"Why Didn't You Say So?"

Art: Denise Edwards
Story and Music by: John Rickey


Alfred didn't have time to eat his breakfast. He didn't even have time to go to the washroom. He was late. Very late, and his school bus was honking.
Gulping down three glasses of water, he shot out the door, only to boomerang back and plead, "Mom, I've got to go to the washroom!"
"Then go at school,"his mother replied. "You'll be there in just a minute."

Alfred plodded onto the bus, eagerly awaiting the washroom.
But his bus got a flat and he walked in late, right in the middle of Mrs. Peedlepot's lesson on Africa.
"Can anybody tell me the name of a large cat living in Africa?" asked Mrs. Peedlepot. "Some people call this animal the King of the Jungle."
Alfred's hand shot up like a rocket. "Yes Alfred. Tell us, what is this large animal? What is this King of the Jungle?

All eyes fell on Alfred. There was silence. Alfred stood up, twisted his legs together and blurted, "may I go to the washroom?"

"No, that's not the animal! I've heard of a lion. I've heard of a tiger but I've never heard of a cat called: 'May I go to the washroom'. Sit down! "
Shaking his head, Alfred sat down, but sighed as he heard the recess bell.
The class ran out the door, leaving him behind. You know it's hard to run with your knees stuck together!

Nevertheless, alone in the hall, he waddled to the washroom, only to have a large shadow engulf him.
"No one in the halls!" thundered Mr. Knickerwacker, the principal. "Get out!"
However the recess bell rang and the students burst back into the school.

Again Alfred waddled himself late into another of Mrs. Peedlepot's lessons. This time it was math.
"What is three plus three?" questioned Mrs. Peedlepot.
Alfred flapped his hand in desperation.

"Yes Alfred. Tell us! What is three plus three? What does this add up to? What is this number?"
All eyes fell on Alfred. There was silence. Alfred stood up. Twisted his legs and blurted: "May I go to the washroom?"

"No! That's not the number! " yelled Mrs. Peedlepot.
"I've heard of numbers like six and three and twenty, even a million and a billion but I've never heard of the number: "May I go to the washroom. Sit down!"
Shaking his head, Alfred sat down ever so carefully.

The day went slowly for Alfred.
Eating lunch made things worse.

Trampoline lessons for gym almost exploded him.

Boa Constrictor lessons for science almost squashed it out of him.

Tackle football at pm recess almost made him lose it.

As hometime approached, Mrs. Peedlepot noticed Alfred squirming and turning a bit purple. "Is anything wrong?" probed Mrs. Peedlepot.

Alfred burst like a stuck balloon. "May I go to the washroom? I've been trying all day. I have to go ! I have to go! I have to go! Please let me go!"

"Well!" replied Mrs. Peedlepot. "Why didn't you say so? Go!"

Watching Alfred waddle to the washroom, Mrs. Peedlepot just shook her head mumbling, "these kids, they just don't speak up!"
Alfred shook his head too and waddled, then ran, then raced to the washroom!
THE END Meet the Author
Meet the Illustrator
Try a dot to dot math question from this story.