Jeb was still chewing on the sausage when the idea hit him like a hailstone. If he suddenly got sick, he wouldn't have to go to school.  If he didn't have to go to school he wouldn't have to
 worry about the new teacher and Big Jack and the other problems at school.  Going to school in a small schoolhouse huddled on the prairie in this year 1892 wasn't easy, and if he found a way to get out of going to school he would take it. Jeb quickly glanced at Ma and moaned.  He squirmed. Ma kept pouring buckwheat batter on the griddle.  Maybe he needed a louder moan.  "Ohhhhhhhh!" Jeb moaned.
            This time Ma turned around.  "Are you boys fighting again?"
            "No, Ma. Jeb's just moaning about something," Tim said.           
"What's the matter, Jeb?"
            "I don't feel too good, Ma. I think I'd better go back to bed."
            Ma came over and put a cool hand on Jeb's forehead. "You don't seem to be running a fever. Where does it hurt?" 
            "In my stomach and ears and feet.  I don't think I can go to school."
            Ma stood with her hands on her hips, staring at Jeb thoughtfully.  But before she could say anything, Tim said, "Jeb ain't sick. He just doesn't want to go to school because the kids make fun of him. And he's afraid the new teacher's gonna be mean."
            "Why do the kids make fun of you, Jeb?" Ma's brown eyes were so clouded with love and worry that Jeb wanted to throw his arms around her and bury his face in her lap, but he knew better than to do that in front of Tim. Tim would laugh at him and so would the boys at school if they ever found out.
"The boys don't make fun of me, Ma."

            "They do make fun of you," Tim said.  He hitched up his trousers and smoothed down his suspenders.  His red hair shone like the apple peels Ma used to stir down into apple butter.               "No they don't! Why don't you keep your mouth shut, Tim!"        
"That's enough out of you boys. Now eat your breakfast,"Ma said. She turned to fill Tim's plate and Tim stuck out his tongue at Jeb. Jeb kicked him as hard as he could under the table.                  "Ma!"Tim bellowed.  "Jeb..."
            "Boys!" Ma whirled around and set Tim's plate in front of him.  Then she reached behind the kitchen door and pulled out the hickory switch she always kept there. She sat across from Tim and Jeb, holding the switch on her lap. They finished their breakfast in silence. Pa came in just as they were leaving for school.           
"Have a good day at school boys," Pa said.   
"Yes, Pa," Jeb agreed.  You didn't kick or stick out your tongue when Pa was around or the seat of your britches would smoke for sure. But when they were out of sight of the house, Jeb slowed up and dragged his feet in the dust.  "I ain't going to school," he said.
            "It might be better this year," Tim told him.  "I hear tell from Ben Ames that the new teacher is prettier than a speckled puppy."
            "No teacher could be that pretty," Jeb said. "She probably has white hair and wears a black dress like old Cranston always did. She's probably meaner than a bear!"
 "Maybe she won't be mean if we take her a little present," Tim said.  "Let's stop down by the creek and see if we can catch a frog for her."
            "Frogs don't come out in the day time, stupid!" Jeb said.          
"We can sneak up on one! Come on!" 

            Tim and Jeb raced down the hill to a small creek flowing at the bottom. Softly they swished through the tall grass and cattails. They parted the grass and there sat a frog blinking in the bright sunshine.  Slowly...slowly...Jeb crept up on the frog. Then he pounced and clapped his hands over it. As he jumped forward, his feet slid in the slippery mud and before he knew it, he laid face first in the shallow part of the creek, still holding the squirming frog!
Tim gasped. "Boy are you in for it. What are you gonna tell Ma?  What are you gonna tell the teacher?"
            "I'm gonna tell her I slipped while I was catching a frog for the teacher!"
            Jeb scrambled to his feet, still holding the frog in his right hand. With his left, he brushed some of the mud from his clothes.  "Should I name the frog or do you think I should let the teacher name it?" Jeb asked Tim as they climbed the hill to the school house.
            "Why don't you name it?" Tim said.
            "What should I name it?" Jeb wondered. 
            "What about Freddy? 
             "Freddy the frog sounds dumb, Tim."
"You think of something better then."
            Jeb scrunched up his forehead, and then he snapped his fingers. "We can call him Mr. Bates."
            Tim laughed. "Mr. Bates! Why do you want to call him Mr. Bates?"
            Jeb scowled. "You know the Mr. Bates that owns the lumber yard? He gave me a bag full of wood shavings one day and I didn't even have to ask.  He's a nice man.  He deserves to have a frog named after him."
            "CRUNK!" said Mr. Bates. 

