Lavo Standard (4) (6-21-09)

Perry was facing Libro, a slime. Although it had been known as a frail, spherical kind of monster in video games, Libro appeared so adorable and immediately charmed Perry into recognizing him as a friend, not an enemy.

“Hi, Libro, nice to meet you. My name is Perry.”

“(Nice to meet you, sir),” squeaked Libro.

A sequel to the earliest break, the entire class was fidgeting, zeroing in on Libro.

In the mind-boggling encounter, a seemingly orthodox approach Perry first came across was to confiscate the unidentified creature and prescribe an inhibitive order and some modest reprimand to Juno after the class, or right now. But a dilemma seemed more serious: He was wondering whether he should immediately inform the principal and the public health department of the animal that conjured up the image of a swine flu virus.


“Juno, did you take Libro with this tote?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Where did you open it?”

“I opened this in the classroom and introduced him, Libro, to my friends.”

“Have your mates touched him?”

“Some of them did, Perry.”


If partially, Perry suspected that Libro himself was a sort of virus or he was infested with infectious ones. Whichever case it was, students who had had physical contact with Libro were limited so far. If Perry promptly called the public department and quarantined his class until their arrival, consequences would be avoided or mitigated. However, indeed Libro was not exactly a flu virus. Perry imagined if he was benign to people how yet-confirmed Libro’s amiable presence could leave his students with fantastic memories.


After a silent pause, Perry broached.


“Well, let me ask one question, do you all want to share today’s classes with him?”

“Absolutely, Perry!” his students’ enthusiasm exploded.


Yet in reality unlike this admission, parity in academies might have been elusive.

Whereas the development of Japanese education system allowed virtually all children to receive basic education, by either teachers or themselves their abilities were rated upon various standards like scores of written examinations, records in short sprints, painting skills, singing skills, facial looks, a talent for making jokes and others. And through analyzing the combination of personal traits, characteristics and abilities of a student after another, in the end a class would form small communities, each of them sharing the same interests.

However, there can possibly be a student who lacked any common interests and failed to win membership of any community.

Have a look at a bell-shaped diagram of standard deviation. Around the origin and to the right on the x-axis, fat-tails told who were in the minority, based on a certain subject. When the class consisted of 30 to 50 students, perhaps just a few were incorporated in the fat-tail zone. However, when the diagram was drawn on all measurements, a student in the minority might have some difficulty interacting with the majority group. This student could be left in isolation from the rest of the class. Even bullying may be a consequence. Nevertheless, a child couldn’t take a legal action by themselves.

Yet in adults’ society, just appearance, physical and/or intellectual abilities should not be a reason to forsake people who tried to manage themselves well and wouldn’t annoy nor harm anyone.

To the right, the diagram consisted of more of the younger generations. And it would normally boil down into the left fat-tail over ages. Everyone would go through functional deteriorations, but none of them would want to be neglected due to this reason. Society often witnessed wrongdoings and crimes, but people of healthy mind should be able to practice high cooperation to save those to the left of the diagram.

In the classroom of a miniature adult society, however competitive a student was, rich personality and people skills should deserve the membership. Throughout the room Perry’s observation was attentive enough not to miss out on any cue of trouble. The Japanese law didn’t permit home-schooling. If a student was sidelined it would be difficult for them to get back on the original track.

After all, thanks to the leniency of the school Libro spent a happy time through the curriculum. Although the distributed lunch was infallibly equal to every student, so was the portion for him.

In the front yard at home at night, he was fully content recalling the day.

“Libro, I’m jealous of you. I wish I could study at school even just for a day,” grumbled Akichalo.

“(I was just lucky. I wish if you were a human.)”

“If you were a human, what would you wanna do, Takeko?” asked Akichalo.

“Well, I wanna be a professional singer, to release the copies of my CD. Let it be, let it be, yeah let it be...,” Takeko was singing a pop song Daryl had played. The cool night breezes carried it away.