Professor
X. Sam Samarawickrema, a great scientist, was concentrating his attention on a
mathematical problem when his friend George Perera went to see him. The
Professor sent word through his servant to inform Perera who was downstairs
that the professor would come down to see him in fifteen minutes' time.
Perera was waiting and waiting and the servant in the meantime laid lunch for
the Professor on the table downstairs and went out. It was 1 pm. and still the
Professor did not come down. Perera was hungry and angry so much so that he
helped himself to the food on the table and went away. The Professor came down
at about 1.45 pm. and opening the plates he said, “My, I forgot that I
had already taken my lunch. It's strange that I am feeling so hungry now."
So saying he went upstairs to continue his work.
Perera came to see Professor Samarawickrema again in the evening of the same
day as his business could not be done in the forenoon. This time he went
straight upstairs and found the Professor searching for something high and low.
"See, Mr. Perera,” he said, “I can't do anything because my spectacles are
missing."
”Your spectacles are on your forehead, Professor," said Mr. Perera. When
he also! Told the Professor what had happened in the morning, it was only then
that the latter realized that he had missed his lunch! Even his servant who
washed his plates did not know it.
* * * * * *
Professor Samarawickrema was invited to deliver a lecture at the Annual General
Meeting of the Royal Asiatic Society held at the Colombo Public Library and he
came down from his residence in Kandy by the returning Kandy express and got down at the Colombo Fort Railway
Station. The train was late. So he jumped into a taxi and told the driver,
"Hurry up a top speed." As they raced along, the Professor realized
that he did not know where he had to go nor that fool of a driver asked him
about it. He then shouted to the driver, "Do you know where I want to go?"
“No, Sir," said the taxi driver, "but I am driving as fast as I can
as requested by you." In fact he was driving in the opposite direction
towards Kollupitiya! '
* * * * * *
Professor Samarawickrema hated to be disturbed while at work. As stated
earlier, he goes on and on till he finishes the work in hand even without
meals. One day while he was working late into the night, the wall clock in his
study began to chime 12 o’clock. He ignored the first two or three chimes, but
when the clock went on chiming further, the outraged scientist took a broom
that was lying there and began hitting the clock so much that it came down crashing
on to the floor in pieces!
* * * * * *
Professor Samarawickrema, who had a diploma in Agriculture, was invited to
deliver a lecture in Jaffna mainly on that subject. He went with his
host-another Professor who was a Jaffna Tamil-and they found the hall packed
with farmers mostly. He spoke for about one hour and sat down to rather
unenthusiastic applause. He was quite embarrassed as he had spent considerable
time in preparing that lecture which he thought was one of the best he could
ever deliver.
Another speaker got up immediately and spoke in Tamil with some notes in his
hand. The Professor observed that the second lecturer was widely applauded
after every sentence. To hide his embarrassment, the Professor too began to
applaud the speaker until his host leaned over and whispered, “I wouldn’t do
that if I were you. He is interpreting your Speech!"
* * * * * *
Professor Samarawickrema wanted to buy a jar for his experiments and went into
a shop for the purpose. He picked up a jar which was upside down and exclaimed,
"How absurd. This jar has no mouth!" When he turned it over, he was
more ‘astonished, "Why, the bottom is gone too!” he ejaculated.
* * * * * *
The same absent minded Professor, while himself driving his car, struck against
another car ahead; His car was not damaged, but the other car was crushed.
“Don't worry. I shall pay the full cost of repairs," he told the other
driver, “ring me up when the work is over." When the Professor started
'his car to drive away, the other driver asked,
“What's your telephone number?”
“What's your name?"
“Why, it’s also in the Telephone Directory," replied the Professor and drove away!
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