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When the bell rang all the children came back into the classroom and took their seats.

“Now, who wants to be the first?” asked Stuart.

Arthur Green raised his hand.

“Don’t eat mushrooms, because there are many toadstools in the forest,” he said.

“That’s not a law,” said Stuart. “It is a piece of friendly advice. Very good advice, Arthur, but advice and law are not the same. Law is much more important than advice. Who else?”

“Don’t steal,” said Roy Hart.

“Very good,” said Stuart. “A good law.”

“Never poison anything but rats,” said Harry James.

“That is not good,” said Stuart. “It is unfair to rats. A law must be fair to everybody.”

“Why must we be fair to rats?” asked Harry. “Rats are very unpleasant.”

“I know that they are,” said Stuart. “But from a rat’s point of view, poison is very unpleasant, and a Chairman has to see all sides of the problem.”

“Have you a rat’s point of view?” asked Harry. “You look like a little rat.”

“No,” said Stuart. “I have a mouse’s point of view, but I think that everybody must have his rights in the world. Who else?”

Mary Smith raised her hand. “A law against fighting.”

“It is impractical,” said Stuart. “Boys like to fight, and they will fight all the same. Elizabeth Gardner, your law!”

“Not to be mean to one’s comrades,” said Elizabeth.

“A very fine law,” said Stuart. But I must say it will be difficult to keep this law. There are many mean people in the world. But if you, children, are not mean to each other, and teach all the other boys and girls not to be mean to anybody, perhaps we shall make the world a better place.”

He wiped his face with his handkerchief again because he was very tired. It was not an easy job to be Chairman of the World.

“Now, children, I wish you all a good summer. Summer is wonderful and summer is very important.”

“Like the sunlight!” said Roy Hart.

“Like the blue sky!” said Harry James.

“Like a bird’s song!” said Mary Smith.

“That’s right,” said Stuart. “It has been a pleasure to know you all. The lesson is over.”

Stuart got down from the teacher’s desk, went quickly to the door, climbed into the car, waved his hand and drove off to the north. The children ran along the road after his car and shouted “Good-bye, good-bye! Good-bye!”

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This version of Stuart Little was originally published in Moscow, in 1964.  All rights are reserved by respective copyright owners and this version must not be used in any other but private ESL study settings.  Hard or electronic copies for business purposes are prohibited.

© 1998 Ervin Nemeth. All rights reserved.

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