            Tim squinted. The kids were still playing tag around the school so the new teacher hadn't gotten there yet.  "I wonder what she looks like," he said.
            "I'll sneak in and hand Mr. Bates to her before everyone else sees him," Jeb said. 
            "I'll get everybody out back, but be careful," Tim warned.     
Jeb crept through the knee-high bushes growing around the school building, until he was even with the front door.  Then as Tim swung the tag game to the back of the school, Jeb dashed to the front door, tugged it open and went inside. A lady sat at the teacher's desk, but he didn't think she could be the teacher. She was too pretty.  Beyond the desk stood two rows of benches for the first and second graders and four rows of wooden desks for the other classes. The American flag stood on the right side of the teacher's desk and so did the dictionary on its wooden stand and the round, blue globe on the corner of the desk. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln stared down at Jeb from the wall behind the desk and a black board stretched across the wall to the left. Jeb didn't want to waste any more time looking at a boring school room.  He turned to go back outside with Mr. Bates, but the pretty lady spoke to him.
            "Hello.  What's your name?"  Her smile showed even white teeth and her eyes shone as blue as the wild flowers on the prairie.
            "My name is Jeb Smith, but everybody calls me Jeb, even Pinky my pig.  You must be Sally Johnson's big sister, the one from the East that she's always bragging about." 
            "No, I'm not Sally Johnson's big sister."
            "Then who else could you be?"
            "I'm Miss Snider, the new teacher."
            Jeb shook his head.  "You can't be the new teacher.  You're too pretty to be a teacher."

            Miss Snider smiled again.  "Oh, but I am a teacher. What can I do for you, Jeb? You must have wanted something special because you came in before everyone else did."
            "I...I wanted to give this gift to the new teacher," Jeb said walking up to her desk. 
            Miss Snider gasped. "Jeb, whatever happened to you?  You're soaking wet!"
            "I got wet when I was getting Mr. Bates for you." Jeb held out his hand and slowly opened it. "Crunk!" said Mr. Bates, hopping onto the desk.
Miss Snider looked like Ma did when she saw a snake, only Miss Snider didn't scream.  She just swallowed hard and touched Mr. Bates' head with the tip of her finger. "What a nice frog, Jeb. Where did you get him?"
            "I caught him for you down at the creek below the schoolhouse.  His name is Mr. Bates."
            Miss Snider smiled. "Oh, you must mean the Mr. Bates who owns Bates Lumber Yard on Main Street.  He's on the school board and he told me he's going to give us wood for a new outhouse since the old one's falling down.  You picked a good namesake for your frog, Jeb."
            Jeb nodded.
            "Crunk!" said Mr. Bates, jumping onto Miss Snider's desk.    
Miss Snider backed away.  "I tell you what Jeb.  I don't think Mr. Bates will be very happy living with me because I don't have as much water as there is in the creek and I don't have any insects for him to eat."
             "You should see Mr. Bates eat dragonflies, Miss Snider!"       
 "That's my point, Jeb. He has to live down at the creek so he can catch dragonflies and other bugs that make him happy. Let's take him back to his home. We can visit him every day."

            Jeb thought about it.  Mr. Bates couldn't sit in Miss Snider's kitchen and eat buckwheat cakes for breakfast or sleep under the quilts with her.
            "I'll take him back at lunchtime, Miss Snider. But for now can I keep him in my desk?"
"Just for now, Jeb." Miss Snider glanced out the window. "Everyone's here so will you ring the bell for me, Jeb?  It's time for school to begin."
            Jeb stood in the schoolhouse doorway, swinging the bell back and forth and watching the kids file into the schoolroom. Everyone sat down except Big Jack Delaney and Elmer, his copy‑cat friend. Big Jack was older than most everybody else, at least 16, and he was BIG. Jeb figured that he was at least six feet tall and he had shoulders like watermelons and a voice like a bullfrog.  Once in awhile he would double up his fists when Miss Snider said something he didn't like and give her a challenging stare.  Miss Snider stared back at him until he bent over his books again, but Jeb figured something would happen soon because Big Jack got bigger every day.
            Jeb swung the bell a little harder, just in case Big Jack and Elmer hadn't heard it. His stomach felt wobbly when he swung the bell again and Big Jack and Elmer still hadn't come. They just stood over in the corner of the school yard, talking in loud whispers and pointing at the school house and snickering. 
            "I hate Big Jack and Elmer for being so mean. Why do they have to cause trouble at school?" Jeb thought, clenching his fists.        
"Has everyone come in?" Miss Snider's voice interrupted the thoughts that bubbled in Jeb's head like hot stew did on Ma's stove. 
            Jeb pointed at Big Jack and Elmer. "They didn't."
            "What are their names?" Miss Snider asked.

