The Recess Queen
Mean Jean was the recess queen and nobody said any different. Nobody swung, until Mean Jean swung. Nobody kicked, until Mean Jean kicked. Nobody bounced, until Mean Jean bounced. If kids ever crossed her, she'd push 'em and smoosh 'em, lollapaloosh 'em, hammer 'em, slammer 'em, kitz and kajammer 'em. "Say what?", Mean Jean growled. "Say who?" Mean Jean howled. "Say you! Just who do you think you're talking to?" Mean Jean always got her way. Until one day..... ...a new kid came to school. Katie Sue! A teeny kid. A tiny kid. A kid you might scare with a jump and a "boo!" But when the recess bell went ringity-ring, this kid ran zingity-zing for the playground gate. Katie Sue swung, before Mean Jean swung. Katie Sue kicked, before Mean Jean kicked. Katie Sue bounced, before Mean Jean bounced. The kid you might scare with a jump and a "boo!" was too new to know about Mean Jean, The Recess Queen. Well, Mean Jean bullied through the playground crowd. Like always, she pushed kids and smooshed kids, lollapalooshed kids, hammered 'em, slammered 'em, kitz and kajammered 'em as she charged after Katie Sue. "Say what?", she growled. "Say who?", she howled. "Say you!", she snarled and grabbed Katie sue by the collar. "Nobody swings, until Mean Jean swings. Nobody kicks, until Mean Jean kicks. Nobody bounces until Mean Jean bounces", and she figured that would set the record straight.
She figure wrong. Katie sue talked back! Just as sassy as could be, she said, "How did you get to be so bossy?" Then that puny thing, that loony thing grabbed the ball and bounced away. Oh! Katie Sue was one quick kid. She bolted quick as lightening. Bouncity, bouncity, bounce. Kickity, kickity, kick. Swingity, swingity, swing. mean Jean thundered close behind: bouncity, kickity, swingity. The recess queen was not amused. she raced and chased and in-you-faced that Katie Sue. No one spoke. No one moved. No one breathed. Then, from her pack pulled Katie Sue a jump rope clean and bright. "Hey, Jeanie Beanie", sang Katie Sue. "Let's try this jump rope out!" Here is one thing true: until that day no one dared ask Mean Jean to play. But Katie Sue just hopped and jumped and skipped away. "I like ice-cream, I like tea, I want Jean to jump with me!" Jean just gaped and stared as if too scared to move at all. So Katie Sue sang once more. "I like popcorn, I like tea, I want Jean to jump with me!" Then, from the side a kid called out, "Go, Jean, go!" And too surprised to even shout, Jean jumped in with Katie Sue. "I like cookies, I like tea, I want you to jump with me!" The rope whizzed and slapped, faster, faster, the rope spun and flopped faster, faster! Till it caught in a tangled disaster. But they just giggled and jumped again!
Well, now when recess rolls around that playground is one great place. At the school bell's ringity-ring those girls race zingity-zing out of the classroom door. Jean doesn't push kids and smoosh kids, lollapaloosh kids, hammer 'em, slammer 'em - because she's having too much fun rompity-romping with her friends. Bouncity, kickity, swingity, happily, skippity, jumpity, ringity, zingity, YESSSSSS!
By Alexis O'Neill & Laura Huliska-Beith
