Of all the children in Grade 6, Johni lives the furthest away from the school. That's Johni, with an "i"! His parents have a farm next to the town, but on the other side of the river. If Johni walks quickly, he gets to school in twenty minutes. But Johni's not always quick!
He's a dreamer who ponders about everything on his way to school. He prefers to take a detour to avoid the house with the fierce dog as well.
His teacher came to speak to his mother about the fact that he's always late for school. Later the headmaster did the same.
"Mr. Greystone," said his mom with tears in her eyes, "I do my best. I get up extra early to make Johni's breakfast. He goes out the front gate half an hour before school starts."
"We must do something. If he's late for school again, you must punish him with something that he really doesn't like," Mr. Greystone said earnestly.
"I know," said Johni's mom. "How about the next time he's late, he has to stay in his room all afternoon for a week? He loves running about the farm in the afternoons. That will be a good punishment for him."
"That sounds like a good plan," said Mr. Greystone. "It's probably the only thing that will work in Johni's case. He's a sensitive child and a real dreamer."
The threat of this punishment was enough for Johni to make up his mind that it was not worth being late for school again. If there's one thing that Johni was more afraid of than fierce dogs, it was being shut in his room for a week!
For two weeks Johni was on time for school. His teacher phoned his mother to say how pleased she was at this great improvement. Johni's father pinched his cheek and called him Jonhi-boy a few times.
But then, one day, things went wrong for Johni. He left the house at half past eight with his schoolbag on his back and his lunch tin in his hand.
He stopped on the bridge and gazed into the river.
Suddenly, he saw something very strange....
