4 Mrs Stoker Is a Joker

4 Mrs. Stoker Is a Joker When we got back to our classroom, Mr. Cooper wasn't there yet, so of course I climbed up on my chair and shook my butt at everybody. "Arlo, sit down," said Andrea, rolling her eyes. "Chillax," I told Little Miss Perfect. "It's June. School will be over in a few days. We're allowed to goof off."

And you'll never believe who walked into the door at that moment. Nobody! Why would you walk into a door? You could break your nose. But you'll never believe who walked into the doorway. It was our new principal, Mrs. Stoker! I thought she was going to punish me for climbing up on my chair and shaking my butt at the class. But she didn't. "Hey, third grade!" Mrs. Stoker said cheerfully. "Are you excited about graduation?" "Yes!" shouted all the girls.

"No!" shouted all the boys. "That reminds me," said Mrs. Stoker, "do you know why M&Ms want to graduate?" "No, why?" we all said. "So they can turn into Smarties!" said Mrs. Stoker. "Get it?" We all laughed even though it wasn't funny. You should always laugh at the principal's jokes, even when they're not funny. That's the first rule of being a kid.

"Speaking of graduation," said Mrs. Stoker, "I may have to wear sunglasses to the ceremony. Because you're all so bright! Get it? Bright? Sunglasses?" "We get it," we all said. Before she was our principal, Mrs. Stoker was a stand-up comedian. She tells jokes all the time. "Do you know why the fish didn't graduate?" asked Mrs. Stoker. "Because it didn't show up for school?" I guessed.* "No," said Mrs. Stoker. "The fish didn't graduate because its grades were under C. Get it? Under C? Undersea?" After a few more of Mrs. Stoker's bad jokes, it became harder and harder to pretend they were funny. "Tall people graduate at the top of their class," continued Mrs. Stoker, "and Mr. Will, the ice-cream man, graduated from sundae school. Get it? Ice cream? Sundae school?" I thought she was never going to stop.

But finally she did. "Anyway," said Mrs. Stoker, "I heard you kids were planning your graduation. I just thought I'd stop in to see how you were making out." Ewwww! Gross! "We're not planning our graduation," said Alexia. "Mrs. Roopy is doing all the work. She wants us to have Teddy Roosevelt, Susan B. Anthony, or Thomas Edison be our guest speaker." "What's wrong with them?" asked Mrs. Stoker. "They are great American heroes." "We don't want some boring old dead person," I said. "Yeah, it's not fair!" agreed Ryan. "Well, who do you want to speak at your graduation?" asked Mrs. Stoker. "We want Lil Mouse," said Neil. I figured Mrs. Stoker wouldn't know who Lil Mouse was because she's old, and old people don't know anything. "Do you mean Lil Mouse, the

rapper?" asked Mrs. Stoker. "You've heard of Lil Mouse?" I asked. "Sure!" said Mrs. Stoker. "You may not believe this, but Lil Mouse is my nephew." WHAT?! "No way!" said Michael. "Yes way!" replied Mrs. Stoker. "Wait," said Alexia. "Is this another one of your jokes?" "No!" Mrs. Stoker said as she took out her smartphone and showed us a picture of Lil Mouse. "He's my brother's son." "I love Lil Mouse!" said Andrea. "Me too!" said Emily, who loves anything Andrea loves. "Everybody loves Lil Mouse," said Neil.