“William and Rita, I have a very serious complaint to make,” she said, “It’s the same one as Leslie was going to make. It’s about Robert,” “Go on,” said William, with a grave face, “You will remember that I reported him for bullying Peter,” said Elizabeth, “And because there wasn’t enough proof of that, and because I lost my temper with Robert, the Meeting didn’t punish Robert, and made me apologise to him. Well, listen to this!” “Keep calm, Elizabeth,” said Rita. “Don’t get so excited,” Elizabeth tried to speak calmly, but she did dislike Robert so much that it was difficult not to sound in a rage all the time, “Well, William and Rita, Joan and I actually raw Robert bullying Leslie,” said Elizabeth. “He made him sit on the hot-water pipes! And another thing we have found out is that he made Peter promise not to complain about being swung so high, He said he would let all Peter’s guinea-pigs out of their cage if Peter dared to say anything against him at the Meeting. I was quite right-he is a horrid bully!” “Don’t call people names like that,” said Rita. “Wait till the whole Meeting has judged, Elizabeth, Have you anything more to say?” “Yes, I have,” said Elizabeth. “And it’s this: Not only has Robert been unkind to the younger ones, but he has been perfectly horrid to me and Jenny too He has got us into all kinds of trouble by playing mean tricks on us.” “What tricks?” asked William, looking very worried, “Well, he took three of my books and hid them somewhere where I can’t find them,” said Elizabeth. “He took my garden tools and dirtied them so that John scolded me, He put two of Jenny’s white mice into Miss Ranger’s desk anti they escaped, and Jenny never found them!” “Is that true, Jenny?” asked William, Jenny stood up. “It’s quite true,” she said, “I never found my poor little mice again. I don’t mind a trick being played on me, William, but it’s cruel to play it on my pets.” “Sit down, Jenny,” said William, He spoke to Rita, and then turned to the School again.
“Leslie, stand up and say what you have to say,” he said. The cheeky little Leslie stood up. He felt rather important. He put his hands in his pockets, and began rather cheekily: But William cut him short. “Take your hands out of your pockets, stand up properly, and remember that this is a serious affair,” he said. Leslie took his hands out at once, and went red. He lost some of his cheeky look, and began to speak in a polite tone. He related exactly what had happened, and the Judges and Jury heard him patiently to the end.
“And now we should like to hear what Peter has to say,” said Rita, The small Peter got up. His knees were shaking again, for he was greatly in awe of the Head Boy and Girl. He stammered as he spoke.
“P-p-please, William and Rita, Robert d-d-did swing me too high that time,” he said, “And I was sick afterwards.” “Then why did you tell an untruth about it when we asked you?” asked William.
“Because I was afraid to tell the truth,” said poor Peter. “I was afraid of Robert.” “You must never be a coward,” said William gently. “It is much finer to be brave, Peter. If you had been brave and had told the truth, we could have stopped Robert from bullying others. Because you were afraid, you have been the cause of others being ill-treated, and you made us disbelieve Elizabeth, and made her unhappy. Remember to tell the truth always, no matter how hard it seems at the time. We shall all think much more of you if you do.” “Yes, William,” said poor Peter. making up his mind that he would never be a coward again.
“You could have told your monitor about it, even if you were afraid to tell the Meeting,” said William. “That is why we choose monitors-because we hope that their common sense will help us. Sit down, Peter,” Peter sank down, glad that he hadn’t to say any more. William looked at Robert, who was sitting looking sulky and unhappy.
“And now, Robert, what have you to say?” he asked.
“Serious complaints have been mace against you. Are they true?” “Only one complaint is true,” said Robert, standing up.
He spoke in such a low voice that the Jury could not hear him.
“Speak up,” said William. “What do you mean-only one complaint is true? Which complaint?” “It is quite true that I made Leslie sit on the hot-water pipes,” said Robert, “but anyway they weren’t very hot, But I did NOT play any tricks on Elizabeth and Jenny.
Not One! Not one!” “Oooh!” said Elizabeth, “You did, Robert! I saw how pleased you were each time I got into trouble!” “Silence, Elizabeth!” said William. “Robert, you say you did not play the tricks that Elizabeth described. Now you did not tell us the truth last time, when you told us about Peter and the swing. It will be difficult for us to believe you this time, because we shall all think that again you may be telling us untruths to get yourself out of trouble,” “Well, I am telling the truth this time!” said Robert fiercely. “I didn’t play those tricks. I don’t know who did ~-I jolly well know I didn’t! I don’t like Elizabeth, I think she’s a horrid, interfering girl, but I’m not mean enough to play tricks like that to get her into trouble-and why should I play tricks on Jenny? I don’t dislike Jenny. I tell you, somebody else is to blame for those tricks.” Most unfortunately for Robert, there was not one person in the school, except Kathleen of course, who be1ieved him.
They all remembered that he had told an untruth before, and they felt certain that he was doing so again. William knocked on the table with his hammer, for the children had begun to whisper together.
“Silence!” he said. “Now, we have a very serious matter to attend to. Three charges have been made against one boy. First, that he bullies smaller children than himself, Second, that he has played mean tricks to get two girls into trouble. Third, that he tells untruths. The Jury and Rita and I are going to discuss the matter to see what must be done about this, and the rest of you can also discuss it among yourselves, so that if anyone has a good idea, they may bring it forward in a few minutes,” The School began to chatter. The Jury and the Judges talked together in low tones. They all looked extremely serious. Robert sat by himself, for the boys next to him had gone to talk to the children behind. He felt dreadful. Why, oh why had he been stupid enough to bully the younger ones? Why must he always be so unkind to the little ones? Now perhaps he would be sent home and his mother and father would be very angry and upset.
Miss Belle and Miss Best looked very serious too. Mr. Johns said a few words to them, and then the three of them waited to see what the Judges would say. They never interfered with the School Meeting unless they were asked to, After a little while Rita and William knocked on the table for silence. The whole School sat up. Surely the Judges and Jury hadn’t decided so quickly! What were they going to say?
“Miss Belle, and Miss Best, and Mr. Johns. we feel we would like your help today,” said William gravely. “Would you please give us your advice?” “Of course,” said Miss Best, and the three Heads came up on to the platform. And then began a strange talk that was going to make all the difference to Robert’s school life! ROBERT GETS A CHANCE.
THE whole School was now looking very solemn and serious. Not a smile was to be seen anywhere. Everyone stopped talking as the three head teachers took their places on the platform, on chairs that the Jury quickly fetched for them.
“The matter had better be openly discussed,” said Miss Belle. “Let us take one complaint at a time. First of all, this question of bullying the smaller ones. Now, have we ever had any cases of bullying since you became our Judges, William and Rita?” “No,” said William. “But I remember there was a case when I was much lower down in the school. Will it be in the Book?” The Book was a record of all the complaints made by the children, and of how they had been dealt with, and what the results were, It lay on the table, a big brown volume half full of small writing. Each Judge had to enter in a report of the Meetings held, because Miss Belie and Miss Best said that sometime the Book might be a great help.