Teacher: You know, today something very funny happened in the nursery. I am teaching a devil  of boy there. The only reason I teach him is the Rs.30 his parents pay me every month. For 30 bucks I have to suffer for 3 hours every evening. First, his parents lecture me on child psychology. The boy’s father had written a thesis in infant psychology for his M.A. The mother had studied a good deal of it for her B.A. So, both of them tell me almost the same things day after day. They want me to treat their son as if he is made of very thin glass. What the boy needs is beating and not cajoling. He is not a boy but a gorilla. My God! You have never seen such a rascal.

Today I asked him the result of 16 multiplied by 3.1 had taught him the multiplication of 16 up to 10. I am sure he knew the right answer. But he said 24.1 corrected him and asked him again for the correct answer. With a grin, the gorilla says 24. I lost my temper. I slapped him on his cheek, leaving a red mark there. He then wanted me to stop teaching and play with him, pretending as a station master while he drove his train. I refused. He threatened and said he would run to his parents and show the mark on his cheek. That would be the end of my 30 bucks which I heed badly. So reluctantly I played with him. Fortunately the train stopped. And then the devil wanted me to tell stories. I went on saying the usual stories – the bison and the tiger, AN Baba and the 40 Thieves. He wanted me to repeat the bison-tiger story again. When I said no, he ran home.

I ran behind him. When the parents asked why we were running I told them that I was trying to keep the spirits of the boy up by doing this exercise after his strenuous learning. Then the father asked me about the test. When the boy heard the word test, he went and stood behind his father indicating to me I should support him. I said he was doing well, and I was sure that boy will not tell his parents about the slapping I gave him. My extra income is safe for the moment.