Less Lessons

Everyone was bored in Bored Ing school.

The Junior Ings were bored, the Middle-School Ings were bored and the Senior Ings were the most bored of the lot. Even the Teacher Ings were bored.

What are Ings? It's a bit hard to explain, really. I've never met an Ing myself, neither has anyone I know, but there are many Bored Ing Schools all over the place so I do know that Bored Ings exist. I can't vouch for Interested Ings, but this story doesn't concern Interested Ings.

So anyway, all the students, the teachers, the housekeeping staff, the accountant and the Pet Ing were bored in Bored Ing School, and they had to live there 24 hours a day! Imagine that!

"If only the day wasn't 24 hours long!" every student, teacher, staff member, accountant, pet wished every day.

Then one day, it happened.

Rather, one night, it happened, because it was at bedtime that everyone noticed that it had happened.

They were 1/24th less bored than they usually were at bedtime. And you know what 1/24ths is, don't you? It's 2/48ths, that's what, and that's a LOT to be less bored by. Everyone slept well that night, and woke up good and refreshed. They were so refreshed that they ate more breakfast than usual and Cook Ing was Egg Ing her helpers to produce more and more Help Ings.

Anyway, everyone did well in their classwork, well at games, well at art and well at everything that day.

Then suddenly, the day was over.

One hour before the earlier one hour shorter day had gotten over. The Ings went to bed 2/24ths or 4/48ths happier, and everyone was Sleep Ing so soundly that the Wak Ing bell had to be rung six times before anyone awoke. (The person Ring Ing it was asleep.)

Even better scores in the classroom, even better performances everywhere else, even healthier appetites.

The days were now steadily Los Ing hours. Classes and activities had to be scrapped, till finally there was only the lunch hour left on the timetable.

Nobody could figure out why this was Happen Ing. To tell you the truth, nobody really tried, since it was such a relief to be less bored as the days progressed.

But when there was only lunch hour left, the mystery was solved.

As the Ings were all seated in the luncheon hall, a voice came over the loudpeaker system.

"My dear Ings," it said, in a Sing Song voice. "I am the Ingel fairy. That's Angel fairy with a substitute starting vowel, just made for Bored Ing schools. Every Bored Ing School has it's own Ingel Fairy, who usually remains quiet and doesn't call attention to herself. But I was heartbroken to see you so bored and tried to reduce the day by two or three hours. Unfortunately, the spell was Confus Ing, and instead of 2 or 3, I spelled to make the day 23 hours shorter. A spell once done cannot be undone, but I could just alter it so all 23 hours wouldn't disappear at once, but gradually, an hour at a time. Now that 23 hours have disappeared, the spell won't work anymore. Tomorrow will have 24 hours in it."

At first, those who heard this were disappointed. Then, one clever little Ing pointed Someth Ing out.

"Everyone ... don't you want to learn to do magic like that, and learn to do it correctly? Well, we'll need lots of hours a day to do that!"

Suddenly, the Ings understood. If they were Learn Ing something Fascinat Ing, it wouldn't be Bored Ing school anymore but Interest Ing!