Authors: Humphrey Carpenter
Mr Majeika
YOUNG PUFFIN MODERN CLASSICS
Humphrey Carpenter (1946â2005), the author and creator of
Mr Majeika
, was born and educated in Oxford. He went to a school called
the Dragon School where exciting things often happened and there were some very odd
teachers â you could even call it magical! He worked for the BBC then
became a full-time writer in 1975, and he was the author of many award-winning
biographies, including books about J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Benjamin Britten
and Spike Milligan.
As well as the Mr Majeika titles, his children's books also
included
Shakespeare Without the Boring Bits
and
More Shakespeare
Without the Boring Bits
. He wrote plays for radio and theatre and founded
the children's drama group The Mushy Pea Theatre Company. He played the
tuba, double bass, bass saxophone and keyboard.
Humphrey once said, âThe nice thing about being a writer is
that you can make magic happen without learning tricks. Words are the only tricks
you need. I can write: “He floated up to the ceiling, and a baby rabbit
came out of his pocket, grew wings and flew away.” And you will believe
that it really happened! That's magic, isn't it?'
MR MAJEIKA
MR MAJEIKA AND THE DINNER LADY
MR MAJEIKA AND THE GHOST TRAIN
MR MAJEIKA AND THE HAUNTED HOTEL
MR MAJEIKA AND THE LOST SPELLBOOK
MR MAJEIKA AND THE MUSIC TEACHER
MR MAJEIKA AND THE SCHOOL BOOK WEEK
MR MAJEIKA AND THE SCHOOL CARETAKER
MR MAJEIKA AND THE SCHOOL INSPECTOR
MR MAJEIKA AND THE SCHOOL PLAY
MR MAJEIKA AND THE SCHOOL TRIP
MR MAJEIKA JOINS THE CIRCUS
MR MAJEIKA ON THE INTERNET
MR MAJEIKA VANISHES
By Julia Eccleshare Series Editor
School. Whatever your school is like, it is unlikely that it will
have a teacher quite like Mr Majeika in it. Single-handedly, he transforms the
day-to-day school routine into something unusual and completely unexpected. Not
surprisingly since, having once been a wizard, he finds it very hard to remember all
the things he has to do â and
not
to do â as a
teacher.
The joy of
Mr Majeika
is that somewhere as familiar to us all
as school is turned into a place that is so completely different. It's the
beginning of the new school term at St Barty's Primary School and everyone
will know how Class Three feel. They are just back from the holidays, it is pouring
with rain and they are
not
in the mood to enjoy school. To make matters
worse, there is no teacher. Or is there? The supply teacher arrives by an unexpected
route. Sitting cross-legged on a magic carpet, he floats down into the classroom.
From that moment on, everything about school is utterly transformed and no one would
ever be able to think of it as a dull place again. A boring egg-and-bacon flan
becomes a mouth-watering plate of chips, a ruler turns into a snake and frightens
the life out of Hamish Bigmore who had frightened the life out of previous
teachers, and, finally, Hamish Bigmore himself turns from
schoolboy into frog. The question is, can Mr Majeika put all of these things
back?
Mr Majeika is charmingly eccentric. His magic just seems to spring
into his mind without him thinking and, as a result, extraordinary things happen
â particularly when he sets himself the questionable task of trying to
outwit Hamish Bigmore. But in the end Hamish benefits too, so there's no
harm done. Mr Majeika's originality makes school fun â even if
there is not a lot of conventional learning â and also makes his colleague
Mr Potter look exceptionally dreary. Certainly, there's no doubt that
Class Three will have had the time of their lives when their first term with Mr
Majeika finally ends. Neither they, nor readers, can bear to wait long for the next
term to begin.
With thanks to Class 7 at Marlborough
Primary School, Chelsea, for their help, and especially Lucy Tsancheva,
whothought of most of Chapters 7 and 8.
It was Monday morning, it was pouring with rain, and it was everyone's first day back at St Barty's Primary School after the Christmas holidays. That's why Class Three were in a bad temper.
Pandora Green had been rude to Melanie, so Melanie was crying (though Melanie always found
something
to cry about). Hamish Bigmore was trying to pick a quarrel with Thomas and Pete, the twins. And Mr Potter the head teacher was very
cross because the new teacher for Class Three hadn't turned up.
