Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger (Wayside School 3)

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“No, thank you, Maurecia,” said Louis. “I don’t play games. I’m an adult.”

“But you’re a yard teacher,” said Jenny.

“No, I’m a Professional Playground Supervisor,” Louis corrected her. He walked away.

“Wow!” whispered Maurecia. “I never knew Louis was so handsome!”

Jenny patted her heart. “I think I’m in love,” she said.

“I thought he looked kind of goofy,” said Joy.

Up in class, everyone was talking about the new Louis.

“He looks so weird without his mustache,” said Calvin.

“He’s handsome!” said Bebe.

“He got mad at me for running across the blacktop,” complained John. “He made me go all the way back to the edge of the blacktop, then walk across it. And I had to call him Mr. Louis.”

“I am very proud of Louis,” said Mrs. Drazil. “He has always been a troublemaker. But I think he is trying to be good. We should all give him a chance.”

Joy stared at Mrs. Drazil. It’s your fault, she thought. You made him shave off his mustache.

At recess, Louis refused to pass out the balls.

“I haven’t washed them yet,” he said.

“You’re going to wash the balls?” asked Eric Bacon.

“They’re filthy,” said Louis. “And they all have the wrong amount of air in them.”

“I don’t care,” said Eric Fry.

“I do,” said Louis. “Before I can let you play with them, I have to clean them and pump them up with the precise amount of air as specified by POOPS.”

“POOPS?” asked Eric Ovens.

“The Professional Organization Of Playground Supervisors,” explained Louis.

He showed them the POOPS handbook.

“Well, what are we supposed to do?” asked Eric Fry.

“Just play and have fun,” said Louis. “But remember, stay off the grass. No running on the blacktop. No eating. And no excessive shouting.”

The three Erics walked away. “What a booger brain!” muttered Eric Bacon.

Louis heard him.

“That’s Mr. Booger Brain to you, young man,” he said.

The next day, when the kids tried to go outside for recess, they only made it down to the fourth floor. The stairs were completely jammed with other kids from lower classrooms.

“Hey, what’s going on?” shouted Joy.

“Louis won’t let anyone outside,” somebody shouted back. “He’s painting the blacktop!”