THE APT PUPIL

The 6th grade science teacher, Mrs. Parks, asked her class,

'Which human body part increases to ten times its size when stimulated?'

No one answered until little Mary stood up and said,

'You should not be asking sixth graders a question like that! I'm going to tell my parents, and they will go and tell the Principal, who will then fire you!'

Mrs. Parks ignored her and asked the question again,

'Which body part increases to 10 times its size when stimulated?'

Little Mary's mouth fell open. Then she said to those around her,

'Boy, is she going to get in big trouble!'

The teacher continued to ignore her and said to the class,

'Anybody?'

Finally, Billy stood up, looked around nervously, and said,

The body part that increases 10 times its size when stimulated is the pupil of the eye.'

Mrs. Parks said, 'Very good, Billy,' then turned to Mary and continued.

'As for you, young lady, I have three things to say:

One, you have a dirty mind.

Two, you didn't read your homework.

And three, one day you are going to be very, VERY disappointed.'

SANTA CLAUS FOR ADULTS

Why does a child have difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality? (Santa Claus is as real to a preschooler as the monster that lives under his bed!) Kids rely on make-believe to bridge the gaps in their psyche, gaps that are waiting to be filled in by experiences they've yet to realize. As we age, some of us are able to replace make-believe with real-life experiences while some of us never let go of childhood fantasies, mostly out of fear. These adults never mature, which would account for the cultural-based beliefs in the supernatural and the individual's irrational attachment to superstition, both of which are rooted in a deep-seated fear of a painful death - our own mortality.