This story is the property of the Shirley Jackson estate. I am doing this as a homage to one of my favorite writers and making no money from it.
Charles was first published in 1948. I've updated certain details and altered it to fit this format.
Mother: Do you think kindergarten is upsetting Laurie? All this tough act, bad grammar, and this Charles boy sounds like such a bad influence.
Father: He does. Cussing, hitting the teacher, bouncing a seesaw off someone's head, disrupting lessons, and throwing chalk. But it will be all right. Bound to be people like Charles in the world. Might as well meet them now as later.
Laurie: Charles yelled. The teacher from first grade sent a boy to tell the teacher to keep quiet and Charles had to stay in at recess.
Laurie: Teacher had a friend come to see her at school today. It was a man who came and he made us do exercises, we had to touch our toes. Charles didn't even do exercises.
Father (coming in): Didn't Charles want to do exercises?
Laurie: Hi Pop, ya ole dust mop. Charles wasn't allowed to do exercises because he kicked the teacher's friend.
Mother: I want to go to the PTA meeting but the baby and I are sick. I wonder what they're going to do about Charles.
Laurie: Throw him out of school, I guess.
Father: What else has Charles gotten up to?
Laurie: He yelled during story time and hit another boy in the stomach.
Laurie: Charles was so good today the teacher gave him an apple.
Mother: Really? Charles?
Laurie: He gave out the crayons and collected the books and Teacher said he was a helper.
Laurie: Yesterday, Charles told a girl to say a bad word and she said it! Charles told her to say it twice and she did. She had to sit in Time Out.
Father: What about Charles?
Laurie: Nothing. He was passing out crayons. Then, today he said it a few times and threw chalk.
Mother: I'm definitely going to the PTA meeting, cold or no cold.
Mother looks for Charles's mother at the meeting, but no one looks haggard enough. No one stands up to apologize for the way her son was acting. No one mentions Charles. After the meeting, she seeks out the kindergarten teacher.
Mother: I've been so anxious to meet you. I'm Laurie's mother.
Teacher: We're all so interested in Laurie.
Mother: He certainly likes kindergarten. He talks about it all the time.
Teacher: We had a little trouble adjusting, the first week or so, but now he's a fine little helper. With occasional lapses, of course.
Mother: Laurie usually adjusts very quickly. I suppose this time it's Charles's influence. You must have your hands full in this kindergarten, with Charles.
Teacher: Charles? We don't have any Charles in the kindergarten.
