CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: MR SHERMIN

The cloud was still on top of Mount Parnassus. (They were lucky that it hadn't drifted away). So Miss Morgan gave everybody sunglasses, and they all climbed in or on the little green VW and rode slowly and carefully down the path to the right -- toward Ome.

They went down, down, down. It wasn't at all like going up. Nothing looked the same, and it seemed they'd never get to the bottom of it all; but they did. And there at the foot of Mount Parnassus stood Mr Bacon's Library.

Miss Prysby went right back to teaching Paul Newman how to read. She picked up one of the books they had looked at before, "... Her father was Yesterday and her mother was Tomorrow. And they loved her very much".

Miss Morgan went to the stacks and found a copy of Alice in Wonderland -- one that had a picture of Mr Carroll in it. After that, she always carried that book wherever she went.

Cindy went running to find her. "Mr Shermin's acting awfully funny, Miss Morgan," she said. "He's swimming back and forth in the fishbowl, and the water around his head is boiling".

"Boiling?" asked Miss Morgan. "I hope nothing's wrong. He hasn't said anything in the longest time".

Lots of the kids were gathered around the fishbowl.

"He looks awfully depressed," said Gaynell.

Mr Shermin said in a voice that everyone could hear, "What's the point of it all? I don't know most everything. There are all these lands that I never even dreamed of. I don't even know all the questions, much less the answers. I've just been living in a fishbowl".

"Gosh," said Donny, "he's knocking his head against the wall".

"Quick!" ordered Miss Morgan. "Hand me that fishbowl! If we don't stop him, he might crack up".

She reached in to try to stop him, but no, the fishbowl cracked, and the water split all over everyone.

Mr Bacon came rushing up, "Barbarians!" he shouted. "What are they doing now? Breaking fishbowls and spilling water all over my library". But he stopped short, in shock, for there stood Mr Shermin, the teacher, wearing glasses, smoking a pipe, and standing in a puddle of water and broken glass.

"Gosh," said Donny, "it's the real Mr Shermin. He's come back from Fish Land".

"Welcome... I mean .... how do you do?" said Miss Morgan. "I mean, welcome back, Mr Shermin," she stumbled on, trying to figure out what had happened and what might happen next.

The kids were awfully glad to have Mr Shermin back as a teacher. "You're a lot more fun as a teacher than as a fish," Gaynell said, giggling.

Mr Shermin said, "Not so fast, now. I'm not about to go back to my old ways. No, I won't be a teacher, and I won't be going back to Winthrop. No, not right away, at least. I want to return to the Underworld and maybe talk to Mr Plato. But it's hard to say. It just may be, it just may be that you'll be seeing me again soon. Ah, Mr Bacon," he continued. "You're just the man I wanted to see. I'll be needing a backpack and some climbing boots and books -- lots of books. I'll need a lot to eat along the way".

Mr Bacon was very helpful. So soon Mr Shermin started the long trek back up the mountain -- all alone.