It was a Monday morning at school. The classroom was nice and well decorated, it seemed a perfect place to learn and have a good time, but the students were at their desks watching with worried faces the dreaded teacher Rogelio, known for his airs of superiority and his impossible exams.
Today was no exception. The teacher walked around with a wicked grin as he handed out sheets full of absurd questions. “Define the exact number of stars visible from the southern hemisphere in winter,” read one question. “What is a camel’s favorite color?” put in another.
The students, bewildered, looked at their papers not knowing what to do. It was very important for them to pass this exam in order to get out of school early and find a job.
From the darkest corner of the classroom, a small being watched the scene with great interest. It was Lumnito, a Magikito dressed in clothes made of tree leaves who lived in the forest and liked to enter the schools from time to time to learn interesting things.
Lumnito had already attended many classes and knew perfectly well the difference between a good teacher and one who just wants to show off his knowledge but does not know how to explain it.
He also felt a special compassion for the students when the teacher was unfair, and Rogelio’s case seemed to him the perfect example. Those questions were clearly useless, and on top of that they were super hard to answer. So he settled into his little invisible seat and snapped his fingers, ready to begin his prank.
Suddenly, the classroom door burst open. All eyes turned to the entrance, where Principal Fermin, a serious but fair man, who had heard rumors about Professor Rogelio’s practices, appeared. “Professor!” he exclaimed in a firm voice, “I have decided that today you will also take this exam. What’s more, you will have to pass it to keep your job.”
Professor Rogelio’s face turned as white as the paper he had just handed out. “Me?! But… that’s absurd!” he stammered. However, the Director did not relent. “If it’s good enough for your students, it will be good enough for you,” he replied.
With trembling hands, Rogelio took a copy of the exam and sat down to try to answer the questions. He stared at the paper, a bead of sweat sliding down his forehead. “What is the exact number of leaves on the oldest tree in the forest?” he read aloud. “This…this doesn’t make any sense!” he complained, as the rest of the students held back a laugh of nervous relief.
Lumnito, from his corner, enjoyed the scene. He discreetly approached the teacher’s desk and, with a gentle gesture of his magic fingers, made Rogelio’s pencil begin to move on its own, writing even more ridiculous answers: “The camel prefers purple on Tuesdays” and “The oldest tree changes its leaves to the rhythm of the moon. Rogelio frantically tried to erase the answers, but the pencil kept writing uncontrollably, while the students gawked.
Principal Fermin, after observing for a while, interrupted. “It is evident, Professor Rogelio, that even you cannot answer your own questions. Starting today, your exams will be reviewed by a committee of students.” The classroom erupted in applause.
Professor Rogelio, red with embarrassment, lowered his head. “All right,” he muttered, “I’ll endeavor to ask more normal questions from now on.”
Lumnito, satisfied, smiled from his hiding place and said goodbye with a glow of light, ready for his next adventure. And so, with a pinch of magic and justice, Lumnito made that school a fairer place for everyone.
