“ That’s a good idea, Danny. I have another. Let’s pray for candy.” They all nodded happily and, following their New Teacher, they closed their eyes and steepled their hands together and prayed for candy. The New Teacher opened her eyes and looked around disappointedly. “ But where’s our candy? God is every where, and if we pray, He answers our prayers. Isn’t that true? Perhaps we should kneel down as it’s done in church.” So they all knelt and prayed very hard. But there was still no candy. Then the New Teacher said, “ Perhaps we’re using the wrong name. Instead of saying ‘God,’ let’s say ‘Our Leader.’ Let’s pray to Our Leader for candy, very hard, and don’t open your eyes till I say.” So the children shut their eyes tightly and prayed very hard, and the New Teacher quietly put a piece of candy on each child’s desk. She did not notice Johnny —alone of all the children—watching her through his half-closed eyes. She went softly back to her desk and the prayer ended, and the children opened their eyes and stared at the candy, overjoyed. “ I’m going to pray to Our Leader every time,” Mary said excitedly. “ Me, too,” Hilda said. “ Could we eat Our Leader’s candy now, teacher?” “ So Our Leader answered your prayers, didn’t he?” “ I saw you put the candy on our desks!” Johnny burst out. “ We didn’t get them with praying. You put them there.” The children, appalled, stared at him and then at their New Teacher. “ Yes, Johnny, you’re quite right. You’re a very, very wise boy. Children, I put the candy on your desks. So you know that it doesn’t matter whom you ‘pray’ to— to God or anyone. Only another human being will give you anything. Praying to God for something is a waste of time.” “ Then we’re not supposed to say prayers?” The puzzled children watched her. “You can if you want to, if your daddies and mom mies want you to. But we know, you and I, that it means nothing. That’s our secret.” “ I like having secrets. Hilda and me have lots of secrets,” Mary said. The New Teacher said, “We’re going to have lots of wonderful secrets together. You can eat your candy if you want to. And because Johnny was especially clever, I think we should make him monitor for the whole week, don’t you?” They all nodded happily and popped the candy into their mouths. Johnny was very proud; he decided that he liked his teacher very much. Because she told the truth. Because she was right about God. He’d prayed many times for many things and never got them. I always wondered why He didn’t listen, and all the time He wasn’t there, he thought. Johnny sat back contentedly, resolved to work hard and not to have wrong thoughts like Dad. The teacher looked out the window. This at last was what she had been trained for. She knew that she would teach her children well. She was warmed by the thought that throughout the school and throughout the land all children, all men and all women were being taught with the same faith, with variations of the same procedures. Each according to his age group. Each according to his need. She glanced at her watch. It was 9:23. By permission of Ladies' Home Journal © 1963 by The Curtis Publishing Company.
“Yes.” The New Teacher frowned. “ But we don’t need a sign to remind us that we love our country, do we? You’re all good boys and girls. Do you need a sign to remind you?” The children thought about this and shook their heads. Johnny put up his hand. “ It's our flag,” he said, fiercely. “ We always pledge.” “Yes,” the New Teacher said. “ It is a very pretty one.” She looked at it a moment and then said, “ I wish I could have a piece of it. If it’s so important I think we should all have a piece of it. Don’t you?” “ There’s some scissors in Miss Worden’s desk,” Brian said. The New Teacher found the scissors, and the chil dren cut up the flag. They were very proud that they each had a piece. But now the flagpole was bare and useless. The New Teacher opened the window and al lowed them to throw it onto the playground. They shrieked with delight as they saw it bounce on the ground and lie there. They began to love this strange New Teacher. When they were all back in their seats, the New Teacher said, “Well, before we start our lessons, per haps there are some questions you want me to answer. Ask me anything you like. That’s only fair, isn’t it, if I ask you questions?” Mary put up her hand. “Why do you wear those clothes? It’s like a uniform.” “We think that teachers should be dressed the same. Then you always know a teacher. If you like, we’ll give all of you this sort of uniform. Then you won’t have to worry about what you have to wear to school every day. You’ll all be the same.” Johnny said, “ I don’t want to be dressed like that.” “ Just because the other children want to wear new clothes, you don’t have to, Johnny,” the New Teacher said. Johnny slumped back in his chair. I’m never going to wear their clothes, he said to himself. I don’t care if I look different. “ Is the war over now?” Danny asked. “ Yes, Danny, isn’t that wonderful! Now all your daddies will be home soon.” “ Did we win or did we lose?” Mary asked. “We—that’s you and I and all of us— we won.” The children sat back happily. Then Johnny’s hatred burst. “Where’s my dad? What’ve you done to my dad?” The New Teacher got up and put her hands on Johnny’s shoulders. “He’s going to a school. Some grownups have to go to school as well as children.” “ But they took him away and he didn’t want to go.” “ He’s no different from all o f you,” the New Teach er said gently. “ You sometimes don’t want to go to school. With grownups it’s the same. Your daddy just had some strange thoughts, and he wanted other grown ups to believe them. It’s not right to want others to believe wrong thoughts, is it?” “Well, no, I suppose not. But my dad never thought nothing bad.” “ Of course not, Johnny. I said wrong thoughts— not bad thoughts. But now I have a lovely surprise for you. You’re all going to stay overnight with us; and since it’s our first new day, we’ll all stay up to eight- thirty.” The children were very happy. Jenny said, “ But we got to say our prayers before we go to sleep.” The New Teacher thought a moment. “ Perhaps we should say a prayer now. What should we pray fo r ? ” “ Bless Momma and Daddy,” Danny said immedi ately.
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NOVEMBER, 1964
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