One Friday Miss Nelson told her class that she was going to have her tonsils out.
“I’ll be away successivo week,” she said. “And I expect te to behave.”
“Yess, Miss Nelson,” detto the kids in 207.
But at recess it was another story.
“Wow!” detto the kids. “While Miss Nelson is away, we can really act up!”
“Not so fast!” detto a big kid from 309. “Haven’t te heard of Viola Swamp?”
“Who?” detto Miss Nelson’s kids.
“Miss Swamp is the meanest substitute teacher in the whole world,” detto the big kid. “Nobody acts up when she’s around.”
“Oooh,” detto Miss Nelson’s kids.
“She’s a real witch,” detto the big kid.
“Oooh,” detto Miss Nelson’s kids.
“I’ll just bet te get the Swamp!” detto the big kid.
On Monday morning Miss Nelson’s kids were all in their seats.
They were very nervous.
Some of them had not slept well all weekend.
“If we get the Swamp, I’ll just die,” detto one kid.
They heard footsteps in the hall.
Slowly the knob turned.
And the door opened…
It was Mr. Blandsworth, the principal.
“I shall personally take over this class,” he said.
Miss Nelson’s kids were so relieved.
But they soon learned that Mr. Blandsworth was not a lot of fun.
All morning Mr. Blandsworth tried to amuse the class with his corny card tricks.
“Oh, brother,” detto the class.
That afternoon, Mr. Blandsworth showed the class his preferito shadow pictures.
“This is kids’ stuff,” detto the class.
The successivo giorno Mr. Blandsworth demonstrated his preferito bird calls.
They were not a success.
And for two days Mr. Blandsworth showed slides of his goldfish Lucille.
Miss Nelson’s kids had never been so bored.
While dusting erasers in the schoolyard, three of the ringleaders of 207 discussed the siutation.
“Something will have to be done,” they said. “We must get rid of Blandsworth.”
And they hatched a plot.
After school they painted and sewed and borrowed some old clothes.
And they practiced some very difficult stunt work in the back yard.
The successivo giorno they weren’t in class.
“That’s too bad,” detto Mr. Blandsworth. “They’ll miss all the excitement.”
Mr. Blandworth was about to mostra the class his collection of ballpoint pens from all over the world, when someone came to the door.
Slowly the knob turned.
And the door opened…
“Oh, look!” detto the class. “Miss Nelson is back!”
A tall and lumpy Miss Nelson tottered into the room.
Mr. Blandsworth was surprised.
“You’re back sooner than we expected,” he said.
The tall and lumpy Miss Nelson didn’t speak.
“Er,” detto the kids. “Her throat must still be sore.”
“Are te sure you’re well enough?” detto Mr. Blandsworth.
“She’s sure,” detto the kids.
“Well, in that case,” detto the principal. “I’ll be getting back to the office. Nice to have te back, Miss Nelson.”
And he left the room.
“Hot dog!” cried the class. “We got rid of Blandsworth! Now we can do just as we please!”
And at the stroke of ten, the kids from 207 left the building.
No one stopped them.
They went straight to the movies, where they saw The Monster That Ate Chicago—twice.
“This is really living,” they said.
Afterward they went to Lulu’s, where they stuffed themselves silly.
But soon they made a serious mistake.
Heading back to school, they passed Miss Nelson’s house.
Miss Nelson couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Those are my kids!” she detto in a scratchy voice. “What are they doing out of school? And who is that with them?”
Miss Nelson telephoned Mr. Blandsworth to see what was going on.
“You’re not Miss Nelson,” detto Blandsworth. “Miss Nelson is back.”
And he hung up.
“Can’t fool me,” he said.
“Hmm,” detto Miss Nelson. “Something will have to be done.”
And she went to her closet.
Back in 207 Miss Nelson’s kids were spending and agreeable afternoon.
They were very pleased with themselves.
“We should do this più often,” they said.
They did not notice the figure out in the hall.
Slowly the knob turned.
And the door opened…
“My name is Viola Swamp,” detto the lady in a scratchy voice.
“Yipes!” cried the kids. “The Swamp!”
“That’s right!” detto Miss Swamp. “And I’m here to whip this class into shape. Get back to those desks on the double!”
The class did as it was told.
The big kid from 309 was certainly right—Miss Swamp was a real witch!
She knew how to get results.
The class did a whole week’s work in no time.
“We shouldn’t have gotten rid of Blandsworth,” they said.
“Pipe down!” detto the Swamp, “or…”
Just then something under a scrivania, reception attracted her attention.
It was a mask.
“Ah ha!” detto Miss Swamp. “So that’s your little game!”
And she tried on the mask—just as Mr. Blandsworth stepped into her room.
“Miss Nelson,” detto Mr. Blandsworth, “I’m of the opinion that someone has been impersonating you.”
“Uh oh,” whispered the kids.
“You don’t say,” detto Miss Swamp.
“Probably just come kids recitazione up. I’m sure it won’t happen again.”
And Mr. Blandsworth left.
“And it won’t, will it?” detto Miss Swamp to the class.
“Because the Swamp will be watching!”
A minuto later, Miss Nelson appeared.
“I’m back!” she said.
“Hot dog!” cried the kids. “Are we glad to see you!”
“Didn’t te have fun with Mr. Blandsworth?” asked Miss Nelson.
“Er,” detto the kids.
They decided not to mention Miss Viola Swamp.
