8 Time-out

CHAPTER 8 TIME-OUT We follow the other students out into the schoolyard. "When do they give us our food?" says Terry. "I don't know," says Jill. "I hope it's soon," says Terry. "It's been a long time since breakfast."

"There's a tree full of apples over there," I say. "Let's climb up and pick some." "Last one up is a rotten apple," says Terry. "Wait for me," says Jill. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," says one of the students. "Why not?" says Terry, who's already halfway up the tree. "Because climbing trees is against the rules," says the student. "But that's silly," says Jill, swinging herself up into the tree with Terry. "Climbing trees is fun!" "And quite safe, too," I say, joining them. "You can't fall if you hang on. Who'd like an apple?" "Me! Me! Me!" shout the students. "Okay," I say. "Here they come!" We pick apples and throw them down to the students waiting below.

"Uh-oh," says one of the students. "Here comes Principal Gradgrind." We watch as he strides angrily across the playground toward us. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE?" he shouts. "Picking apples," says Terry. "Would you like one?" "NO!" says Principal Gradgrind. "WHAT I WOULD LIKE IS FOR YOU TO GET DOWN FROM THAT TREE THIS INSTANT!" "But it's fun up here," says Terry.

"I don't care how much fun it is," says Principal Gradgrind. "Tree-climbing is against school rules." "Then maybe you should change the rules," I suggest. "Yeah," says Terry. "You should make it a rule that everybody has to climb a tree every day. Why don't you come up and see for yourself how nice it is?" "I'VE GOT A BETTER IDEA," says Principal Gradgrind. "WHY DON'T YOU COME DOWN RIGHT NOW?!" "Okay, you're the boss," says Terry. But before we can climb down there's a cracking noise… The branch we're sitting on breaks and we all fall down…

and land right on top of Principal Gradgrind! "RIGHT, THAT DOES IT!" says Principal Gradgrind, crawling out from beneath us. "Sorry, Principal Gradgrind," I say. "It was an accident. It's not our fault the branch broke."

"Of course it's your fault!" says Principal Gradgrind. "The branch wouldn't have broken if you hadn't been sitting on it! You three can go straight to the time-out room." "What's that?" says Terry. "Is it something to do with time travel?"