craftsmanship family community Mood enerusiastic inspirational Type narrative descriptive When to use this quote - construction projects - family workshops - skill training - team building Key Concepts Apprenticeship hands‑on learning collaboration Questions to Reflect On - How does hands‑on work shape understanding? - What role does mentorship play in skill transfer? A Different Perspective May overlook the need for reflection beyond physical labor. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Craft Workmen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craft-workmen-1456306/) [Parslow Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parslow-teaching-1456308/) [Scaffolding Erected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scaffolding-erected-1456310/) [Termites Scaffolding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/termites-scaffolding-1456307/) [Workmen Scramble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workmen-scramble-1456309/) ## Related quotes > [I believe in the honest craft of workmen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-believe-in-the-honest-craft-of-workmen/) [Robert A. 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He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/all-the-stories-of-the-bible-that-i-know-came-to-me-first-from-my/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [What I do say is that I can write verse, and that the writing of verse in strict form is the best possible training…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/what-i-do-say-is-that-i-can-write-verse-and-that-the-writing-of-verse/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Writing is tyranny ... but reading is democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/writing-is-tyranny-but-reading-is-democracy/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [“Middlemarch is a novel that is diminished by being put on the screen. It can't help but be, because so much of what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/middlemarch-is-a-novel-that-is-diminished-by-being-put-on-the-screen/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [I have maintained a passionate interest in education, which leads me occasionally to make foolish and ill-considered remarks alleging that not everything is well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/i-have-maintained-a-passionate-interest-in-education-which-leads-me/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [And think what worrying does: has anyone ever added a single hour to the length of his life by worrying about it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/and-think-what-worrying-does-has-anyone-ever-added-a-single-hour-to/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [“The question authors get asked more than any other is "Where do you get your ideas from?" And we all find a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/the-question-authors-get-asked-more-than-any-other-is-where-do-you/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [“We are all subject to the fates. But we must all act as if we are not,” said the witch, “or die of despair.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/we-are-all-subject-to-the-fates-but-we-must-all-act-as-if-we-are-not/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Lonely? I don't know. They tell me this is cold. I don't know what cold is, because I don't freeze. So I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/lonely-i-don-t-know-they-tell-me-this-is-cold-i-don-t-know-what-cold/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Just finished 'Secrecy' - truly enthralling both as a love story and as a tale of suspense - but much more than both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/just-finished-secrecy-truly-enthralling-both-as-a-love-story-and-as-a/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [“As Auden is believed to have said, no poem saved a single Jew from the gas chambers. Never mind. Write the poems anyway. Play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/as-auden-is-believed-to-have-said-no-poem-saved-a-single-jew-from-the/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) [Explore all 479 Philip Pullman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) ## More Craft Workmen quotes > [I believe in the honest craft of workmen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-believe-in-the-honest-craft-of-workmen/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Browse all 2 Craft Workmen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craft-workmen-1456306/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The present Mr. Parslow was teaching his son the craft; the two of them and their three workmen would scramble like industrious termites over the scaffolding they’d erected at the corner of the library, or over the roof of the chapel, and haul up bright new blocks of stone or rolls of shiny lead or balks of timber. 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