But they wondered why Miss Nelson hadn’t seen her in the hall.
“I’ll be away successivo week,” she said. “And I expect te to behave.”
“Yess, Miss Nelson,” detto the kids in 207.
But at recess it was another story.
“Wow!” detto the kids. “While Miss Nelson is away, we can really act up!”
“Not so fast!” detto a big kid from 309. “Haven’t te heard of Viola Swamp?”
“Who?” detto Miss Nelson’s kids.
“Miss Swamp is the meanest substitute teacher in the whole world,” detto the big kid. “Nobody acts up when she’s around.”
“Oooh,” detto Miss Nelson’s kids.
“She’s a real witch,” detto the big kid.
“Oooh,” detto Miss Nelson’s kids.
“I’ll just bet te get the Swamp!” detto the big kid.
On Monday morning Miss Nelson’s kids were all in their seats.
They were very nervous.
Some of them had not slept well all weekend.
“If we get the Swamp, I’ll just die,” detto one kid.
They heard footsteps in the hall.
Slowly the knob turned.
And the door opened…
It was Mr. Blandsworth, the principal.
“I shall personally take over this class,” he said.
Miss Nelson’s kids were so relieved.
But they soon learned that Mr. Blandsworth was not a lot of fun.
All morning Mr. Blandsworth tried to amuse the class with his corny card tricks.
“Oh, brother,” detto the class.
That afternoon, Mr. Blandsworth showed the class his preferito shadow pictures.
“This is kids’ stuff,” detto the class.
The successivo giorno Mr. Blandsworth demonstrated his preferito bird calls.
They were not a success.
And for two days Mr. Blandsworth showed slides of his goldfish Lucille.
Miss Nelson’s kids had never been so bored.
While dusting erasers in the schoolyard, three of the ringleaders of 207 discussed the siutation.
“Something will have to be done,” they said. “We must get rid of Blandsworth.”
And they hatched a plot.
After school they painted and sewed and borrowed some old clothes.
And they practiced some very difficult stunt work in the back yard.
The successivo giorno they weren’t in class.
“That’s too bad,” detto Mr. Blandsworth. “They’ll miss all the excitement.”
Mr. Blandworth was about to mostra the class his collection of ballpoint pens from all over the world, when someone came to the door.
Slowly the knob turned.
And the door opened…
“Oh, look!” detto the class. “Miss Nelson is back!”
A tall and lumpy Miss Nelson tottered into the room.
Mr. Blandsworth was surprised.
“You’re back sooner than we expected,” he said.
The tall and lumpy Miss Nelson didn’t speak.
“Er,” detto the kids. “Her throat must still be sore.”
“Are te sure you’re well enough?” detto Mr. Blandsworth.
“She’s sure,” detto the kids.
“Well, in that case,” detto the principal. “I’ll be getting back to the office. Nice to have te back, Miss Nelson.”
And he left the room.
“Hot dog!” cried the class. “We got rid of Blandsworth! Now we can do just as we please!”
And at the stroke of ten, the kids from 207 left the building.
No one stopped them.
They went straight to the movies, where they saw The Monster That Ate Chicago—twice.
“This is really living,” they said.
Afterward they went to Lulu’s, where they stuffed themselves silly.
But soon they made a serious mistake.
Heading back to school, they passed Miss Nelson’s house.
Miss Nelson couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Those are my kids!” she detto in a scratchy voice. “What are they doing out of school? And who is that with them?”
Miss Nelson telephoned Mr. Blandsworth to see what was going on.
“You’re not Miss Nelson,” detto Blandsworth. “Miss Nelson is back.”
And he hung up.
“Can’t fool me,” he said.
“Hmm,” detto Miss Nelson. “Something will have to be done.”
And she went to her closet.
Back in 207 Miss Nelson’s kids were spending and agreeable afternoon.
They were very pleased with themselves.
“We should do this più often,” they said.
They did not notice the figure out in the hall.
Slowly the knob turned.
And the door opened…
“My name is Viola Swamp,” detto the lady in a scratchy voice.
“Yipes!” cried the kids. “The Swamp!”
“That’s right!” detto Miss Swamp. “And I’m here to whip this class into shape. Get back to those desks on the double!”
The class did as it was told.
The big kid from 309 was certainly right—Miss Swamp was a real witch!
She knew how to get results.
The class did a whole week’s work in no time.
“We shouldn’t have gotten rid of Blandsworth,” they said.
“Pipe down!” detto the Swamp, “or…”
Just then something under a scrivania, reception attracted her attention.
It was a mask.
“Ah ha!” detto Miss Swamp. “So that’s your little game!”
And she tried on the mask—just as Mr. Blandsworth stepped into her room.
“Miss Nelson,” detto Mr. Blandsworth, “I’m of the opinion that someone has been impersonating you.”
“Uh oh,” whispered the kids.
“You don’t say,” detto Miss Swamp.
“Probably just come kids recitazione up. I’m sure it won’t happen again.”
And Mr. Blandsworth left.
“And it won’t, will it?” detto Miss Swamp to the class.
“Because the Swamp will be watching!”
A minuto later, Miss Nelson appeared.
“I’m back!” she said.
“Hot dog!” cried the kids. “Are we glad to see you!”
“Didn’t te have fun with Mr. Blandsworth?” asked Miss Nelson.
“Er,” detto the kids.
They decided not to mention Miss Viola Swamp.
But they wondered why Miss Nelson hadn’t seen her in the hall.