Mr. Blue by М. Embry

4.8

Part I

Miss Trott's first form had a lesson in reading. Miss Trott called on Tim to read, but he did not know where to read. He stood and looked through the window. He saw a cat there. The cat sat on the balcony and looked into the classroom. He was a big grey blue cat with large bright eyes. It rained that morning and cats do not like rain. Miss Trott stood up, came to the window and saw the blue cat too.

"He wants to come in,” Tim said. "Can we let him in?”

“No, no!” Miss Trott said.

The blue cat heard the teacher and looked at her with his large eyes as if he said, “Why not?”

The boys and girls left their desks and went to the window to see the cat.

“He is cold!” Bess said. “Can he come in?”

“Well,” said Miss Trott, “just for a few minutes then". She went to the door and called the cat, “Kitty-kitty-kitty!” The cat came to the door and stood there. He did not try to come in.

“Come in, Kitty. You wanted to come in,” said Bess.

The cat walked into the classroom, went round the room, looked into the bookcases and then went up to Bess. The girl touched the cat and said, “He is thin and he is hungry.”

"May I go to the dining-room and bring some milk for him?” asked Tim.

“Yes, you may,” said the teacher.

The cat liked the milk. When the saucer was clean, he went to Miss Trolt's table and jumped on it. He sat down on the exercise book and began to wash his face.

“Go away,” the teacher said. “He can’t sit on my desk,” she said to her pupils. The cat jumped down when Miss Trott pushed him. He walked round the room and then sat down in the corner and looked offended. Miss Trott told the children to take out their books. Then they began to do sums.

Part II

In the break the children talked about the blue cat. Ann said, “We must know whose cat it is. I can take him to all the rooms and ask.”

“No, I want to take him. I saw him first,” said Tim.

Miss Trott told the children to write a notice and hang it in the hall. Tim wrote the notice.

No boys or girls came to take Mr. Blue, as Bess called the cat. He sat all day on a low bookcase in the classroom and was a good pupil. After school Miss Trott asked the children, “Well, what are we going to do with the cat? He can't stay here. School is no place for a cat.” All the children stood round Miss Trott, looked into her face and said, “Miss Trott, let Mr. Blue stay with us.” Miss Trott looked at her pupils for some time and then said, “Let him stay!”

In the morning Bess came to school early. Mr. Blue met her in the playground. She had some fish for him and the cat ate it.

“What have you given him?” Thai was Tim with the other boys.

“Some breakfast", Bess answered.

When lessons began, Mr. Blue was in the classroom and jumped on the children’s desks during the English lesson. Miss Trott did not like it and asked the blue cat to stay on the balcony.

The children did not see Mr. Blue «after school when they went home. In the morning Mr. Blue was not present at the lessons. During the reading lesson Miss Trott stood at the window and looked into the garden, but she did not see Mr. Blue.

At dinner break when the children were in the playground, Mr. Blue walked into the middle of it and sat down. The children were happy to see him. They touched him and told him nice words. Tim had some meat in a paper bag and he gave it to Mr. Blue. The cat liked the meat very much. Miss Trott was glad to see Mr. Blue too. She let him stay in the classroom.

Part III

The next morning the children did not bring any fish or meat for the cat. Mr. Blue looked at them with his large eyes as if he said, “Where is my breakfast?”

That morning the first form went to the hall to see a film. They liked the film very much and talked a lot about it when they came back into their classroom. Mr. Blue met them at the door. He wanted to go to the garden. Miss Trott opened the door for him. The children had a lesson in writing and wrote about the film.

In the first form classroom there was an aquarium on a table by the window. A lot of small fishes lived there. The children looked after the fishes and liked to watch them. Tim finished his work and went to the aquarium to look at the fishes. He did not see the fishes in the water and told Miss Trott about it. She went to the table and looked into the aquarium. She saw only two small fishes in it.

The children left their desks and went to the aquarium.

“Where have the fishes gone?” they asked.

“I know where they are, don’t you?” Miss Trott said.

“I know too", said Bruce, "Mr. Blue has eaten them.”

“And he has run away!” Jean said.

Bess was a good friend, and she said, “Mr. Blue hasn't had any breakfast today? We didn’t bring him any food.”

“That’s right!” Miss Trott said, “Mr. Blue has taken his breakfast himself. What are we going to do now?”

"Let us give the aquarium to the second form,” said Bruce, “they have no pets and we have Mr. Blue.”

“Bruce and I can carry it there,” Tim said.

Miss Trott told Ann to go to the second form classroom and ask the boys and girls if they wanted an aquarium with two fishes in it. The second form was happy to have the aquarium and the two little fishes. Tim and Bruce took it to their classroom.

Bess said, “Now we must make a timetable with the names of the boys and girls who must look after Mr. Blue each day.”

After school the timetable hung on the corner of the blackboard. Mr. Blue sat on the low bookcase and looked at the children with his large eyes as if he said, “Thank you, my good friends!”