"That's Big Jack Delaney and Elmer Carter. But don't fool with them, Miss Snider. They'd just as soon stomp on you like you was an ant. They're mean that way."
            "I'll be careful, Jeb."                     
            Miss Snider walked over to Big Jack and Elmer. "Boys, it's time for school to begin." She stood with her hands on her hips, waiting for them to come inside.
            "Why don't you make us?" Big Jack sneered.
            Miss Snider stared at him. "That won't be necessary," she said quietly. "I'll just mark you both absent and the work will be double for every day missed. When you decide you want to know what your make up work is, come and see me after school."  She turned.  "Let's go in Jeb.  It's time to begin our lessons."  
 Jeb followed her in, took his seat and looked around the room.  He winked at his best friend Corey Titus, and his second best friend, Al, the girl. Then Miss Snider called the roll.  She had just called Peter Wilson's name when the door opened and Big Jack and Elmer stalked into the room.
            "Take the two seats in the back, boys," Miss Snider said.  She didn't look at them.
            "I don't want to sit in the back.  "Can't see anything from the back," Big Jack snarled.
            "Then you should have come in and chosen a seat before they were all assigned," Miss Snider told him.  Big Jack glared at her, but he sat down.

            The morning passed slower than an ant carrying a bread crumb across the barnyard. Miss Snider had them add sums on the blackboard and spell words. Then she told them about some people called Puritans that settled back East and built up a place called Massachusetts. Jeb yawned the Puritans out of his mind.  It had to be getting close to lunch time.  He yawned again and bent his head over his slate.  He tried to study his spelling words.  Miss Snider asked Big Jack to read something out of the primer.
            "The ...dog..." read Big Jack slowly.  Then he stopped. "I ain't gonna read such baby stuff," he said scornfully. Give me some good stuff to read."
            "Jack, you must read what is in the book," Miss Snider said.   
"I’ll read what I aim to and let me see you stop me!" Big Jack defied her.  
            Jeb watched Big Jack clench his ham sized fists. "I'll bet he can't read that stuff, that's why he's being so nasty," Jeb thought. He sat wondering what to do.  He heard a faint croak from inside his desk. Lifting the lid, he peeked inside.     "Croaaaaak," said Mr. Bates.
            "Croaaaaak," said Jeb, so everyone would think that he had said it instead of Mr. Bates. Quickly he eased down the desk lid. Corey looked over at him grinning.  Al looked over at him frowning. "Stop it," his look said.
            Big Jack caused trouble.  Without raising his hand, Big Jack said, "Somebody's got a rock sized frog in his throat!"             
            "CROAKKKKKK!" said Mr. Bates.  
"CROAKKKKKK!" said Jeb.                        
            Big Jack and Elmer laughed so loudly that Miss Snider jumped. "That will do boys!  No more noise or I'll have to punish you," she said sternly.
            Big Jack mumbled something that sounded to Jeb like, "I dare you!"
            Miss Snider walked to the front of his desk. "What did you say, Jack?"
            Jeb's stomach wobbled again.  He knew Big Jack was trying to get Miss Snider to fight with him.
            "What did you say, Jack?" Miss Snider repeated.

