It was the first day of the new school year, it was 9th June 2004. This was Malcolm's very first day of school ever and he encountered thirty-nine new faces, all looking bewildered!

The teacher appeared to be a strict one. Many children cried when their parents left them. Some, however, were excited with the activities and still others looked lost. All in all it was a typical first day of kindergarten in the lives of five-year olds.

Malcolm took everything in that his huge school made available to his sponge of a mind - the huge, airy classroom, the colorful charts, the beautiful park, and also the school-bus.

Finally, it was time to go back home. The bell rang and the teacher handed over the raincoats hung on pegs outside the classroom. Malcolm's raincoat was handed over to one of his classmates - a girl.

"That's my raincoat!" he said.

"Yes," said the girl, "this one is too long!"

"Sorry!" said the teacher.

But Malcolm was still angry when he said, "Teacher, didn't you read my name? It's written on the inside!"

And that's how the teacher found out that Malcolm already knew how to read and write his name!

© 2009 Gauri Kanyalkar. Original for CCF. Gauri Kanyalkar grants CCF first electronic rights for one month; CCF may archive the material indefinitely and include it in an eBook anthology.