Autobiography of a school-bench

 Autobiography of a school-bench 

        One sunny morning ten years ago. an expert carpenter gave the finishing touches to me. Then surely as I polished mirrorlike. One could almost see one's face in me. I was really proud of my form and my finish and my fragrance. Alas! periods of happiness do not last long. That very afternoon, a big truck pulled up at the carpenter's workshop. Some forty of us were loaded into it and fastened and secured with stout ropes.

        After a very long and painful journey, we were at last hoisted out of the truck and dumped inside a school compound. We have handled relief when I was carried into this classroom and placed near a window. My school life began. There were many battered and bruised old benches around me. I thought rather highly of myself and looked down upon them. Little did I realize, then, that their present condition was going to be my future lot.

            My life here has been miserably difficult but it has had its share of pleasures. too. Boys and girls have carved their names and initials into me. They have dragged me about, jumped, and thumped on me. overturned me and pulled me around. Once a bit of my back was broken in the course of a classroom fight between two boys. Fancy your losing a bit of your back! It was soon mended, however.

        During m long life. I have seen pupils of all ages and of all sorts. There were pupils studying seriously and pupils playing pranks while the lesson was in progress. I have noticed pupils copying answers from one another during the examinations. giving funny nicknames to teachers, eating salted pea-nuts during lessons. I have been the seat of the students snoring aloud under the soothing influence of the teacher's lecture which sounded like a lullaby to them. I was happy to observe, the smile of satisfaction on the beaming face of the students. during the periods of sincere teachers who were always tried and tested by students.

        I hope I have still a long and eventful life to live. You who are now occupying me are undoubtedly brilliant students. I wish you all a very bright career and a very happy future.