Week 7: Storytelling - The Fish Monitor

"Mrs. King, as much as it pains me to say this, your son is out of control."

Mrs. King sheepishly looked across the conference table at her son's school principal. He met her gaze with a look of both exhaustion and utter contempt. This was the third time she had been called to the school this year because of her son's "issues". Even though it was her son, Reese, that was causing all the problems, she couldn't help but feel that she was the one being called to the principal's office to get reprimanded. For this particular meeting, there were five teachers in addition to the principal seated around the table as if there for an intervention of some sort. She knew each of the teachers quite well. She'd had at least one phone conference with each one, all concerning Reese.

"He's just a very spirited little boy," she finally replied, but with no real conviction, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone in the room. Even she was tired of hearing the same excuses time and time again.

"There are plenty of 'spirited little boys' in the first grade, Mrs. King," interjected Ms. McKay, the art teacher, curtly, "they're seven years old, for goodness sake! Your boy is a menace!"

Mrs. King bristled. "I wouldn't go so far as to call a little boy a menace. I mean, he's not perfect, but-"

"Not perfect!" shouted Mr. Donnahue, the gym teacher, indignantly, "Your kid set my hair on fire!"

"He stole the toys we collected for the toy drive!" added Mrs. Mead, the librarian

"He locked me out of my own classroom and tried to teach the day's lesson as if he was the teacher! I don't know how you allow him to act when he is at home, but we have rules here that we expect to be followed even if he is a 'spirited little boy' as you put it. He should be expelled!" cried Ms. Blanchard, the first grade teacher.

Mrs. King looked as though she were about to cry. She looked frantically about the room, trying to find an ally. Finally, Ms. Starr, the guidance counselor. who had remained silent all this time, spoke up.
"I don't think we need to throw the poor child out on his ear," she said calmly, "and I don't think you're being very fair to Mrs. King. She is obviously doing the best she can and is likewise distressed by her son's conduct." She gave Mrs. King a sympathetic look before continuing. "I think it is true that Reese has a lot of energy," there was a snort from somewhere in the room, "but I think, if funneled into the correct activity, all that energy could serve a purpose."

"What do you suggest, Ms. Starr?" asked Mrs. King eagerly.

"Well, perhaps if we give him some sort of small charge or responsibility, he would focus his energy on that."

"What sort of responsibility could you give a boy like that?" said Ms. Blanchard under her breath.

"Ms. Blanchard," said Ms. Starr suddenly, turning to Ms. Blanchard, who nearly jumped out her seat at the abruptness of Ms. Starr's address, "I believe your classroom has a pet fish, correct?"

"Yes a goldfish. I thought it would be fun for the children to have a class pet. They've named him Batman."

"Well maybe you could send the fish home with Reese over the weekend and he could take care of it and -"

"Forgive me, Ms. Starr," interrupted the principal, "but you want to give this child, this child, charge over the life of a living creature? Do you think that wise?"

"I think he will be excited to have such a grown up job, especially if we explain to him what an important job it is." Ms. Blanchard looked skeptical but said nothing. "And if it doesn't work out, you can always go pick up another goldfish at Wal-Mart, Nancy," added Ms. Starr venomously.

So it was decided that the fish would go home with Reese over the weekend. Mrs. King was overjoyed that a solution had been reached that didn't involve expelling her son. Just as Ms. Starr predicted, Reese felt very important with his little job. Ms. Blanchard even gave his job a title - Fish Monitor - and Reese was very pleased indeed. He took his title very seriously - Mrs. King entered her son's room several times that weekend to find him counting out individual specks of fish food while he talked to Batman. Once the weekend was over and Monday arrived, Reese continued to watch Batman to make sure that his bowl was always clean and that he had enough (but not too much!) food, and after a few days, it was decided that Reese should be named the permanent Fish Monitor for the class. In the weeks that followed, Mrs. King eventually grew to stop expecting the principal to call her back to his office. It came to  be that all of the boy's teachers found him a most charming and well-behaved child.

Reese and Batman (image source: FamilyCorner)



The End

 

Author's Note: This story is adapted from the original The Lord of the Heavens story  from the The Monkey King Unit. In the original telling. The Monkey King, Sun Wu Kung, has angered several celestial beings who complain to the Lord of the Heavens. All those in the Heavens wish to condemn the rogue Monkey King and sentence him to prison, but the Evening Starr speaks up for him and suggests that Sun Wu be brought up to Heaven and given some small charge to keep him occupied. He is named the stablemaster, which Sun Wu sees as a great honor, and he excels at his job and keeps out of trouble for a time. I decided to represent the Monkey King as a rambunctious child because that is what I was reminded of the entire time I was reading of his adventures.

 

Bibliography Information: "The Lord of the Heavens." The Ape Sun Wu Kung- The Chinese Fairy Book. ed. R. Wilhelm, trans. Frederick H. Martens