            "I said I'd like to see you try it!" Big Jack shouted.
            "Stand up, Jack," Miss Snider said in a quiet voice.
    Her face was pale and Jeb knew she was scared. Big Jack stood at least a foot taller than her and weighed twice as much. How could she whip a big boy like him? 
Big Jack jumped out of his seat so hard that it rocked. He stood over Miss Snider like a dog over a ham bone. "What are you going to do about it?" Big Jack taunted her.
            "This!" Before Big Jack could move, Miss Snider had grabbed his hand, took her ruler from behind her back, and wacked him so hard that the ruler broke in half and flew across the room.  One of the halves hit Elmer in the nose and he jumped out of his seat and charged up the front aisle to Big Jack's desk. Jeb had to do something.  As Elmer lumbered by, Jeb stuck out his foot and tripped him. With luck, it would take Elmer a few minutes to recover and be dangerous again, especially the way he was moaning and groaning. Then Jeb turned back to the main problem, Big Jack.  Big Jack still stood there, staring at his hand and Jeb knew he was getting mad.  Big Jack's face was a red as Pa's winter underwear.  His hands clenched into fists like looked like one of Ma's hams.
            "I'll show you, you old prune of a school teacher!" Big Jack shouted.
            Jeb pushed himself between Big Jack and Miss Snider.  He had to do something quick, because Big Jack's fists were raised and Elmer started breathing easy again. Jeb heard the rattle of wagon wheels outside and glancing out of the window, he saw Mr. Bates, the lumber yard owner, pulling up, his wagon piled high with wood for the new outhouse.  Maybe Mr. Bates would help. Both Mr. Bates!

Jeb reached inside his desk and grabbed Mr. Bates the frog. He dropped on his hands and knees and put Mr. Bates on Big Jack's pant leg, just as Big Jack was getting ready to grab Miss Snider.
            "Owwww! There's something crawling up my leg!" Big Jack howled. "Owwww, it tickles!" He hopped up and down frantically slapping his leg.
            "Quick!" Jeb whispered to Al.  "Run and ask Mr. Bates to come in as fast as he can."
            Al ran. When Mr. Bates appeared in the schoolhouse doorway, Big Jack was still hopping up and down and yelling.  Elmer slapped at Big Jack's pant leg, trying to help him get     
rid of he wasn't sure what. Miss Snider laughed so hard that tears ran down her cheeks.  Jeb worried. All of that slapping around was bound to have an effect on Mr. Bates.  Jeb felt around Big Jack's pant leg.
            "Mr. Bates, are you all right?"
            "For sure I'm all right. What's going on in here?" Mr.Bates the man demanded. "This little girl told me that two boys were picking on the new teacher. Is that right?"
            Jeb raised his hand and Mr. Bates nodded at him. "Can I get Mr. Bates out of Big Jack's pant leg?" Jeb asked.
            Mr. Bates the man had a puzzled crease running across his forehead. "What do you mean you want to get me out of Big Jack's pant leg?"
            Miss Snider stood up, wiping her eyes. "He means Mr. Bates the frog," she explained. "Jeb caught the frog especially for me and named him Mr. Bates especially for you!"
            Mr. Bates the man scratched his head. "Is it, er...I mean, is Mr. Bates still up this boy's pant leg?"

            "I'll get him," Jeb said.  "Hold still, Big Jack.  I can't get him out if you're going to jump around like a hop toad."    
Big Jack slowed down to a half hop, and Jeb carefully reached up his pants leg. His hand closed over something hard and slippery. He drew it out and slowly opened his fist. Mr. Bates lay blinking a little from the bright light, but otherwise was no worse for his trip up Big Jack's pant leg.  Miss Snider gently took him from Jeb.
"Mr. Bates, meet Mr. Bates," she said.
            Mr. Bates the man scratched his head again.  "Well, I never..."  He grinned but looked stern again as he watched Big Jack and Elmer slink back to their seats. He looked at everyone in the room. The room grew so quiet that Jeb could hear his own breathing.
            "It seems to me that if you boys have the extra energy to pester the teacher I could use some of your energy in my lumber yard after school.  There's always wood to be stacked, chips to be gathered and such. A big strong boy would be just the thing. Yes sir, Miss Snider, next time I hear tell of any of these boys giving you trouble, I'll come over and collect them and put them to work every Saturday from now until the moon turns blue. Between you and me, that's a mighty long time."
            Miss Snider's eyes twinkled.  "Yes, Mr. Bates."
            "Does anyone want to come with me now?"  Mr. Bates looked around, but nobody moved. He turned to go. "Don't forget, I'll be waiting."
            "Oh, Mr. Bates, will you take Mr. Bates along with you and drop him off home?" Miss Snider asked.
            "Where does he live, Miss Snider?"
            Jeb raised his hand.  "I got him down in the creek by the big white rock."