Twister on Tuesday

going to give you each a slate and a pen.”
    She handed out the slates. They looked like small blackboards set in wooden frames.
    Next she gave everyone a slate pen. Each pen was a thin piece of chalk.
    Miss Neely opened the McGuffey Reader.
    â€œWhile you were eating your noon meal, I copied a poem from the book,” she said. “Now I want
you
to copy it.”
    Miss Neely held her own slate board up for them all to see:

    Jack quickly started copying the words. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jeb writing very slowly. It took the older boy a long time just to write the letter T.

    Jack slowed down, too. He didn’t want Jeb to think he was showing off.
    Suddenly, loud thumping sounds came from overhead. It sounded as if someone were throwing stones against the roof.
    â€œOh no! Grasshopper attack!” screamed Kate. She covered her head.
    â€œGrasshopper attack!” cried Will. He covered his head, too.
    â€œBe calm, everyone!” said Miss Neely.
    What’s a grasshopper attack? What are they talking about?
Jack wondered.
    Even Jeb seemed worried. As Miss Neely started toward the door, he said, “Don’t open it! They’ll come in!”
    Has everyone gone crazy?
Jack thought.
How can grasshoppers hurt anyone?
    Miss Neely opened the door and looked out. A moment later, she stuck her head back in and closed the door.
    â€œIt’s all right,” she said. “It’s only hailstones.”
    â€œWhat’s that?” said Annie.
    â€œHailstones are small pieces of frozen rain. Sometimes they fall to earth during a thunderstorm,” said Miss Neely.
    â€œWhy did Will and Kate yell, ‘Grasshopper attack!’?” Jack asked.
    â€œBecause last spring, grasshoppers
did
attack us,” said Miss Neely.
    â€œYes! Millions and millions of them came out of the sky,” said Will. “It looked like a huge, shiny cloud.”
    â€œThey covered every inch of ground!” said Kate. “They ate everything!”
    â€œThey ate all our crops,” said Will, “our turnips and fruit trees and watermelons.”
    â€œThey even ate our clothes and bedsheets!” said Kate.
    â€œYuck,” said Annie.
    â€œOh, man,” said Jack. He’d never heard of a grasshopper attack before.
    â€œIt was very scary,” said Kate.
    â€œBut remember how we replanted and everyone helped everyone else?” said Miss Neely.
    Kate and Will nodded.
    â€œWe must try to hold on to the good memories,” Miss Neely said gently, “and let go of the bad ones.”
    â€œYes, ma’am,” said Kate.
    Everyone was quiet for a moment. Then the sound of the hailstones died away.
    â€œLet’s go back to our lesson now,” said Miss Neely.
    They all returned to their writing.
    Even working as slowly as he could, Jack finished first. He showed his copy of the poem to Miss Neely.
    â€œGood work, Jack,” she said. “We can all learn from these words, can’t we?”
    â€œYes, ma’am,” said Jack.
    â€œHey, this is it, Jack!” Annie blurted out.
“Something to learn!”
    Miss Neely looked puzzled.
    But Jack smiled. He knew what Annie was talking about:
They had their special writing. They could go home!
    Jack stood up.
    â€œExcuse me, ma’am, but I’m afraid we have to leave,” he said.
    â€œSo soon?” said Miss Neely.
    â€œYes, we have to go back to our parents,” said Annie.
    â€œMay I take my slate with us?” Jack asked.
    â€œPlease do,” said Miss Neely. “Use it on your trip to California to practice your writing.”
    â€œThanks!” said Jack with a big smile. He put the slate in his leather bag. “We learned a lot, ma’am.”
    â€œI’m glad you had a chance to come to school,” said Miss Neely. “Good-bye and good luck.”
    â€œGood luck to you, too,” said Annie.
    â€œBye!” Will and Kate called out.
    â€œBye!” said Jack and Annie.
    As they went out the door, Jack glanced at Jeb. He felt sorry for the older boy. He tried one last time to be friends.
    â€œBye, Jeb,” he said.
    But the boy wouldn’t even look at him.
    Jack gently closed the door to the schoolhouse.
    He breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad to get away from Jeb’s anger.
    â€œThat’s weird,” said Annie. “Look at the sky.”
    As Jack turned away from the schoolhouse door, he caught his