Monkey business

“The egg fell down from the nest, but didn’t crack. Why?” Minty Monkey tittered.“Why?” the other animals asked, scratching their heads.“Because it was wearing a diaper.”Too many PJsThe entire fifth grade groaned. They were growing tired of Minty’s wisecracks.Madam Zoya Zebra entered the class and asked them to settle down. Hooves shuffled and wings fluttered before they returned to their seats.“Class, do you know what is special about next Saturday?”“It’s International Joke Day,” Minty guessed.Hizu Hyena cackled, and the rest of the class followed suit. “Minty is a silly-billy,” the birds chirped.Zoya Ma’am stomped her hooves on the ground. “Stop it, class. Next Saturday is class 1 admissions day. We need students to help handle the admission process. Any volunteers?”Minty raised her paw.“Ma’am, if Minty becomes a volunteer, the students will probably transfer from our school,” Hizu remarked.Getting readyThe class burst into laughter, and Minty winced. It was almost as though her classmates didn’t like her. To add to her disappointment, Zoya Ma’am did not select her. Instead, she selected three other volunteers, including Hizu.Over the next few days, the school geared up for admissions. Giant banners were erected, and the hallways were decorated with posters. The student volunteers underwent practice drills to help manage the crowds. When Saturday finally arrived, all classes were given a holiday, except for the volunteers.First-day jittersMinty lived in the grove just next to the school. She hopped over the school’s wall, trying to catch a glimpse of the new students. Unfortunately, the youngsters were restless and crying for their parents. The parents were distressed too and were trying to calm their children.A young flamingo stood on one leg, refusing to move. A little tortoise had withdrawn into his shell. A little elephant was shedding jumbo tears. “I don’t want to leave my mummy,” he trumpeted.Pongo, the kid, was ready to butt anyone who came too near. Hizu and the other volunteers were not able to coax him into the class.Seeing the chaos, Minty couldn’t control herself. She swung over the wall and landed in the school compound. She raced over to Pongo. “Hi, I’m Minty. Do you know why goats can cycle well?”Pongo shook his head.“Goats have great baa-lance. Because goats go baa, baa. Get it?”Pongo started bleating with uncontrollable laughter.“Another one, another one,” he begged.“Why did the banana go to the doctor?”“Why?”“It was not peeling well...”The youngsters began gathering around Minty. The tears and the fussing had stopped.A young bee buzzed. “Minty didi, tell us a joke about bees.”“How do bees go to school?”“How?”“They take the school buzz.”“Hahaha!”Cool MintyThe little tortoise emerged from his shell so he could hear better.“If everyone in school is as cool as Minty didi, then it must be a fun place,” Pongo declared, marching into class.One by one, the young animals left their parents and entered their classes. As soon as they settled in, Minty left quietly. She didn’t know that Zoya Ma’am was watching her with silent pride.Classes resumed on Monday for all the classes. When Minty reached school, she was greeted by dozens of first-year students.“Look, it’s the cool didi from Saturday,” they cried in delight.Minty waved to them and wished them good luck. While entering her class, she noticed that Zoya Ma’am had already arrived.Making amends“Good morning, Minty. We have something to tell you. Hizu has prepared a speech.”Hizu stood up. “Minty, you were pretty awesome yesterday. You managed the crowd well and demonstrated excellent leadership qualities. The parents were very happy and praised you in the feedback forms.” Illustration: Satheesh Vellinezhi | Photo Credit: Illustration: Satheesh Vellinezhi Zoya Ma’am presented Minty with a bouquet of flowers and said, “Your wit saved the day.”“Minty is a witty-billy, a witty-billy,” the birds chirped again.“Thank you, friends. I just want to make everyone around me happy.”“Three cheers for Minty,” the class cheered.