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"Class, shall we tell Mr Leroy e're studying?"

"Poetry!" the second-graders said loudly, all together

Mr Leroyvolcanoes I'"

The children were silent for a eon Then Gooney Bird stood at her seat Today she earing a fringed cowboy vest over her denim overalls Gooney Bird put her hands on her hips "Mr Leroy," she said, "I am shocked that you would say that!"

"Yeth!" Felicia Ann said "Me, too!"

"So," Mr Leroy said, "poetry isn't boring?"

"No!" the entire class said

"It's hard, though," Tyrone pointed out "You gotta work hard to get it right Every word gotta be right"

"You have to learn about couplets and stuff," Ben said

"And haiku," Keiko added

"And today," Mrs Pidgeon told the principal, "we are going to do" She pointed to the word she had written on the board "Limericks"

"Funny poems!" Malcolm called out

Mr Leroy leaned back in the chair "Well," he said "I think I'll stay for a while! I'd like to learn about funny poeeon?" Gooney Bird asked

"She did I'll read her liht now, and then I'll describe hoe can create our own" The teacher unfolded a paper

"Mrs Pidgeon's mom was a poet," Tricia whispered to Mr Leroy in explanation

"Is," Gooney Bird corrected "Once you're a poet, you're always, always a poet"

"And your feet show it, 'cuz they're Long-fellows," Malcoleon was giving hieon said when the class was quiet and waiting "It's surprising, but often lian to read

A very rich lady na a yacht,

Then let out a wail

While trying to sail,

For it started to float but did not

The children laughed "My cousin tipped over in a canoe once!" Barry said

"I saw Titanic! The whole ship sank!" Nicholas said

"Me, too!"

"I saw Titanic too!"

Mrs Pidgeon played a chord on the piano and the class beca at Mr Leroy

"Nope Not boring," Mr Leroy said with a smile

"Okay, class That was a liins with a description of a person in the first line Shall we try creating a liht I' you a first line And I'll userhyeon chuckled "It's not necessary to use a last naested '"There once was a teacher named Pat'?"

She looked around "Think about words that rhyme with Pat Who can come up with's the next line? Hands, please Don't call out"

For aSomeone murmured, "Fat" Another child said, "Cat," in a low voice Then, all at once, six hands were raised Mrs Pidgeon looked around the roo to hiave up the chair where she sat,'" Mr Leroy said

"Cool!" Tyrone called out "Good job, dude!"

"All right," Mrs Pidgeon said "Thank you, Mr Leroy Noe have the first two lines" She wrote the lines Any thoughts, class?"

Again the children and the principal became silent Suddenly Gooney Bird stood up and said loudly, "Eureka!"

"Eureka?" asked Mrs Pidgeon

"That reat idea coreat idea has?"

"Yep!" said Gooney Bird with a grin "I thought of the whole rest of the limerick It's a eureka moment"

"Good for you Would you like to come to the front of the class to recite it?"

"Yes But wait" Gooney Bird opened the lid of her desk and ru that looked fareen and ruffled Today Gooney Bird's hair was not in ponytails But she grabbed half of her red hair in one hand and pulled it through one leg hole, and then she did the saed the elastic waistband around her head and across her forehead Wearing her headpiece, she went to the front of the room and recited the liave up the chair where she sat

She tried to write verse,

But it only got worse

Till she warmed up her brain with a hat

The class applauded "You eon," Gooney Bird said, "anytime you want Or you can eon said "Next? How about each of you try using your own name in a first line? No need to write an entire limerick Let's start with first lines I'll walk around the class in case anyone needs help" She looked at the principal Usually his visits to classrooms lasted only a few minutes But Mr Leroy had picked up a paper and pencil and it did not look as if he were planning to leave

For a few moments the classroo on papers Then, here and there, groaning started