Illustration by Peter Allen
"A Package for Mrs. Jewls" is the first chapter in Wayside School is Falling Down. In this chapter, Louis struggles when taking a package to Mrs. Jewls' class.
Plot[]
This chapter opens with Louis looking at the schoolyard, only to be annoyed by how messy it is. The lawn is covered with pencils and sheets of paper. Even though he doesn't want to clean up the mess because it's not his job, he decides to do it anyway because he doesn't want the kids to play on a messy playground. However, he is soon interrupted by a man with big bushy hair driving a delivery truck. He says he has a package for Mrs. Jewls, and Louis offers to take it, but the deliveryman notes he has to take it to Mrs. Jewls's classroom. Louis, knowing the long way up and how much the children hate being interrupted when they're learning, claims that he's Mrs. Jewls and takes the package. The package is so large, he can hardly see anything, but fortunately, he knows that Mrs. Jewls's class is straight up.
The chapter notes that when Wayside School was built, it was built thirty stories tall, and Mrs. Jewls's class is on the top floor, and it's Louis's favorite class. He starts up the stairs, because Wayside School has no elevators. There are also stairs downstairs, to the basement, but no one goes there, because there are dead rats living in the basement. Even though the box is squished up against Louis's nose, he can still smell Miss Mush preparing her Mushroom Surprise as he walks by the lunchroom. He continues up the stairs, as sore as he may be, because he believes the package could be important. He makes it easily past Miss Zarves's classroom on the nineteenth story, since it doesn't exist.
At last, he reaches the thirtieth story and knocks on the door with his head. Mrs. Jewls was teaching her class about gravity when Louis knocked, and invites him to come in, but Louis can't because his hands are full. Mrs. Jewls asks who wants to open the door for Louis, and everyone raises their hands, because contrary to what Louis believes, they don't mind being interrupted when they are working. Mrs. Jewls decides that they can hold a spelling bee to open the door, and everyone likes the idea. Most students spell different synonymous words than the ones given, but Mrs. Jewls is fine with that. Meanwhile, Louis feels his arms going numb until Johnwins and finally opens the door. Louis starts inside, but John wants to shake his hand, further delaying him from dropping the package. Louis briefly shuffles the box to one arm to shake his hand, then quickly grabs it with both again.
Louis asks where Mrs. Jewls wants the box, but Mrs. Jewls points that he can't put it down yet, because they might accidentally open the box the wrong way. So Mrs. Jewls stands on a nearby chair as she opens up the box, and finds a computer inside. The students are annoyed, noting that if the computer will help them learn and work faster, that means they'll get more assignments every day. Mrs. Jewls has Louis place the computer on the counter as he falls over, then Mrs. Jewls demonstrates how to use it. She pushes the computer out the window as part of her lesson on gravity, and the class watches it smash against the sidewalk. She thanks Louis, saying they were trying to work with pencils and paper all day, but the computer was a lot faster.
Characters[]
- Louis
- Delivery man (debut)
- Mrs. Jewls
- Miss Mush
- Miss Zarves (mentioned)
- Allison
- Jason
- Jenny
- John
- Eric Bacon
- Terrence
- Maurecia
- Todd
- Sharie (mentioned)
- Joe
Memorable Quotes[]
Mrs. Jewls: Thank you, Louis, I've been trying to teach them about gravity all morning. We had been using pencils and pieces of paper, but the computer was a lot quicker.
Trivia[]
- First appearances of Louis, Mrs. Jewls, Miss Mush, Allison, Jason, Jenny, John, Eric Bacon, Terrence, Maurecia, Todd, and Joe in Wayside School is Falling Down.
- First time Sharie and Miss Zarves are mentioned in this book.
- Only appearance of the unnamed delivery man.
- A reference to this chapter is made in Wayside: The Movie.