My First Cannon

He cruised the desktop with his newly found tank, not letting it fall into the inkwell and bumping hurriedly over the grooves cut in as pencil holders. He made tank sounds he had heard on Movietone News and fired the little cannon from time to time --"Peww! Poww!"

"STOP THAT!" The teacher seemed horrified. "See me after school!" He had never been in trouble before. He sat at his desk later while the teacher graded papers, saying nothing but glancing at him angrily from time to time.

When he got home his mother said where have you been, knowing that he liked to dawdle on the walk home. "Teacher made me stay after school." "What did you do?" "Nothing. I was playing tank and cannon. At recess I saw some other boys make one so I made one too. See?" And he gave his mother the finger. Innocence still unspoiled.