| “ | You should write a chapter about me! Call it 'The Best Principal Ever!!!' with three exclamation points. | ” |
| — Mr. Kidswatter | ||
"The Gonnnnng" is the ninth chapter of Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom.
Synopsis[]
Louis gives Mr. Kidswatter ideas for how to make the kids like him more.
Plot[]
The chapter starts with Louis working on the playground, filling a green ball with air. Suddenly, the Cloud of Doom settles over him and casts its shadow over the school. He hears a loud bang, and falls back, noticing that the green ball exploded. He realizes he probably overinflated it from getting distracted by the cloud, but since Wayside School is running low on green balls, he makes an effort to collect all the pieces. He suddenly remembers he has to help prepare the gong that Mr. Kidswatter rings at the end of the day, and rushes to the principal's office, stuffing cotton balls in his ears.
Louis rolls out the gong to the bottom of the stairs, where Mr. Kidswatter remarks that he's late. He struggles to lift the mallet, before handing it off to Kidswatter, who carries it with ease, and strikes the gong dead in the center. The sound reverberates through every floor of the school, and inside Louis's head, even with the cotton balls plugging his ears. The kids all rush down the stairs, who all happily greet him, though he can't hear anything but the gong.
Later that day, when Louis and Kidswatter are walking home, Kidswatter says that he's noticed kids complimenting Louis, but not himself, and asks Louis why. Louis remarks that he should do something nice for one of them, like letting a kid ring the gong instead, but Mr. Kidswatter doesn't allow it, since he thinks it's the best part of being principal. Louis suggests buying more balls for recess, but Kidswatter thinks it's too expensive. Louis remarks that he can pay for it, since he's written the Wayside School books, but this leads to Mr. Kidswatter asking if he's in the books, and furthermore, portrayed positively. Kidswatter suggests that he writes a chapter called "The Best Principal Ever!!!" with three exclamation points, and Louis says that to do that, Mr. Kidswatter would need to do something that makes him the best principal ever, like letting a kid ring the gong. This time, Mr. Kidswatter actually thinks about it. Louis, unaware that the cloud above them is a Cloud of Doom, doesn't realize how dangerous his suggestion is.
Characters[]
Trivia[]
- Later on in the book, Mr. Kidswatter does select a student to ring the gong. The chapter in question is in fact titled "The Best Principal Ever!!!"
- Furthermore, every time "the best principal ever!!!" is said after this chapter, it's said with three exclamation points, per Mr. Kidswatter's suggestion.
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