The day my son Laurie started kindergarten he renounced corduroy overalls with bibs and began
wearing blue jeans with'a belt. l watched him go off the first morning,with the older girl next door, seeing
clearly that an era of my life was ended, my sweet-voiced nursery-school tot replaced by a long-trousered,
swaggering character who forgot to stop at the corner and wave good-bye to me.
He came home the same way, the front door slamming open, his hat on the floor, and the voice
suddenly become raucous shouting, "lsn't anybody here?"
At lunch he spoke insolently to his father, spilled his baby sister's milk, and remarked that his teacher
said we were not to take the name of the Lord in vain.
"How was school to day?" I asked, elaborately casual.
"All right," he said.
"Did
you learn anything!" his father asked
Laurie regarded his father coldly. "l didn't learn nothing," he said.
"The teacher spanked a boy, though," Laurie said, addressing his bread and butter
"For being fresh," he added, with his mouth full.
"What did he clo?" I asked. "Who was it?"
Laur..ie though:i "lt was Charles," he said. "He was fresh. The teacher spanked him and made hinr
stand in a corner. He was aMully fresh."
"What did he dol" I asked again, but Laurie slid off his chair, took a cookie, and left, while his father
was still saying, "See here, young man."
The next day Laurie remarked at lunch, as soon as he sat down, "Well, Charles was bad again
today." He grinned enormously and said, "Today Charles hit the teacher."
"Good heavens," I said, mindful of the Lord's name. "l suppoSe he got spanked agatin?"
..Hesuredid,.Lauriesaid,"Lookup,''hesaidtohisfather.
"What?" his father said, looking up.
dlook
down," Laurie said. "Look at my thumb. Gee, you're dumb." He began to laugh insanely.
"Why did Charles hit the teacher?" I asked quickly.
"Because she tired to make him coior with green crayons so he hit the teacher and she spanked him
and said nobody plays with Charles but everybody did."
The third day-it was Wednesday of the first week-Charles bounced a see-saw on the head of a little
girl and made her bleed, and the teacher made him stay inside all during recess. Thursday Charles had to
stand in a corner during story-time because he kept pounding his feet on the floor. Friday Charles was
deprived of blackboard privileges because he threw chalk.
The day my son Laurie started kindergarten he renounced corduroy overalls with bibs and beganwearing blue jeans with'a belt. l watched him go off the first morning,with the older girl next door, seeingclearly that an era of my life was ended, my sweet-voiced nursery-school tot replaced by a long-trousered,swaggering character who forgot to stop at the corner and wave good-bye to me.He came home the same way, the front door slamming open, his hat on the floor, and the voicesuddenly become raucous shouting, "lsn't anybody here?"At lunch he spoke insolently to his father, spilled his baby sister's milk, and remarked that his teachersaid we were not to take the name of the Lord in vain."How was school to day?" I asked, elaborately casual."All right," he said."Didyou learn anything!" his father askedLaurie regarded his father coldly. "l didn't learn nothing," he said."The teacher spanked a boy, though," Laurie said, addressing his bread and butter"For being fresh," he added, with his mouth full."What did he clo?" I asked. "Who was it?"Laur..ie though:i "lt was Charles," he said. "He was fresh. The teacher spanked him and made hinrstand in a corner. He was aMully fresh.""What did he dol" I asked again, but Laurie slid off his chair, took a cookie, and left, while his fatherwas still saying, "See here, young man."The next day Laurie remarked at lunch, as soon as he sat down, "Well, Charles was bad againtoday." He grinned enormously and said, "Today Charles hit the teacher.""Good heavens," I said, mindful of the Lord's name. "l suppoSe he got spanked agatin?"..Hesuredid,.Lauriesaid,"Lookup,''hesaidtohisfather."What?" his father said, looking up.dlookdown," Laurie said. "Look at my thumb. Gee, you're dumb." He began to laugh insanely."Why did Charles hit the teacher?" I asked quickly."Because she tired to make him coior with green crayons so he hit the teacher and she spanked himand said nobody plays with Charles but everybody did."The third day-it was Wednesday of the first week-Charles bounced a see-saw on the head of a littlegirl and made her bleed, and the teacher made him stay inside all during recess. Thursday Charles had tostand in a corner during story-time because he kept pounding his feet on the floor. Friday Charles wasdeprived of blackboard privileges because he threw chalk.
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