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look at me now.’ Everybody gazed at her. Her
dress was unrecognisable. Covered with ink and
grease spots, mercilessly dog-eared and two
corners chewed away, she looked a wreck. Tears

filled Ms English’s eyes.

Offering her a handkerchief, Justice Mathematics
asked gently, ‘How did it happen, Ms English?’

‘Well,’ sniffed Ms English, ‘this boy,’ she pointed
at Manu, ‘brought me home a few months back
but never bothered to cover me properly with the
nice brown paper his father had brought.’

‘Did Manu not get scolded and punished in the
school for that?’ Justice Mathematics enquired.

‘Oh, yes, he was, repeatedly,’ said Ms English in a
tearful voice, ‘but all the punishment and scolding

slipped off him like water off a duck’s back!’
‘Not only did he ruin my looks,’ she continued, ‘he

also ill-treated me.’

The audience was stunned, ill-treating a delicate
creature like Ms English! How terrible!

By now tears had started rolling down Ms English’s big eyes. And stopping only to
sniff delicately in the handkerchief, she told everyone about how Manu dropped her
carelessly, stuffed her anyhow in his crammed bag, sometimes next to the lunch box
dripping with oil!

Manu turned red as many pairs of eyes glared at him. Oh!
why had he not listened to his mother, who had told him
many times to take care of his books! He was otherwise a

good boy and even managed to stay within the first five
ranks of the class. But he was extremely lazy.

‘Manu!’ the stentorian voice of Justice Mathematics brought
him back to reality. ‘What do you have to say for yourself?’

Manu managed to mumble an apology, ‘I am
sorry, Sir!’ gazed: looked steadily for a long time
dog-eared: (a book) used so much that the
‘What do you mean by saying ‘sorry’?’ screamed corners of many of the pages are turned down
Justice Mathematics. ‘You have to undo what you water off a duck’s back: to have no effect
crammed: full of things
have done. Do you understand?’ stentorian: loud and powerful voice

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