The story describes traditional Chinese views on education.
Explanation:
Among the two boys, only one is given formal education. The boy who is chosen is given the best clothes and is portrayed as a scholar.
The other child roams about the village in casual wear gathering fuel, swimming in the village mud-hole and busy. He is considered as the most useful child in the family.
The author says that if a student is quick and bright, he is praised by the people. The child who received education behaves modestly, but in reality, he becomes a victim to flattering.
To keep his position, he pays attention to his studies but his brother is always in the field learning some trade.
Mrs. Putnam gets it into her head that there must be a gigantic conspiracy between the Prince of Darkness and some of the supposedly God-fearing folk of Salem. That's what she means when she says "There are wheels within wheels in this village, and fires within fires!"
