The tall girl, the blond girl, the glasses, the boys

In front of the seats stood a big heating stove. Its round sides and top were cherry-red from the heat of the fire, and standing around it were the scholars that Laura must teach. They all looked at Laura. There were five of them, and two boys and one girl were taller than she was.

"Good morning," she managed to say.

They all answered, still looking at her. A small window by the door let in a block of sunshine. Beyond it, in the corner by the stove, stood a small table and a chair. "That´s my teacher´s table," Laura thought, and then, "Oh my; I am the teacher."

Her steps sounded loud. All the eyes followed her. She put her books and dinner pail on the table, and took off her coat and hood. She hung them on a nail in the wall by the chair. On the table was a small clock; its hands stood at five minutes to nine.

Somehow she had to get through five minutes, before the time to begin school.

Slowly she took off her mittens and put them in the pocket of her coat. Then she faced all the eyes, and stepped to the stove. She held her hands to it as if to warm them. All the pupils made way to her, still looking at her. She must say something, she must.

"It is cold this morning, isn´t it?" she heard herself say; then without waiting for an answer, "Do you think you can keep warm in the seats away from the stove?"

One of the tall boys said quickly, "I´ll sit in the back seat; it´s the coldest."

The tall girl said, "Charles and I have to sit together, we have to study from the same books."

"That´s good; then you can all sit nearer the stove," Laura said. To her joyful surprise, the five minutes were gone! She said, "You may take your seats. School will begin."

(Laura Ingalls Wilder: These Happy Golden Years)