Miss Millet's Class

It was the beginning of class. Everypony was taking their seats. Millet took attendance -everypony was there- and then said, "Alright, class, this time there will be a special treat for all of you."

This incited some chattering, until Millet tapped one hoof on her desk, putting a stop to that.

"First, we're having a... pop-spelling-bee, you might call it -and NO groaning-." she said, adding the last part rather flatly. "Alright, Patch, spell Stallion. Stallion."

"Okay, I know this one... um.... S-t-um, a-y-u-lmn...."

Millet facehoofed. 'Patch does well on written tests, but clearly has a case of hoof-in-mouth syndrome.' "Alright, Patch, hold off on that." she said while Patch rambled. "Tilde, spell Spectre. Spectre."

"S-P-E-C-T-R-E." Tilde replied straightly.

"Very good. Funshine, spell Warmth. Warmth."

"S-U-M-M-E-R. Warmth." Funshine said with a smug smile as everypony else laughed. "Just kidding, ma'am. W-A-R-M-T-H. Warmth."

Patch continued, "P, uh.... X.. N..."

"Don't confuse yourself, Patch." Millet warned. "Dawn, spell Curtains. Curtains."

Taking a page from Funshine's book, Dawn said, "I-C-A-N-'-T-S-E-E. Curtains." she said, smiling afterward, much to everypomy else's amusement. Funshine -who was next to Dawn this time- grinned and extended a hoof toward Dawn, who met it with her own, a soft click occuring. "But really, C-U-R-T-A-I-N-S. Curtains."

"Good. Maroon?"

"What."

"Maroon?"

"What."

"Maroon?"

"What."

Another facehoof. "Just spell wardrobes." Millet said dryly. 'I'll get him to behave eventually.'

As Maroon did so, Patch finished, "L-I-O-N. Stallion."

Millet deadpanned and said curtly, "Ye-ah. Retry, please."

"S-T-A-L-L-I-O-N." Patch said sheepishly, getting it right, this time. Millet raised her eyebrows for about a third of a second. 'Apparently, Patch can spell words that she's failed at spelling before.' she thought. "Better. Starlight, spell Dazzling. Dazzling."

Starlight also joked, "S-P-O-T-L-I-G-H-T-S. Dazzling. Kidding! Kidding. D-A-Z-Z-L-I-N-G."

"Clover, spell Foals. Foals." Millet said, not even acknowledging Starlight's joke.

Not to be outdone, Clover spelled, "C-L-U-M-S-Y. Foals." smilng sheepishly afterward. Without needing to be asked, she spelled, "F-O-A-L-S. Foals."

After going around the class a few times with other, harder words, Millet finally said, "Very good, everypony! Now, since it's fairly warm today, we are going to go to the beach for today's field trip. As a bonus, if you can point out a creature from the area that somepony else hasn't pointed out already, you'll get an extra mark."

Just after everypony had filed out, Millet smiled and said, "Whatever will I do with these kids?" before she got up and left the class herself, remembering to shut the light off as she went out the door.

Shortly after having arrived, several creatures had been pointed out already. A starfish here, some shrimp there. At one point, Clover tugged on Millet's shirt. "C-c-crocodile!" she said shakily, the loudest she'd said anything to this point.

Millet's neck would have snapped it if she'd gone any faster. Sure enough, there was a crocodile making its way toward them.

Millet's eyes widened briefly. "Good eye, Clover. Why don't you go play in the water with the other foals? I'll deal with the self propelled Man-O'-War here." Millet said calmly, miming rolling up her nonexistent sleeves.

Millet took on a smoldering glare. She started to trot over to the crocodile, seething. "Alright, you. Let me make this clear to you and to any other predators on the beach here. If you do anything to my class, you'll WISH that I'd turned you into a handbag. And you'll be conscious for every. single. second of what I do to you. Capisce?"

The crocodile, looking rather fearful by this time, turned tail and set a new land speed record for its kind.

'As long as I'm kicking,' Millet thought, 'nopony in my class is getting harmed. And woe betides the fool who tries it.'

Nodding curtly, she turned around and trotted back to her charges.