contestants took their places in the first three rows of the auditorium. The winning first graders from all the schools went up onstage first.
When students spelled their words correctly, they went to the end of the line to wait for another turn. But if they missed, a teacher escorted them to the steps at one side of the stage, and they joined their classmates below.
The winning word for the first grade was untie, and everyone clapped as the boy who won it grinned and waved at his parents.
The second graders came onstage next, their arms straight down at their sides, looking even more serious. When only two girls were left onstage, one misspelled the word dinosaur and—to her even greater embarrassment—broke into tears and left the stage weeping.
The winning word in third grade was discipline, and then it was the fourth grade's turn.
“Remember,” said the county superintendent, who was calling out the words. “You may ask to have a word repeated, and you may ask to have it used in a sentence.” He also reminded the contestants that the winner for each grade would go to the statewide spelling contest in Charleston in May.
Miserably, Caroline watched as Wally Hatford shuffled across the stage, hands in his pockets, beside the other contestants. Mrs. Malloy leaned forward again and smiled down the row at Mrs. Hatford, and Mrs. Hatford leaned forward and smiled back.
“Tremendous,” said the superintendent to the first person in line. The girl spelled the word correctly and moved to the end.
“Scissors,” said the superintendent. The next girl mistakenly put an e before the r and was escorted offstage.
Wally was given the word knowledge, which he spelled correctly, and again the Malloys and theHatfords exchanged smiles. Peter clapped for his brother.
Caroline was silently weeping already. No actress should have to go through the agony she endured. Look at Wally up there! she thought. His shoulders were slumped, his eyes were on the floor, hands in his pockets, toes pointing inward. He looked as uncomfortable and awkward as an elephant at a tea party. Wally no more wanted to go to the state contest than he wanted to go to the dentist. She would have been such a wonderful contestant to represent Buckman's fourth grade! She would have gone on to the state contest, and then the national, and she would have been on TV. From there it was only a short step to Broadway. Oh, life was so unfair!
One more contestant was eliminated as the line moved toward the superintendent, and once again it was Wally's turn.
“Handkerchief,” said the superintendent.
Oh, that's so easy! Caroline thought. That was the easiest word so far! She could spell much harder words than that.
“Handkerchief,” Wally repeated, looking straight ahead. “ H-a-n-d … ” He hesitated, and Caroline knew with every bone in her body that he was about to misspell it so that he wouldn't have to go to the state contest. He would probably put in a c instead of a k.
“Uh …, ” said Wally.
“I know it!” Caroline cried, suddenly leaping to her feet.
“Caroline!” whispered her mother.
“ H-a-n-d-k-e-r-c-h-i-e-f ! I'm from Buckman Elementary too! I'm in fourth grade too, and I know it!” she pleaded while people in front turned to stare at her and her mother frantically lunged across Eddie's lap, trying to grab her arm.
Impulsively Caroline whirled and faced the audience. “But I know it!” she cried, sure that someone would see the justice of her taking Wally's place. Instead of a sea of smiling faces, however, Caroline saw only disgust and ridicule. She turned slowly around again.
“Will the young lady in the pink shirt please sit down?” said the superintendent, unsmiling.
Caroline tearfully collapsed on her seat, her face beet red with embarrassment. Beth and Eddie had their hands over their faces, Coach Malloy was glaring down the row at her, and up onstage, Wally's face was as pink as Caroline's shirt.
“We'll try you on
When students spelled their words correctly, they went to the end of the line to wait for another turn. But if they missed, a teacher escorted them to the steps at one side of the stage, and they joined their classmates below.
The winning word for the first grade was untie, and everyone clapped as the boy who won it grinned and waved at his parents.
The second graders came onstage next, their arms straight down at their sides, looking even more serious. When only two girls were left onstage, one misspelled the word dinosaur and—to her even greater embarrassment—broke into tears and left the stage weeping.
The winning word in third grade was discipline, and then it was the fourth grade's turn.
“Remember,” said the county superintendent, who was calling out the words. “You may ask to have a word repeated, and you may ask to have it used in a sentence.” He also reminded the contestants that the winner for each grade would go to the statewide spelling contest in Charleston in May.
Miserably, Caroline watched as Wally Hatford shuffled across the stage, hands in his pockets, beside the other contestants. Mrs. Malloy leaned forward again and smiled down the row at Mrs. Hatford, and Mrs. Hatford leaned forward and smiled back.
“Tremendous,” said the superintendent to the first person in line. The girl spelled the word correctly and moved to the end.
“Scissors,” said the superintendent. The next girl mistakenly put an e before the r and was escorted offstage.
Wally was given the word knowledge, which he spelled correctly, and again the Malloys and theHatfords exchanged smiles. Peter clapped for his brother.
Caroline was silently weeping already. No actress should have to go through the agony she endured. Look at Wally up there! she thought. His shoulders were slumped, his eyes were on the floor, hands in his pockets, toes pointing inward. He looked as uncomfortable and awkward as an elephant at a tea party. Wally no more wanted to go to the state contest than he wanted to go to the dentist. She would have been such a wonderful contestant to represent Buckman's fourth grade! She would have gone on to the state contest, and then the national, and she would have been on TV. From there it was only a short step to Broadway. Oh, life was so unfair!
One more contestant was eliminated as the line moved toward the superintendent, and once again it was Wally's turn.
“Handkerchief,” said the superintendent.
Oh, that's so easy! Caroline thought. That was the easiest word so far! She could spell much harder words than that.
“Handkerchief,” Wally repeated, looking straight ahead. “ H-a-n-d … ” He hesitated, and Caroline knew with every bone in her body that he was about to misspell it so that he wouldn't have to go to the state contest. He would probably put in a c instead of a k.
“Uh …, ” said Wally.
“I know it!” Caroline cried, suddenly leaping to her feet.
“Caroline!” whispered her mother.
“ H-a-n-d-k-e-r-c-h-i-e-f ! I'm from Buckman Elementary too! I'm in fourth grade too, and I know it!” she pleaded while people in front turned to stare at her and her mother frantically lunged across Eddie's lap, trying to grab her arm.
Impulsively Caroline whirled and faced the audience. “But I know it!” she cried, sure that someone would see the justice of her taking Wally's place. Instead of a sea of smiling faces, however, Caroline saw only disgust and ridicule. She turned slowly around again.
“Will the young lady in the pink shirt please sit down?” said the superintendent, unsmiling.
Caroline tearfully collapsed on her seat, her face beet red with embarrassment. Beth and Eddie had their hands over their faces, Coach Malloy was glaring down the row at her, and up onstage, Wally's face was as pink as Caroline's shirt.
“We'll try you on
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