Lumnito at School

It was a Monday morning at school. The classroom was cute and nicely decorated, it looked like the perfect place to learn and have a good time, but the students sat at their desks with worried faces, watching the dreaded Mr Rogelio, famous for acting like he knew it all and for his impossible tests.

Today was no different. The teacher paced around with a mean little grin while handing out sheets packed with absurd questions. “State the exact number of stars visible from the Southern Hemisphere in winter,” said one. “What’s a camel’s favourite colour?” read another.

The students, totally thrown off, stared at their papers with no clue what to do. Passing this exam mattered a lot to them. They wanted to finish school soon and start building a life, job and all.

From the darkest corner of the classroom, a tiny creature watched the whole thing with serious interest. It was Lumnito, a Magikito dressed in clothes made from tree leaves. He lived in the forest, and every now and then he liked to sneak into schools to learn interesting stuff.

Lumnito had sat through loads of classes, and he could tell right away who was a good teacher and who just wanted to show off without actually knowing how to explain anything.

He also had a soft spot for students when a teacher was being unfair, and Rogelio was basically the perfect example. Those questions were useless, and on top of that they were ridiculously hard. So Lumnito got comfy in his hiding spot and snapped his fingers, ready to kick off a little mischief.

Suddenly, the classroom door flew open. Every head turned to the entrance, where the headmaster Fermín appeared, a serious man but a fair one. He’d heard the rumours about Mr Rogelio’s “methods”. “Professor,” he said in a firm voice, “I’ve decided you’re taking this exam too. And you’ll need to pass it if you want to keep your job.”

Mr Rogelio’s face turned as white as the paper he’d just handed out. “Me? But… that’s ridiculous!” he stammered. The headmaster didn’t budge. “If it’s good enough for your students, it’s good enough for you,” he replied.

With shaky hands, Rogelio grabbed a copy and sat down to try to answer. He stared at the page, a bead of sweat sliding down his forehead. “What is the exact number of leaves on the oldest tree in the forest?” he read out loud. “This… this makes no sense!” he complained, while the rest of the students held back nervous, relieved giggles.

Lumnito, from his corner, was loving every second. He slipped closer to the teacher’s desk and, with a soft flick of his magical fingers, made Rogelio’s pencil start moving on its own, scribbling even more ridiculous answers: “The camel prefers purple on Tuesdays” and “The oldest tree changes its leaves to the rhythm of the moon.” Rogelio tried to erase the words like his life depended on it, but the pencil kept writing out of control, and the students watched with their mouths hanging open.

Headmaster Fermín, after watching for a bit, cut in. “It’s obvious, Professor Rogelio, that you can’t even answer your own questions. From today on, your exams will be reviewed by a committee of students.” The classroom exploded into applause.

Professor Rogelio, red with embarrassment, lowered his head. “Alright,” he muttered. “I’ll try to write more normal questions from now on.”

Lumnito, satisfied, smiled from his hiding spot and said goodbye in a little flash of light, ready for his next adventure. And just like that, with a pinch of magic and a dash of mischief, he’d made that school a bit fairer for everyone.