These days there are many students and many teachers. They learn from each other and spend a great deal of time together.
In a small town just outside of Lexington, there was a teacher who tried her best to help all of her students. The burden lay heavy on her shoulders. There was one small student in particular that she felt needed the most help. She was very poor and her parents were seldom around. It seemed that all that she had was school. The little girl was very bright and worked very hard for her teacher. One day the little girl came to her teacher with tears in her eyes. “Mrs. Page, my parents are leaving tomorrow before the police come. They robbed a store last night and they are sure that they will be caught. I just wanted to let you know that I will not be back.” She said softly. “They are coming to get me at lunch after they have packed.”
Mrs. Page looked very distraught but put her arms around the little girl to comfort her. “Laura, everything will be alright. I will make sure of that.” She replied as the bell rang for classes to begin. Mrs. Page went into her office and made a quick phone call as the students were coming into class. She tried to teach as normal however all she could think about was what she had done.
After lunch, Laura came to Mrs. Page in tears again. “Mrs. Page! Mrs. Page! I am so worried. My mama and papa have not come for me yet. Do you think that something has happened to them? Did the police get them? What will I do? I can’t take care of myself.” She burst into tears and threw her arms around her teacher, who was looking very worried.
Mrs. Page knelt down and held the small child in her arms. “Oh, sweet child, I am so sorry. I didn’t want you to be in that situation. I called this morning. I did not think that you would want to go.”
Laura looked up at her teacher who now had tears falling down her face. “I didn’t want to go but where will I live?”
“You can stay with me until everything gets worked out. I need someone to help me out around the house.” Mrs. Page said smiling.
Laura’s face lit up. “I would love that!!” She said and threw her arms around her teacher’s neck. “Can I stay with you always?”
“We will have to see about that.”
That afternoon, the police came by to talk with Laura and Mrs. Page. After talking with Laura, they asked her to go outside while they discussed some important issues with Mrs. Page. Laura did as she was told, as she always did, and went outside to the playground.
As she was walking to the swings, she heard a small pitiful cry. She looked around for a moment and finally found a small squirrel on the ground next to a very tall tree. It was looking up at a hole that was much too high for it to reach. “It must have fallen from its nest.” She thought as she picked it up. She looked it over to make sure that it was not injured and then placed it back into the tree. As she was walking away, she heard a small voice. “Thank you dear child.”
She looked around to see who was talking to her.
“Thank you.” It said again. To her astonishment, it was the little gray squirrel that was talking. “I am so grateful that you saved my life.” It said.
“Oh, but all I did was put you back in your home. Anyone would have done that. It is nothing.” Laura replied.
“No,” said the squirrel, “you saved me from the cat that was just about to eat me. If you had not come when you did, I would have been dinner. You saved my life. Is there anything that I can do for you?”
She hadn’t noticed the cat but saw it now sitting on the steps of the school building. “Oh no.” Laura replied. “I am happy. I do not need any more than I have right now.”
“Ok” said the squirrel, “but if you ever need for anything just come and ask.”
Just then, Laura heard Mrs. Page calling for her and she ran back to tell her what had just happened. When Mrs. Page heard this, she thought for a moment. “You should go back and ask for a bigger budget for the school. That way we will have all we need and all of the students will get a better education and it will not be so hard for us teachers.” She said, not really thinking of herself but of all of the students and teachers.
“Oh, I do not think that will help, Mrs. Page. I am not sure such a little squirrel could accomplish such a big wish.” Laura said, not knowing exactly what to do.
“It wouldn’t hurt to try.” Mrs. Page said. “Just think of all the students it would help. Don’t you want everyone to be happy and enjoy school?”
She thought about what Mrs. Page said but it still did not feel right. However, she went to the squirrel. “Gray squirrel, gray squirrel come out of your home. I have a little wish and need you to come.”
The little squirrel scampered out of the hole in the tree. “What is it dear one?” he asked.
“My teacher would like for me to ask you for an unlimited budget for schools and teachers so that it will be easier for everyone to learn.” Laura asked as she looked at the ground and drew a circle in the dirt with her foot.
“It is done. Go back to your teacher and learn.”
As she turned around, she noticed that everything had changed. The school was much larger and was sparkling clean. She gasped in amazement as she went to find Mrs. Page. She peeked into rooms and saw they looked comfortable and cozy. “The students will be happy to learn now.” She thought. She walked into Mrs. Page’s room and looked around. Mrs. Page noticed her and ran up to her all excited. “Look! Look!” She cried. “Bookshelves full of wonderful new books, comfortable chairs for the students, computers for each student with all of the software you could want. Nothing was overlooked. This will be so wonderful.” She picked Laura up in her arms and swung her around in a hug.
