The New Warden
Larry was happy.
The Warden had given him a new jumpsuit.
He wanted to thank the Warden.
"Hey, Shimbly!" he shouted at Guard Shimbly.
Guard Shimbly came over to Larry's room.
"What is it, Larry?" he asked.
"Can I talk to the warden?" Larry asked. "I want to say thank you!"
"The Warden is gone!" said Guard Shimbly. "We're getting a new one tomorrow!"
Larry didn't say anything.
His knees started to shake.
His tummy dropped into his shoes.
Larry was sad. He started to cry.
"What's wrong?" asked Guard Shimbly.
"I don't WANT a new Warden!" sobbed Larry. "I want the Old Warden back!"
"Oh, you'll like the new Warden!" said Guard Shimbly. "Just give him a chance!"
Larry didn't want to give him a chance. But he had no choice.
The next day the new Warden arrived. He came to inspect all the rooms.
"Larry!" Guard Shimbly. "It's your turn!"
Larry watched as the New Warden came into his room. He didn't like the New Warden.
The New Warden was very tall. The Old Warden was the same size as Larry.
The New Warden had no moustache. The Old Warden had a big thick moustache.
The New Warden looked at Larry. Larry looked back.
"Is that a sock under your bed?" asked the Warden.
Larry was angry.
"It's my sock! And my bed! You leave me alone!" shouted Larry.
The New Warden was not happy with Larry.
He gave Larry a Time Out.
It was a long Time Out.
Larry was very hungry when the Time Out was over.
But the New Warden wouldn't let him eat.
Not until he peeled the potatoes and washed the kitchen floors.
Larry did not like the New Warden!
That night Larry saw Guard Shimbly.
'What's wrong, Larry?" Guard Shimbly asked.
"I hate the New Warden!" said Larry. "I want the Old Warden back!"
"You don't know the New Warden. Give him a chance," said Guard Shimbly.
"He sent me to Time Out! He made me peel potatoes and wash floors!" complained Larry "I hate him!"
"You love your mother, don't you?" asked Guard Shimbly.
Larry was confused. "Of course I do! But the New Warden is not my Mother!"
"No," agreed Guard Shimbly. "But does your mother give you Time Outs and make you peel potatoes and wash the floors?"
"Well, yes," agreed Larry. "Of course!"
"And why does she make you do those things?" asked Guard Shimbly.
Larry thought a minute. "Because she loves me!" he finally said.
"Mom wants me to be good and work hard. So if I do bad things she sends me to Time Out! And if she needs help she asks me!"
Guard Shimbly smiled. "Don't you see? The New Warden isn't so different from your mother!"
Larry hadn't thought of it that way. Maybe he could give the New Warden another chance.
The next day the New Warden came to inspect Larry's room again.
This time there was no sock under the bed.
"Good job, Larry!" said the New Warden.
Larry gave the New Warden a hug.
The New Warden gave Larry another Time Out.
But this time, Larry didn't mind.
The Warden had given him a new jumpsuit.
He wanted to thank the Warden.
"Hey, Shimbly!" he shouted at Guard Shimbly.
Guard Shimbly came over to Larry's room.
"What is it, Larry?" he asked.
"Can I talk to the warden?" Larry asked. "I want to say thank you!"
"The Warden is gone!" said Guard Shimbly. "We're getting a new one tomorrow!"
Larry didn't say anything.
His knees started to shake.
His tummy dropped into his shoes.
Larry was sad. He started to cry.
"What's wrong?" asked Guard Shimbly.
"I don't WANT a new Warden!" sobbed Larry. "I want the Old Warden back!"
"Oh, you'll like the new Warden!" said Guard Shimbly. "Just give him a chance!"
Larry didn't want to give him a chance. But he had no choice.
The next day the new Warden arrived. He came to inspect all the rooms.
"Larry!" Guard Shimbly. "It's your turn!"
Larry watched as the New Warden came into his room. He didn't like the New Warden.
The New Warden was very tall. The Old Warden was the same size as Larry.
The New Warden had no moustache. The Old Warden had a big thick moustache.
The New Warden looked at Larry. Larry looked back.
"Is that a sock under your bed?" asked the Warden.
Larry was angry.
"It's my sock! And my bed! You leave me alone!" shouted Larry.
The New Warden was not happy with Larry.
He gave Larry a Time Out.
It was a long Time Out.
Larry was very hungry when the Time Out was over.
But the New Warden wouldn't let him eat.
Not until he peeled the potatoes and washed the kitchen floors.
Larry did not like the New Warden!
That night Larry saw Guard Shimbly.
'What's wrong, Larry?" Guard Shimbly asked.
"I hate the New Warden!" said Larry. "I want the Old Warden back!"
"You don't know the New Warden. Give him a chance," said Guard Shimbly.
"He sent me to Time Out! He made me peel potatoes and wash floors!" complained Larry "I hate him!"
"You love your mother, don't you?" asked Guard Shimbly.
Larry was confused. "Of course I do! But the New Warden is not my Mother!"
"No," agreed Guard Shimbly. "But does your mother give you Time Outs and make you peel potatoes and wash the floors?"
"Well, yes," agreed Larry. "Of course!"
"And why does she make you do those things?" asked Guard Shimbly.
Larry thought a minute. "Because she loves me!" he finally said.
"Mom wants me to be good and work hard. So if I do bad things she sends me to Time Out! And if she needs help she asks me!"
Guard Shimbly smiled. "Don't you see? The New Warden isn't so different from your mother!"
Larry hadn't thought of it that way. Maybe he could give the New Warden another chance.
The next day the New Warden came to inspect Larry's room again.
This time there was no sock under the bed.
"Good job, Larry!" said the New Warden.
Larry gave the New Warden a hug.
The New Warden gave Larry another Time Out.
But this time, Larry didn't mind.