Mrs. Parks, a 6th-grade science teacher, posed an intriguing question to her class: “Which human body part increases to ten times its size when stimulated?” The room fell silent, with no one daring to venture an answer.
That was until little Mary stood up, her face flushed with indignation. “You shouldn’t be asking us a question like that!” she exclaimed. “I’m going to tell my parents, and they’ll tell the principal, and you’ll get fired!” Mary’s outburst was met with an awkward silence, but Mrs. Parks remained unfazed.
Undeterred, Mrs. Parks repeated the question, leaving Mary’s mouth agape. The young girl whispered to her classmates, “Boy, is she going to get in big trouble!” But Mrs. Parks continued to ignore Mary’s theatrics, instead encouraging the class to think critically about the question.
Finally, Billy tentatively stood up, his eyes scanning the room nervously. “I think the answer is the pupil of the eye,” he said softly. Mrs. Parks beamed with approval, praising Billy for his correct response.
But then, she turned her attention to Mary, a sly smile spreading across her face. “As for you, young lady,” Mrs. Parks began, “I have three things to say: One, you have a dirty mind. Two, you didn’t do your homework. And three, one day you’ll be very, very disappointed.” The class erupted into laughter, and Mary’s face turned bright red as she realized she had misinterpreted the question entirely.