Everything was great for a few weeks. Then the teachers were getting lazy and letting the computers do most of the teaching. The exciting lessons were stopped and replaced with computer programs with individually paced student work. Students got bored. It had been fun for a while, but they missed the teacher read alouds at the end of the day, which had been replaced by books on tape.
Laura had been enjoying her stay with Mrs. Page but noticed how she was beginning to look distraught. Then one afternoon, after an unusually rowdy day, Mrs. Page took Laura aside to talk with her.
“Laura,” she said softly. “No one is keeping control over the teachers and students. Teachers are getting lazy and the students are rowdy because they are so bored. Go back and tell the squirrel I need to be Principal so that I can oversee what is happening in the school.”
“But Mrs. Page, the squirrel has given us so much already. I thought that this was the answer.”
“I was wrong, all the money in the world can not fix all of the problems at school.” Mrs. Page sighed. “Please go and ask. What could it hurt?”
Laura went because she loved her teacher and saw that all she wanted was to do well. “Gray squirrel, gray squirrel come out of your home. I have a little wish and need you to come.”
The little squirrel scampered out of the hole in the tree. “What is it dear one?” he asked.
“I am sorry to bother you again. My teacher wants to be Principal of the school so that she can do good.” Laura asked looking off at the shinning swing set in the distance.
“It is done. Go back to your teacher and learn.”
As Laura turned around she noticed a big difference. The school had gotten larger again. Students were walking around in neat little uniforms very quietly and in strait lines. There were flower gardens and ponds for science experiments and banners filled the school on conduct and behavior. Students’ work was hanging everywhere and the teachers were busily working on this and that.
She walked up to the front office very quietly and looked around for Mrs. Page. A secretary in the office said that Principal Paige was doing an observation in a classroom and pointed the way. Everyone looked happy. Maybe Mrs. Page had been right.
Suddenly Laura bumped right into Mrs. Page. “Oh Laura!” Mrs. Page exclaimed. Everything is so wonderful. Discipline is down and teachers are satisfied. Students test scores are up and things seem to be going perfectly.”
“I hope that this will last.” Laura said. “But who will be our teacher now that you are principal?”
“There is a wonderful new teacher in that room. You will really enjoy her class. I will see you at home. I have lots to do. I have a school to run now you know.” Mrs. Page said as she hurried off down the hall.
Laura went back to her class. The new teacher was nice and she was learning a lot but she missed Mrs. Page in the classroom. It just wasn’t the same without her. But she had looked so happy so it would be ok.
A month later, at home, Laura noticed that Mrs. Page was looking upset over the articles that she was reading. Laura climbed up in her lap and kissed her check. “What is wrong?” she asked innocently.
“All of the troubles with the schools around the state. I feel bad that we have it so good but they are struggling to keep things together. What if I could help all of the students in the state, not just the ones in our school? Wouldn’t it be wonderful?" Mrs. Page stopped and stared off into space with a dreamy look in her eyes. “I could be the State Superintendent. I could have training for all of the Principals and teachers, then everyone could be as successful as Sunnydale.”
“You don’t want me to ask the squirrel, do you? I just couldn’t ask again. He has been so generous. I think that he will get mad.” Laura looked down at her shoes. She was so happy here with Mrs. Page but she was beginning to miss her old teacher.
“Laura, you saved his life. He owes it to you. It is not a selfish wish. I just want what is best for the students in our state.” Mrs. Page pleaded with her.
“Tomorrow I will go.” Laura said defeated. Then she got down and went to bed. Her heart was heavy and she only wanted to do what was right.
The next day Laura went out to the tree. The sky was dreary and it looked like rain. The happy playground looked sort of sad. “Gray squirrel, gray squirrel come out of your home. I have a little wish and need you to come.”
The little squirrel peered out of the hole in the tree. “What is it dear one?” he asked.
“Mrs. Page wants to help all of the students in the state. She says that she can do this if she is the superintendent.” Laura mumbled softly.
“It is done. Go back to your teacher and learn.”
Laura turned around. Everything looked the same, however she noticed that there were more cars on the parking lot. She walked inside and searched for Mrs. Page to see if she was happy. She found her in a large room with a long table and many large chairs. There were laptop computers at each seat and men and women of all shapes and sizes in the chairs. They all stared at her as she walked into the room. She was so frightened that she began to turn and run, but she heard a familiar voice call to her. “Laura, please come in. We were just discussing all of the ideas that we have for turning our schools around.”
Laura smiled at her and sat in the small chair at the front of the room and listened. They talked and complained and argued so much that it hurt her head. It seemed that no one agreed with anyone else. Mrs. Page looked discouraged but continued with the meeting until everything had been resolved.
After all of the others left, Mrs. Page sat in her very large chair and put her face in her hands and wept. “Even with everything that we are doing and all of the resources that we have available, it just doesn’t seem like enough. What will I ever do, Laura?”
