April Fool's Day

Today is April Fool’s Day. During my primary school years teachers received great respect except on this day when they remained fair game until midday. At the newly-built posh Little River two-teacher school Miss Kennedy who took the top room used to come out on Monday from Christchurch by the morning bus, she'd arrive five minutes late. One April First morning we turned her desk around carefully rearranging her papers. "Good morning boys and girls" she said as she swept into the room, taking off her gloves, which she always placed in the drawer where the roll was kept. Probably our expectant faces gave the game away, she would be anticipating some prank, it happened annually. "Ah I see you have had your little joke, could you turn the table round again for me, thank you." Four boys rushed out and quickly righted it. Then to our delight as she went to put her gloves away she placed her hand on the hedgehog hidden in the drawer. Her scream proved most satisfying. She took it good-naturedly except the animal had shat on the roll - Government property and that created a problem. How the problem was solved we never found out.