Small Zachary was doing pitifully in math. His mom had tried everything from tutors to flashcards to special learning centers. In short, they had tried everything they could think of.

Finally, as a last resort, they enrolled Zachary in the local Catholic school. After the first day, Zachary came home with a serious, maybe even frightened look on his face. He didn’t even say hello to his mother. Instead, he marched straight to his room and started to study. Papers, pencils and homework were everywhere. His mom was amazed. Later, she called him down for dinner.

To her shock, the second he was done; he marched back up to his room and started studying yet again. This sort of routine went on for quiet a while, day after day while his mother tried to understand what made him act this way.

Finally, after nine weeks he brought home his report card. Zachary laid it on the table, and went up to his room to study again. His mother, looking at his report card saw an “A” right next to math.

No longer able to control her curiosity, she went up to his room.

“Son, what was it? Was it the nuns?” Little Zachary shook his head: nope. “Well, then,” she replied, “Was it the books, the discipline, the structure, the uniforms?” WELL, WHAT WAS IT ALREADY?!”

He looked up at her and said quietly, “Well, on the first day of school when I saw that dude nailed to the plus sign, I knew they weren’t kidding around.”

Credit given to Raines Review Fall 2007 Edition