Laura came over and patted Mrs. Page’s back. “It will be ok. I know it will.”
“I need to have more power to help people. I need to be governor. Then I can pass laws and statuettes that will help to improve our education system. I know there is a way, I just know it.”
“I will ask.” Laura said without even being told. She knew it was coming and there was no use to draw it out any further. She just wanted her old teacher back but every student needed a chance and that was what Mrs. Page was trying to do.
The next morning she went back to the tree in the playground. The clouds were dark overhead and there was a musty smell in the air. “Gray squirrel, gray squirrel come out of your home. I have a little wish and need you to come.”
The little squirrel stuck his head out of the hole in the tree. “What is it now, dear one?” he asked.
“It is not for me. It is for all the students.” She stuttered beginning to cry. “She wants to be governor.”
“It is done. Go back to your teacher and learn.”
Laura walked slowly back to the school. She was wondering how she would ever find Mrs. Page since the Governor was never in the schools. There was a long black car sitting in front of the school and a little man dressed in a black uniform was standing at the door. “Miss Laura?” he asked and nodded at her.
“Yes.” She said keeping at a distance.
“Governor Page has sent me to get you. She would like to talk with you.” He said opening the door.
“She got into the car and sat back. She watched out the window as she saw billboards and signs about education and testing.
She arrived at the Governor’s mansion and got out of the car. Mrs. Page was waiting on the front steps. Her clothes were all pressed and nice but she still looked very tired.
“Laura, my sweet child, I have found that the state government has little control and the federal government makes most of the regulations. Plus, if I were higher, I could help all of the children in the United States. Wouldn’t that be great?”
“You look tired. You do not need any more. Please be happy with what you can do here. I do not want to ask again.” Laura looked at Mrs. Page and saw that her pleas were inn vain. She was not even listening. Mrs. Page motioned to the driver and he opened the car door.
“President, Laura. That will do it.” She called as Laura walked slowly to the car, her head hanging down sorrowfully.
As she got back to the school, that she once loved, she noticed that the wind was blowing and the clouds covered the sky. The trees swayed and bent. She was quite frightened and worried. “Gray squirrel, gray squirrel come out of your home. I have a little wish and need you to come.”
The little squirrel stomped out of the hole in the tree. “What is it now?” he asked.
“She wants to be president.” Laura said quickly. She closed her eyes and waited for the worst.
After a moment, the squirrel answered, “It is done. Go back to your teacher and learn.”
She turned and found herself on the steps of the White House. She gazed up at the towering building. Several men in dark suits with guns and microphones in their ears then surrounded her. “Laura,” one of the men boomed. “Come with us. President Page is waiting.”
She walked between the men and gazed around in awe at the magnificence of the White House. She was lead up to the oval office and sat down in a large cushioned chair. There was a huge desk in front of her and a chair that was facing the window with its back to her. The chair turned around and there was Mrs. Page. She looked very tired and stressed.
“Laura, people just don’t understand. They veto the bills and think they know what is right even though they have never been in a classroom.
They want to form committees and subcommittees. The work will never get done. How can I change the way people think. Parents need to get involved. Without everyone working together it will never work.” Mrs. Page put her head in her hands and began to sob.
“It will be ok. You are doing a wonderful job. It is all you can do.” Laura tried to reassure her teacher.
“I need to be able to change people’s minds, control what they think. I need to have the power of God.” Mrs. Page said rather frantically.
Laura could see that her teacher was loosing it. All of this was just too much for her heart. She had so much power and still couldn’t help all of the children. Some were being overlooked.
“Go!!” Mrs. Page yelled.
Laura did not protest but was scared and hoped that the squirrel would not even be there. The airplane ride back to South Carolina was a long one but soon enough she was at her school. It looked very dark and dreary and there was a very bad storm raging in the play yard. She walked slowly to the tree fighting the wind and the rain. “Gray squirrel, gray squirrel come out of your home. I have a little wish and need you to come.”
The little squirrel stomped out of the hole in the tree. “What is it now?” he asked.
Laura could hardly be heard over the storm. “My teacher wants…to control thoughts like God.”
The thunder crashed and lightening flashed in the sky. “You will have what you want.” The squirrel replied and turned back into the hole of the tree.
Laura sat down and cried but then the storm stopped and the skies cleared. She heard the birds singing and the faint sound of a familiar voice. “Laura! Laura! Where are you?”
Laura stood up and ran to her teacher. Everything was back to normal. It was all as before. She was so relieved. “Laura, I have been searching for you all over. I have some wonderful news for you. The police told me that your parents have given their permission for me to adopt you. How would you like that?” Mrs. Page said picking up the little girl.
“It is just what I have always wanted!!” Laura smiled and looked over at the tree. She knew that everything really would be all right.