A Poor Boy
The teacher's name was Mr Grey. He was grey, like his
name: he was old and grey and tired. Everything about
him was grey: grey suit, grey shirt, grey hair and a
long, thin, grey face. When he smiled the children saw
his long, grey teeth. But he did not often smile. Mr Grey
did not enjoy his job. He did not like children.
'Why does he work here?' one of the children asked
one day. 'He doesn't like us.'
'But he likes the long school holidays!' said Tony.
The other children laughed. They thought that was a
very clever answer.
But Tony was not a clever boy. He was big and slow
and silent. He did not enjoy his lessons. Usually he jus