Ms. Periwinkle, our third-grade teacher, was known for her… enthusiastic approach to teaching. Today’s lesson? Famous quotes. She’d decorated the classroom with enormous posters featuring sayings like “A penny saved is a penny earned” and “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” She bounced on her toes, a vibrant whirlwind of tweed and excitement. “Alright class,” she chirped, “today we’re going to *quote-unquote* dissect some of history’s most impactful phrases!”
Little Timmy, a notorious class clown, raised his hand with a mischievous grin. “Ms. Periwinkle,” he said, “what’s the *quote-unquote* difference between a hippopotamus and a Zippo lighter?”
Ms. Periwinkle paused, her usual boundless energy momentarily flickering. She adjusted her spectacles, peering at Timmy over her half-moon glasses. “Well Timmy,” she began, trying to maintain her composure, “that’s not exactly a famous quote, is it?”
Timmy shrugged. “It’s *my* quote,” he declared proudly. “And the answer is… one is really heavy, and the other is a lighter.”
The class erupted into giggles. Ms. Periwinkle, however, managed a small, strained smile. “Very… creative, Timmy,” she said, a hint of panic creeping into her voice. She quickly moved on, launching into a spirited rendition of “To be or not to be,” dramatically falling to one knee at the word “be.” Unfortunately, in her theatrical fervor, she tripped over a stray jump rope and landed with a resounding thud, right onto a poster proclaiming, “Look before you leap!” The class roared with laughter, and Timmy, ever the opportunist, yelled, “Looks like someone forgot their own *quote-unquote* advice, Ms. Periwinkle!”
