Ajax, for example

"Ajax, for Example" by W. C. Tuttle is a comical narrative set in the American West, where an educated but clueless professor, Ajax Ulysses Green, tries to conduct scientific research in the wild. The story is meant to be funny, using satire to make a point about how book smarts don't always help in real life. Ajax gets into all kinds of trouble when he tries to study the effects of a plant on sheep, mainly because he doesn't know anything about surviving in the outdoors or dealing with regular folk. He goes to the cabin of Magpie Simpkins and his partner Ike Harper, but his fancy language and know-it-all attitude just confuse and annoy them. He finds himself in silly situations, like arguing with a sheep herder and accidentally stealing a goat. As Ajax struggles to fit in, Magpie and Ike are torn between liking him and being annoyed by him, showing just how different he is from them. His attempts at science turn into a joke, highlighting the gap between what you learn in school and what you need to know to get by in the real world.