Monday morning arrived, and the Lakewood kids were converging on the elementary school for another day of learning and fun. Arthur was walking alongside Adil, who wore a baggy brown sweater and a cap that looked like an extension of it.

Upon arriving at the front stairway, Arthur made a sweeping gesture with his hands. "This is Lakewood Elementary," he announced pompously. "This is where you'll be going to school."

Adil smiled wonderingly. "It is more beautiful than my school in Turkey," he commented.

As Arthur told Adil of the many advantages of attending an American school, three larger kids approached the pair and stood in front of them. They were Binky, Molly, and Rattles.

"Hey, it's Arthur and his pen pal," said Binky with a mocking smile.

"Where you from, kid?" Molly asked Adil.

"I am from Turkey," Adil replied innocently.

"Did you hear that?" Molly turned to Rattles and grinned. "He says he's a turkey."

"No, that's not what he said," Binky corrected her. "He's FROM Turkey, you're A turkey."

"Leave him alone, guys," Arthur warned them.

Rattles shrugged. "Hey, we're just trying to welcome him to America in a diplomatic-like sort of way."

"I've got an English word to teach you," said Binky, bending over so that his face was even with Adil's. "Doofus. Call somebody a doofus, and they'll be your friend for life."

"Doofus," Adil repeated.

"Don't listen to him," Arthur said to Adil. "Doofus means stupid person."

"Well, I'll catch you later, guys." Binky waved politely at Arthur and Adil, and then followed Molly and Rattles up the stairway.

"I am pleased to meet you, doofus," Adil called after Binky.

As Arthur and Adil walked through the school building, they were hailed by Francine and Sue Ellen. They were dressed in their usual clothes, and Sue Ellen's hair puffs were uneven and oddly shaped.

"So, did you think it over?" Suefran asked Arthur as the two girls accompanied him and Adil on their way to Mr. Wald's room.

"Uh, yes, I did," Arthur responded. "Okay, let's suppose you two are really in each other's bodies. What can you do about it?"

"Well, we can try to find a way to switch back," Fransue replied.

"Or we can spend the rest of our lives the way we are," Suefran added.

"The big problem is, we're stuck in each other's families," Fransue lamented. "My dad's a garbage man instead of a diplomat, I'm not allowed to eat pork, and Catherine snores real bad."

"And we can't just trade families," Suefran sighed.

"Or hair," Fransue chimed in.

"But you could switch clothes," Arthur noted.

"They wouldn't fit," Suefran responded. "And our parents won't buy us new clothes just so we can dress like each other."

"At least we can switch instruments," Fransue pointed out.

When the four children arrived in Mr. Wald's classroom, they found that their classmates were all seated at desks, with the teacher preparing his lesson at the front. The walls were covered with large pink hearts, ribbons, and cherubs, in addition to the usual times tables and pictures of U.S. presidents.

As Adil seated himself in a desk next to Arthur, he pointed at a paper heart attached to the wall. "What does it mean, the heart?" he asked in broken English.

"Oh, that's for Valentine's Day," Arthur told him.

"What is Valentine's Day?" Adil inquired curiously.

"It's the day when you choose your valentine," Arthur answered as he pulled a notebook and pencil from his bag.

Adil persisted in his quest for knowledge. "What is my valentine?"

"A girl," Arthur replied. "You choose a girl to be your valentine. You know what a girl is, right?"

"I understand," said Adil. Arthur sighed with relief.

Mr. Wald picked up the clipboard with the roll sheet, and took his usual position in front of the class. "Good morning, students," he said cheerily.

"Good morning, Bud," the children greeted him.

"A new student is joining us today," the teacher announced, then waved his hand at Adil.

The Turkish boy wondered about the meaning of the gesture, until Arthur tapped him on the shoulder. "Stand up and say your name."

Adil complied, rising bashfully to his feet. "My name is Adil Faruk," he said in a weak voice. "I am from Turkey. I live in a city named Batman."

George raised his hand. "Batman? That's a funny name for a city." The kids began to chuckle.

"Isn't that the guy at the baseball game who gives out all the bats?" asked Binky.

"No, it's the guy with pointed ears and fangs on the covers of the magazines," Fern retorted.

"It sounds like the name of a comic-book superhero," Van mused. "You know, a guy who dresses up like a bat and goes around at night fighting..."

He glanced around the room, and saw that the other kids were giving him blank stares. "Uh, never mind," he concluded.

"No more questions, please," Mr. Wald ordered. "You'll have plenty of time to ask Adil questions after class. Adil is here as part of the foreign exchange program because our very own Arthur Read recommended him. Say 'way to go, Arthur', everybody."

"Way to go, Arthur!" the kids chanted.

"Moving on to the roll call," Mr. Wald continued. "Susan Ellen Armstrong."

He watched as Sue Ellen and Francine looked at each other with uncertainty. This went on for several seconds. "If you can't decide which one of you is Sue Ellen," the teacher finally said, "then I'll be Sue Ellen."

Suefran quickly raised her hand. "Here."

"Clark Philip Barnes," Mr. Wald said next.

"Yo," said Binky, pumping his fist.

"Van Wilson Cooper."

"Here," said Van.

"Francine Alice Frensky."

Fransue hesitantly raised her hand. "Here."

"George Harvey Nordgren."

"Here," said George.

"Arthur Timothy Read."

"Here," said Arthur.

"Fern May Walters."

"Last, as usual," was the reply.

"We're very happy that Adil has chosen to join us," said Mr. Wald as he paced back and forth in front of the kids. "We've had a problem lately with students just up and floating away." George blushed.

After an illuminating lecture on the life cycle of butterflies, the kids rose from their desks and began to chat with each other. Most were curious to learn more about the strange Turkish boy. They asked him myriad questions: "Do you ride a camel to school?" "Is your street paved or dirt?" "What do lamb's eyes taste like?" "Will you be my valentine?"

Adil gaped at Fern, who had asked him the last question. "But...I do not know you," he replied nervously.

"My name's Fern," said the grinning poodle girl. "Now you know me. Will you be my valentine?"

"You are not beautiful," Adil answered matter-of-factly. "I must choose a beautiful girl."

Offended, Fern scowled at the foreign boy and walked out of the classroom.

Arthur, suddenly feeling embarrassed, tried to counsel Adil on the finer points of conversing with American girls. "That wasn't the right answer, Adil. You should always tell a girl that she's beautiful."

"But it is wrong to lie," Adil responded.

Flustered, Arthur slapped his forehead and wished he could disappear.

"Who is your valentine, Arthur?" Adil asked him.

"Uh..." Arthur glanced at Francine and Sue Ellen, who were standing next to him. "Francine. She's my valentine every year." Fransue reacted with unease.

The two girls followed Arthur and Adil as they left the classroom. "It's so cool to have a boy from another culture in our class," Fransue gushed. "Arthur, let's not do the same thing this year. You and Fr...Sue Ellen can be valentines, and Adil and I will be valentines."

"But you've been my valentine every year since first grade," Arthur insisted.

"I keep telling you, I'm not really Francine," said Fransue earnestly.

"I keep telling you," Arthur shot back, "you look like Francine to me."

Then he felt someone tugging on his arm. "Arthur!" said Adil, pointing. "Who is that girl?"

Arthur looked in the direction that Adil was pointing, to see Jenna conversing with her teacher, Rodentia Ratburn. "That's Jenna Morgan," he replied. "She's in another class."

"She is beautiful," said Adil wistfully.

Arthur, Sue Ellen, and Francine all gave Adil stunned looks.

(To be continued...)