On The Quest For Knowledge

(I’m in seventh grade, and on class duty, meaning I have to stay after class and help clean up. Someone took away our broom so I go over to another classroom to borrow one.)

Me: “Mr. [Teacher], can I borrow your broom? We’re missing ours.”

Teacher: “Sure thing. But first, I need you to do something. For the sake of a… uh.. science experiment. You see that big, blue barrel there?”

(That particular barrel has been standing there in a corner all year, without any reason. I’m getting both curious and suspicious.)

Teacher: “Can you climb in there? I want to know if it can hold one 11 year old, just for the sake of curiosity.”

(Weird as it sounds, but I used to be a very naive child who does exactly as she’s told. So I climb in the barrel. The next moment the teacher snaps the lid on it, grabs the barrel – with me in it – lifts it over his head and shouts:)

Teacher: “I did it! I captured the evil minion on the quest to steal my broom!”

Me: “PUT ME DOWN!!”

(So he did, and I crawl out of the barrel a bit bruised but laughing my a** off.)

Teacher: “Now you know what that barrel is for. You passed the test. Here, have your broom.”

(And he handed it to me as if he was a king who presented a new sword to a knight. He was my teacher the year after that. Best. Teacher. Ever.)