Teen Time

The Great Homework Assignment Book Caper

Note:
At Writing.com we have a cow named Bessie who writes poetry and solves mysteries. Now, this cow isn’t the usual kind of cow, obviously. She’s extremely intelligent and works very closely with a man called The Milkman . The two of them are often found at the scene of a crime. (Don’t worry, folks, the crimes they’re involved in are usually no more serious than a missing piece of bubble gum or a lost baseball cap.)

Anyway, as you may or may not know, since it’s Cow Appreciation Day, I thought I’d tell you about the time Bessie, all by herself, solved the most famous of mystery of all. I’m sure you’ve heard of it – the Great Homework Assignment Book Caper.

It all started when Mrs. Leadpencil, the second grade teacher, began giving all her students two hours of homework each night. Mrs. Leadpencil is one of the best teachers at the Good Progress School in Dairyville, and the children and parents didn’t want to complain because she really does have a nice smile, and besides she's famous for always winning the Dairyville Summer Essay Contest with her creative and original stories about Bessie, The Milkman ’s Cow.

But the homework she gave kept getting harder and harder each night, and the children were nodding off in the middle of their spaghetti and Brussels sprouts, and what was worse - they were not even finishing their milk. But just as the parents of the children were about to talk with the teacher and the principal, Mr. Smart, about the situation, Mrs. Leadpencil's assignment book disappeared.

When she discovered that her list of assignments for the entire rest of the year was gone, Mrs. Leadpencil began to cry. All the children gathered around her and patted her on the back. They adored their teacher and hated seeing her cry, but not one of them volunteered to pick an assignment for that night. In fact, the children's eyes were so glazed over from the excitement of NOT having homework, at least half of them fainted and had to be picked up off the floor by their older brothers and sisters.

That night, Mrs. Leadpencil looked under her bed. She searched in the trunk of her car. She even peeked under the cat bed which sat right beside the desk where she usually corrected all the homework, but the assignment book was lost. She wept a few tears that night, and then contemplating a full semester without her list, she walked out to the The Milkman 's barn and discussed the situation with his cow.

“No problem,” mooed Bessie, swishing her tail in delight.

The next morning, the kids were amazed to see Bessie come into their classroom, but they forgot her presence as they started in on their salamander and lizard math, their dragon drawings, and Advanced Upside Reading for Second Grade . Bessie watched them for an hour before leaving to take a "mosey" around the school.

First she visited the cafeteria and sipped one of their new spinach milkshakes. Next she toured the library and observed the school mascot, a bookworm named Mr. T, who was busy checking in and out all the library books.

The computer room, the playground, the ball room, and the office were Bessie’s last stops. In the office, the secretaries draped her with a beautiful red and blue achievement award ribbon that said, “Champion of the Spelling Bee Contest." Bessie smiled and said, "Cheese" when they took her picture.

Then Bessie peeked in to see the principal. Unfortunately Mr. Smart was still outside doing recess duty, but that didn’t matter because Bessie saw just what she was looking for. Mrs. Leadpencil’s book was sitting on his desk.

Bessie sat down and waited for the principal. She munched from a bag of carrot sticks that the secretaries had given her, studied the list of tardies for seven classes, and examined the picture of Mr. Smart with last year’s graduating class of sixth graders. Just as she finished her last carrot stick, in walked Mr. Smart.

“Why is Mrs. Leadpencil’s book here?” Bessie queried.

Mr. Smart’s face reddened. He fidgeted in a manner most uncommon for a principal and then sat down to explain.

“Wait,” mooed Bessie. “Let’s let Mrs. Leadpencil hear this.”

Mrs. Leadpencil was so excited about their finding her homework assignment book, she galloped all the way down the halls. (She should never have done that, even if she was excited, because one of the junior monitors, on duty since it was primary recess, gave the teacher detention for running.)

After Mrs. Leadpencil arrived (huffing and puffing because she’d run,) Mr. Smart began to explain. “It was because the children weren’t getting to milk the cows,” he told Bessie and Mrs. Leadpencil. “The cows were so unhappy because the children never had time to come out and see them anymore, so I just had to hide that book. I’m sorry, though. I never meant it to make you cry, Mrs. Leadpencil.”

Mrs. Leadpencil took out a very pretty handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed at her eyes. “The cows? The children don’t have time to see their cows? I never realized. Do I give that much homework?”

Bessie smoothed her dress down, checked her collar, and avoided Mrs. Leadpencil’s eyes. Mr. Smart counted the tiles in the ceiling.

“Oh,” said Mrs. Leadpencil. “I do, don’t I? All right. I shall erase assignments tonight. It just isn’t fair to the cows of Dairyville. There will be less homework from now on.”

Mr. Smart repeated how sorry he was, and Mrs. Leadpencil repeated how sorry she was, and Bessie stood up. “I think it’s almost time for The Milkman to get home from the library. I need to get back now.”

Mr. Smart and Mrs. Leadpencil thanked Bessie for a job well done, and then Mr. Smart offered some raw celery and asparagus tips to her, which she, of course, nibbled as she moseyed out the door.

Bessie got home just in time to meet The Milkman . “Had a good day today?” he asked her, offering her an apple, a pear, and three pieces of bread.

Bessie didn't want to hurt his feelings by letting him know about the interesting mystery she'd just solved, so she took his offerings, smiled, and just said, "moo."