FUZZY TWIG HAS A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER

MRS. SNAPPYBRANCH WAS WALKING HOME FROM SCHOOL ON A WINDY AFTERNOON WHEN SHE TRIPPED OVER A SMALL ROCK ON THE PATHWAY. SHE SPRAINED HER ANKLE AND FELL TO THE GROUND. SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO TEACH THE KINDERGARTEN CLASS THE NEXT DAY.

THE NEXT MORNING A LARGE MAN WAS STANDING IN THE FRONT OF THE CLASSROOM AND WHEN THE CHILDREN HAD ALL TAKEN THEIR SEATS, HE SAID, "I AM MR. SCALYBARK. MRS. SNAPPYBRANCH HAS A SPRAINED ANKLE AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TEACH FOR A FEW DAYS. I WILL BE YOUR SUBSTITUTE TEACHER UNTIL SHE COMES BACK TO CLASS. I WILL NOT STAND FOR ANY FOOLISHNESS AND I KNOW ALL OF YOUR TRICKS. THIS A CLASS ROOM, NOT A PLAY PEN. YOU WILL BEHAVE YOURSELVES OR YOU WILL BE VERY SORRY."

THE LITTLE GIRL SITTING NEXT TO FUZZY LEANED OVER AND WHISPERED INTO FUZZYS EAR, "HE'S MEAN! MR. SCALYBARK DID NOT HEAR WHAT SHE SAID BUT HE SAW HER WHISPERING IN CLASS AND CALLED HER TO THE FRONT OF THE ROOM.

MR. SCALYBARK DREW A CIRCLE ON THE BLACKBOARD AND MADE THE LITTLE GIRL WHO HAD BEEN CAUGHT TALKING IN CLASS PUT HER NOSE IN THE CIRCLE AND STAND THERE.

A LITTLE BOY LAUGHED A LITTLE BIT AND MR. SCALYBARK CALLED HIM TO THE FRONT OF THE ROOM AND PUT ANOTHER CIRCLE ON THE BLACKBORAD. YOU KNOW WHOSE NOSE WENT INTO THAT CIRCLE.A LITTLE BOY LAUGHED

SOON THERE WERE FOUR CHILDREN WITH THEIR NOSES IN CIRCLES AND TWO MORE WHO WERE STANDING WITH THEIR NOSES IN THE CORNER OF THE ROOM. THERE WAS NOT VERY MANY CHILDREN LEFT IN THEIR SEATS.

AT THE END OF THE DAY MR. SCALYBARK SAID IT WOULD BE NICE IF THE CHILDREN SENT A GET WELL LETTER TO MRS. SNAPPYBRANCH. HE WOULD WRITE THE MESSAGE, "MRS. SNAPPYBRANCH WE MISS YOU. PLEASE GET WELL SOON." HE WOULD PASS IT AROUND THE CLASS FOR ALL THE CHILDREN TO SIGN.

AFTER THE CLASS HAD ALL SIGNED THE CARD AND MR. SCALYBARK GOT THE LETTER BACK ON HIS DESK HE SAW THAT ONE OF THE CHILDREN HAD WRITTEN SOME WORDS AFTER THE MESSAGE HE HAD WRITTEN. THEY WERE, "VERY, VERY SOON, PLEASE!" AND THE ADDED WORDS WERE UNDERLINED TWICE. MR. SCALYBARK SMILED JUST A VERY LITTLE BUT HE DID NOT SAY ANYTHING. HE PUT THE LETTER IN AN ENVELOPE AND MAILED IT.