âI can't think where he is,' he grumbled at Class Three. âHe should have been here at nine o'clock for the beginning of school. And now it's nearly ten, and I should be teaching Class Two. We'll have to open the folding doors and let you share the lesson with them.'
Class Three groaned. They thought themselves very important people, and didn't in the least want to share a lesson with Class Two, who were just babies.
âBother this thing,' muttered Mr Potter, struggling with the folding doors that separated the classrooms.
â
I'll
help you, Mr Potter,' said Hamish Bigmore, who didn't really want to help at all, but just to be a nuisance as usual. And then everyone else began to shout: âDon't let
Hamish Bigmore do it, he's no good, let
me
help,' so that in a moment there was uproar.
But suddenly silence fell. And there was a gasp.
Mr Potter was still fiddling with the folding doors, so he didn't see what was happening. But Class Three did.
One of the big windows in the classroom slid open all by itself, and
something
flew in.
It was a man on a magic carpet.
There could be no doubt about that. Class Three knew a magic carpet when they saw
one. After all, they'd read
Aladdin
and all that sort of stuff. There are magic carpets all over the place in
Aladdin
. But this wasn't
Aladdin
. This was St Barty's Primary School on a wet Monday morning. And magic carpets don't turn up in schools. Class Three knew that. So they stared.
The carpet hung in the air for a moment, as if it wasn't sure what to do. Then it came down on the floor with a bump. âOw!' said the man sitting on it.
He was quite old, and he had a pointed beard and very bright eyes, behind a pair of glasses. His hair and clothes were wet from the rain. On the whole he looked quite ordinary â except for the fact that he was sitting on a magic carpet.
âI just can't manage it,' said Mr Potter, still pushing at the folding doors. âI'll have to go and get the caretaker.'
Then he saw the man on the carpet.
âWhat â how â eh?' said Mr Potter. Words usually deserted Mr Potter at difficult moments.
The man on the carpet scrambled to his feet. âMajeika,' he said politely, offering his hand.
Mr Potter took the hand. âMajeika?' he repeated, puzzled. Then a look of understanding dawned on his face. âAh,' he said, âMr Majeika!' He turned to Class Three. âBoys and girls,' he said, âI want you to meet Mr Majeika. He's your new teacher.'
For a moment there was silence. Then Melanie began to cry: âBoo-hoo! I'm
frightened
of him! He came on a magic carpet!'
âWhat's the matter, Melanie?' snapped Mr Potter. âI can't hear a word you're saying. It sounded like “magic carpet” or some such
nonsense.' He turned briskly to Mr Majeika. âNow, you're rather late, Mr Majeika. You might have telephoned me.'
âI'm so sorry,' said Mr Majeika. âYou see, my magic carpet took a wrong turning. It's normally quite good at finding the way, but I think the rain must have got into it. I do beg your pardon.'
âNever mind,' said Mr Potter. âAnd now ⦠Wait a minute, did I hear you say
magic carpet
?'
It was Mr Majeika's turn to look bothered. âOh, did I really say that? How very silly of me. A complete slip of the tongue. I meant â
bicycle
, of course. I came on a bicycle.'
âQuite so,' said Mr Potter. âBicycle, of course â¦' His voice tailed off. He was staring at the magic carpet. âWhat's that?' he said rather faintly.
âThat?' said Mr Majeika cheerily. âThat's
my magic â' He cleared his throat. âOh dear, my mistake again.
That's my bicycle
.' And as he said these last words, he pointed a finger at the magic carpet.
There was a funny sort of humming noise, and the carpet rolled itself up and turned into a bicycle.
Mr Majeika leant cheerily against the handlebars and rang the bicycle bell. âNice bike, isn't it?' he said, smiling at Mr Potter.
You could have heard a pin drop.
Mr Potter turned rather white. âI â I don't think I feel very well,' he said at last. âI â I don't seem to be able to tell the difference between a carpet and a bicycle.'
Mr Majeika smiled even more cheerily. âNever mind, a very easy mistake to make. And now I think it's time I began to teach our young friends here.'
Mr Potter wiped his forehead with his handkerchief. âWhat? Oh â yes â of course,' he muttered faintly, backing to the door. âYes, yes, please do begin. Can't tell a bicycle from a carpet â¦' he mumbled to himself as he left the room.
âNow then,' said Mr Majeika to Class Three, âto work!'