A teacher, Mrs. Gable, is reviewing vocabulary with her elementary class. She smiles warmly at the eager faces before her. “Alright, class,” she says, clapping her hands together. “Can anyone name things that end with ‘tor’ that eat things?”
The first little boy, Timmy, enthusiastically raises his hand. “Alligator!”
“Very good, Timmy! That’s a big word,” Mrs. Gable praises, writing it on the chalkboard.
The second boy, Marcus, shoots his hand up next. “Predator!”
“Yes, that’s another big word. Well done, Marcus,” she says, adding it beneath the first word. She turns back to the class, feeling quite proud of their advanced vocabulary today.
Suddenly, Little Johnny frantically waves his arm from the back row. Mrs. Gable hesitates. She knows Little Johnny’s reputation for highly unpredictable answers, but she wants to encourage his participation. “Yes, Johnny? What is your word?”
Little Johnny stands up tall, puffs out his chest, and proudly declares, “A vibrator!”
The classroom falls dead silent. Mrs. Gable drops her chalk, her face instantly turning three shades of crimson. She takes a deep breath, gripping the edge of her desk to maintain her composure.
“Johnny,” she scolds, her voice squeaking slightly. “That is not appropriate for the classroom! And furthermore, that does not eat anything!”
Little Johnny shrugs, completely unfazed by her reaction. “I don’t know about that, Mrs. Gable. My mom has one hidden in her nightstand drawer, and it eats three double-A batteries a week!”
