Wheeler, Les
Noo, it's nae jist bairns that hae tae gyang tae skweel. Brockit wint tae skweel as weel. He didna hae tae sit at a desk, or play in the sand pit, or use a pencil or a computer, but he still wint tae skweel, an his teacher wis his mither.
Brockit hid tae learn fu tae wash himsel. It's affa important for a cat tae keep its fur fine an clean. He'd tae learn fit he could eat an fit he couldna eat withoot makkin himsel nae weel. It's aa richt for a cat that's fed oot o a tin aa the time an nivver gaes oot, but a ferm cat is oot maist o the time an he'll affen come across things that look affa fine, but are nae gweed for ye at aa. Brockit foond that oot eence fan he ate some wild berries an wis affa sick.
Sae Brockit, like aa folk in this world, hid a lot tae learn an his mither saw that he learned his lessons weel at the cattie's skweel. But Brockit was tae find himsel in the same sort o skweel that you gyang tae. This wis the wye o it.
Mr. Taylor, the Vet, wis affen asked tae gyang alang tae the local skweel an spikk tae the loons an quines about their pets an fu they should look efter them an keep them healthy an clean. He wis gyan tae the skweel tae spikk aboot lookin efter cats an he speired at the fermer an his wife tae see if he could tak Brockit alang tae the skweel wi him.
Weel, Brockit hid a grand time at the skweel an aa the loons an quines got tae stroke him an pet him an they aa said fit a bonny cat he wis an Brockit's heid wis fair beginnin tae swaal! Mind you, ye shouldna pet wee cats ower muckle or ye micht sharger them an that widna dae at aa. The teacher, Mrs. Broon, wis affa taen wi the cat as weel, an she saw that Brockit got a saucer o milk wi a biscuit crummled up in amongst it.
Noo fan Brockit hid been patted an petted by aa the bairns, an fed by the teacher, he sat on her desk an began to clean himsel by lickin his fur, seein that aathing wis in place an that he wis sparklin sae weel that he wid hae fair pleased his mither. Fit is jist fit ye'd expect a weel-brocht up cat tae dae.
Noo, fan Brockit hid bin haein his suppie milk the loons an quines hid been ootside in the playgrun haein a break, playin an caperin the wye folk dae. The lassie were duncin aroon, playin at beddies or skippin an the loons were chasin aboot or playin fitba.
Playin aboot can mak ye gey dirty an a few o the loons an ane or twa quines cam back tae the class in a bonny state.
'Let me see you're hauns,' said the teacher. Thir were a gey few reid faces by the time the teacher hid made her roons o the class.
'Weel,' said Mrs. Broon, 'Brockit his had a break as weel, an the first thing he did fan he finished wis tae wash himsel. There's a few nickums here didna think on that. Did ye?'
The eens fa hadna washed the dirt aff o their hands were sent tae wash themsels an tellt tae mind on the lesson they had learned that day fae Brockit the cat. If ye're playin aboot an get yersel dirty, mind an gie yen hauns (an knees!) a gweed wash afore you dae onything else. Nae only micht ye save yer ain claes an the skweel books fae gettin dirty, but it's affa easy for dirt tae spread diseases that wye an naebody wants that, sae get rid o it as quick as ye can.
Mind on fit Mrs. Broon said, 'Jist you be like Brockit an aye see that ye keep yersel clean.