5

LAPLAND 
by Max Reif 

      The next day Mr. Nugent was back in class. At Story Time, the children gathered around him. Samantha and Eric again asked to sit on his lap. When they were settled in and Mr. Nugent continued reading, he saw Makhaila approaching.
      Uh-oh, he thought. Here she comes. Well, what's there to lose? My lap can hold the whole world, my lap can hold the whole world…
      Suddenly Makhaila was up there too! Mr. Nugent's two-seater was comfortably holding three!
      Now Robert and Tiara were coming forward. My lap can hold the whole world, my lap can hold the whole world…
      Mr. Nugent opened his eyes. Robert and Tiara were both up there! That made five! How was this happening? Just keep reading, Nugent, the amazed teacher told himself. Don't try to figure it out.
      Now all the rest of the children were coming. My lap can hold the whole world… Each child found a place where there was no place. The whole class was up on Mr. Nugent's lap!
      "And the Princess returned safely to the Castle," read Mr. Nugent, "with the Prince and their cat. And they all lived happily ever after." Mr. Nugent closed the book, closed his eyes, and sighed mightily.
      "Mr. Nugent!" a loud voice suddenly called. "Could you come in here a moment? I need to check on your schedule for next week!" The head teacher was calling him from her office.
      "Yes, I'm coming!" Mr. Nugent replied, finding his voice with difficulty. The children climbed off his lap and went back to their places on the circle.      "Children, you may get things off the shelves for Play Time," he told them.      When he returned from the office, they were happily hard at play. It was as though that Magic Moment had been his imagination. Did it really happen?
      I guess I won't ever know, Mr. Nugent thought as he watched the children. At least, not until Story Time tomorrow!