Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger (5 page)

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Chapter 8

Santa Claus

’Twas the last day of school

Before winter vacation,

And the children were having

A small celebration.

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Their artwork was hung

By the blackboards with pride:

Snowmen, and mooses,

And a joyful sleigh ride.

They ate homemade cookies,

(Red and green ones, of course.)

When Kathy declared,

“I don’t believe in Santa Claus!”

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She just opened her mouth,

And said what she said.

“Santa Claus isn’t real,

And besides that, he’s dead!

“So you bet I will pout,

And you bet I will cry.

“You bet I will shout,

I’m telling you why… .”

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Stephen covered his ears. “No, you’re wrong!” he shouted. “It’s not true. There is a Santa Claus. I know there is!”

“Ho, ho, ho,” laughed Kathy.

“Kathy is just saying that because she never gets any presents,” said Jason.

“All she ever gets is a lump of coal!” said Rondi.

“Wrong!” said Kathy. “I get lots of presents. My parents buy them for me. They have lots of money. They buy me anything I want.”

She bit off the head of a reindeer cookie. “The only thing that matters is how rich your parents are. If they have lots of money, then you’ll get lots of good presents. If they’re poor, then you’ll just get a few crummy presents.”

Everyone tried to argue with her, but Kathy just asked them all the old questions, like “How does a fat man fit down a skinny chimney?” or “How could he visit everyone’s house in the whole world in one night?”

And of course nobody knew the answers. Nobody ever has.

“Only Santa knows the answers to those questions,” said Rondi.

“Don’t you even like Christmas?” asked Stephen.

“Sure,” said Kathy.

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“I get lots of presents,

And I don’t have to work.”

Then she stuck out her tongue

and called Stephen a jerk.

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Poor Stephen sputtered

As his face turned quite blue,

“If you don’t believe in Santa,

He won’t believe in you!”

But Kathy just yelped.

“You know that it’s true!

Do you still believe in the Easter bunny,

The tooth fairy, and Miss Zarves too?”

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“Let’s ask Mrs. Jewls!” said Maurecia.

“She’s a teacher who’s wise.

Let’s ask Mrs. Jewls.

She never lies!”

The children crowded round

Their wise teacher’s desk

And asked her the question

Never found on a test.

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“Is there a Santa?

You’re a teacher with smarts!

Is Santa Claus real?”

They asked with pure hearts.

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And oh, Mrs. Jewls,

That teacher so wise,

Looked at their faces

And bright, eager eyes.

She had to say something.

It was her job to reply.

“Tell them,” yelped Kathy.

“That reindeer can’t fly!”

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Outside the window

Snowflakes were falling… .

Inside the window

Mrs. Jewls was stalling… .