NINCOMPOOP
There was nothing Anna and John Bates loved more than walking into the village of an afternoon to pick their children up from school. Robbie was in his first year and Lily her third. Anna and John had to laugh at one another because they both valued education highly, but both missed the children terribly when they were in school for hours every day. Today when they got to the playground they found only their daughter waiting for them, their son no where to be seen. Instead of running to them eagerly she approached in a slow and stately manner.
"Robbie's teacher says she needs to speak with you," she said with an air of one who has just delivered an important message.
John and Anna looked at one another with concern. What could this be about? Neither of their children had ever gotten in trouble in school before, perhaps he was hurt. After telling Lily to stay and play in the schoolyard they approached Robbie's classroom with some misgiving. As they entered the room, they saw their son standing at the blackboard writing the word 'nincompoop' over and over in his immature scrawl. John groaned and Anna had to bite her tongue to keep the chuckle bubbling up inside her from escaping her lips.
"Ah, Mr and Mrs Bates," Miss White said as she approached the couple, "thank you for coming in."
"Of course," John said politely as he waited to take his seat until the ladies had done so.
"I'm afraid your son got himself in a bit of trouble today," Miss White said sternly, "he called me a nincompoop." Anna quickly put her hand over her mouth and feigned a cough while John gave her a reproving nudge under the table.
"Robbie Bates," Miss White called to the small boy, "Come here please."
"Yes, Miss White," the small boy approached his teacher and parents very slowly and with very red eyes.
"Can you please explain to your parents what you did and why you did it," the teacher continued.
Robbie looked at his parents with large eyes, "I called Miss White a 'nincompoop' and she got very angry at me. I'm sorry Mum, Da. I don't really know what I did wrong." He turned to his teacher, "I know it can't be anything mean, I only learned that word this morning when Mum said it to Dad!"