That is the headline in Monday’s newspaper, and the article goes on to report that “All twenty-five Barclay seniors registered an “A” on what was described as a ‘difficult test.’” Further down the page . . . in a related article . . . a smaller headline reads “Local Teacher Issues Public Apology” and that article is accompanied by a photo of . . . Mr. John Snyder.
It is early Tuesday morning, and Mr. John Snyder is going out to his front porch to get the newspaper. When he pulls opens the door he comes to a stop. Out front, cluttering up his lawn, are cardboard cut-outs of various sizes. He marches down the front porch steps and strides out to the main sidewalk to get a better look. They are Grinches . . . about twenty five of them . . . painted on to cardboard cut-outs and staked into the ground.
There are big Grinches, little Grinches, and medium-sized Grinches . . . positively populating the yard in front of his house. A smile comes to Mr. Snyder’s face. “I can take a joke.” he says to himself, and he walks back toward his house.
But there on the front porch . . . attached to one of the side railings . . . is a miniature mail box. It is at eye level and has a small chain hanging down from its door. Mr. Snyder stops, smiles, and pulls down on the chain. The mailbox door opens and an egg . . . a spring-loaded egg . . . shoots out and hits him . . . bull’s eye . . . right on the forehead. Splat! And Mr. John Snyder, with admirable “savoir faire,” ponders the justice of the situation.
“Well,” he muses to himself, “I guess I have egg on my face.”