A Versatile, Adaptable Punchline

A bit David Brent, this one. You know, “I see myself as entertainer first, teacher second…”

Teaching Orwell’s Animal Farm at the moment. I love this book. It’s all about animals on a farm who rebel and revolt, exiling the cruel farmer, only to create a society as bad – if not worse – than the one they replaced.

It’s also about the Russian revolution or something.

I was reading it to my class, and they were interested and engaged. Delighted to say that they're enjoying it as much as I did when I first read it at their age. One lad, however, kept rocking on his chair, despite my warnings that he might fall over.

We got to the bit where the sheep drown out all complaints about the new regime by repeating “Two legs bad! Four legs good!”

I was doing my best sheep voice, and the kids seemed entertained.

At the end of the lesson, the kid who had been swinging on his chair finally fell to the ground. I remarked:

“That’s definitely a case of two legs bad, four legs good.” Even the lad in question laughed as I led him off to see the nurse.

At the end of the day, I told my colleagues, who have also been teaching Animal Farm, my cockroach story. I got to the bit about its legs falling off, and remarked:

“That’s definitely a case of six legs bad, four legs good.”

It’s a versatile, adaptable punchline.

I guess you had to be there.