Lirpå Sloof

At Fairview Elementary School, children in first and second grades met in a large, square room under the tutelage of Mrs Lovelady. First graders sat on the east side, second graders on the west side. Mrs. Lovelady’s desk was stationed front and center. Ranged around the room were cast iron hissing radiators, just the correct height to barely fit under the old, brown window sills. Snow blew in the windows and hissed when it hit the radiators. A child with an earache or a deep cough often sat beside one of the hot radiators, seeking extra warmth and relief from a winter cold.

Tall casement windows, a darkened cloak room and green slate chalk boards made the room larger than life. An immense heavy door topped with a transom window saw students in and out of the classroom. High above, fastened to the fifteen-foot ceiling, florescent bulbs flickered and buzzed at random. Metal light fixtures like great ice cube trays cast grim grey shadows, accompanying the dim light. Curlicues of lead ceiling paint, looking for all the world like fingernail clippings, occasionally loosened and floated to rest on the classroom below. The US flag, the Kansas flag and a few stern pictures of presidents and wild animals finished the room.

Holidays of any description were important in Fairview Grade School during the 1960’s. Kansas Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Halloween, President Washington’s Birthday, President Lincoln’s Birthday, St. Patrick’s Day, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and random other opportunities to celebrate popped up throughout the school year. That said, wooden pencils, a box of Crayola crayons, blunt scissors and a rubber eraser were essential tools to commemorate these occasions.

At this point in the progression of the 1962-63 school year, pencils, erasers and crayons were pretty well worn down. The paper coverings peeled away from the stubby broken pieces of the waxy crayons. This worn state attested to the hard work of the first and second graders. Students found such side activities as drawing, coloring and pasting to be a welcome relief from seat work, work sheets and dull books.

On this particular cold, February day, the view from the windows was glum. First and second graders were sniffling, blowing their noses and coughing. The cold season was rampant. As winter dragged on, dirty piles of snow, the clanging and hissing radiators and muddy overshoes dominated the daily routine. Not much interesting waited in the future. Valentines’ day happened last Friday. Easter was late this year. May and the end of school seemed to be in the next eon. The first and second grade folks and Mrs. Lovelady were ready for something to happen to break up the dull days.

There was a knock at the door.

Startled, Mrs. Lovelady called out, “Come in”.

The door creaked open.

The dignified Principal Burl Muns solemnly entered the first and second grade classroom. Mr. Muns was followed by two solemn eighth graders. At once, Miss Lovelady and her students assumed their best behavior. Hands were folded on the tops of the student desks. Chair legs and children’s feet were firmly planted on the pine board floor.

Principal Muns cleared his throat.

“Mrs. Lovelady, we have a surprise to share. My friend from college sent word. A guest from Norway is coming to visit on the first of April. Our guest will be here all day. Everyone in this grade school will celebrate this honor.”

A rustle of excitement charged the room.

Mr. Muns waved his arm towards Mrs. Lovelady’s desk. The eighth graders placed two neat stacks of mimeographed informational sheets at the front corners of Mrs. Lovelady’s desk. Fastened with large silver paper clips, each pile of papers was clearly marked with a red pen, respectively: “First Grade” and “Second Grade”. The odor of mimeograph solution permeated the end-of-the-day stale air.

Mrs. Lovelady was rather flustered at this unexpected news.

“Why, thank you ever so much, Mr. Muns! We will begin preparing at once for the visitor from Norway”.

“You are welcome, Mrs. Lovelady”, Mr. Muns intoned.

“Come along”.

Mr. Muns nodded to the eighth-grade helpers who fell in line behind him.

All three disappeared into the hallway.

“Boys and girls”, began Mrs. Lovelady. “We have so much work to do to get ready for this special guest.”

Recess and phonics forgotten; the rest of the day was spent planning. The girl with the very best handwriting, Vicki, was assigned the role of scribe at the front chalk boards. The important list included the need for welcome signs, poems to learn by heart and then recite, paper chains, maps to draw, songs to sing, pictures of tulips and wooden shoes to color and snowflakes to cut from white paper. While Vicki wrote, Mrs. Lovelady scanned the mimeograph sheets.

“His name is Mr. Lirpå Sloof. He comes from Angvik,” Mrs. Lovelady informed us. She adjusted her metal-rimmed glasses.

“Could we bring cookies from home?” Cousins Patty and Sherry were excellent planners for especially fancy parties in first and second grade.

“May?” replied Mrs. Lovelady.

“May we bring cookies from home?” they rephrased their request.

“Yes. You may bring cookies from home.”

“Goody! Goody!” The two girls hugged each other in delight.

Andy raised his hand, gesturing wildly, barely able to stay in his seat.

“Can – May I wear my Davey Crockett hat for the celebration?”

“No. You may not wear your Davey Crockett hat for the celebration. Davey Crockett did not come from Norway. However, you may draw a picture and give it to Mr. Lirpå Sloof as a greeting when he arrives.”

While it wasn’t the same as wearing his beloved Davy Crockett hat, Andy was decently mollified at the prospect of greeting the honored guest with one of his very own drawings.

We were all proud that Andy would share his fine artistic talents.

“Oh gracious! The time has flown! We must put on our wraps and straighten our rows. The buses will be waiting! We will talk more on Monday.”

First and second grade people hustled into their winter coats and overshoes, and lined up at the door to march out to the waiting yellow school buses. The prospect and excitement of hosting Mr. Lirpå Sloof were nearly unbearable.

Breathlessly, the students boarded the school buses. Standing in the grimy snow patches on the sidewalk, the teachers were talking animatedly and laughing. Even the seventh and eighth grade kids were buzzing about the man from Norway coming to visit school. This was a really big deal!

Monday resonated across the whole grade school with the buzzing excitement of planning. The all-day event honoring Mr. Lirpå Sloof would be dazzling. The teachers huddled together during noon recesses, discussing presentations, costumes, songs, dances, refreshments and the order of the day. It was an all-out effort. Second grader Jimmie brought a recipe his mother had clipped from the Cappers’ Weekly newspaper for a Norwegian bread, sunnmorsbrod. Hmmmm. We decided it must be summer bread. Mrs. Lovelady sent Jimmie to the lunch room to share this exotic recipe with Vera, the amazing lunch room lady. Jimmie returned with Vera’s promise to serve the whole school sunnmorsbrod for lunch on the following Tuesday.

Mimeographed maps of Norway sprang up in the hallway leading to the lunchroom. Construction paper tulips festooned the windows. Red and blue paper chains were seen in the third and fourth grade classrooms, artfully looped on the light fixtures. Fifth and sixth graders learned Baa Baa Black Sheep in Norwegian. The seventh and eighth grade elder statesmen of the student body leaned myriad facts about Norway. From their encyclopedic research, they prepared an original and elaborate Chautauqua presentation for Mr. Lirpå Sloof.

Important schoolwide decisions were necessary. At lunch on Tuesday, Vera’s sunnmorsbrod had been absolutely delicious. So delicious, that at the end of school, a vote was called for. All students met in the big upstairs reading rooms. Cookies or Sunnmorsbrod? Each student in all 8 grades cast a secret ballot. When the votes were counted, sunnmorsbrod and milk would be served instead of fancy cookies. After all, Lent was being observed by many of the students who had given up sweets. Perhaps, Mr. Lirpå Sloof gave up sweets as well. No doubt, he would feel at home with the sunnmorsbrod.

Sherry and Patty were consoled by the assurance that they would serve the sunnmorsbroad and milk at the refreshment table. Carolyn and Joyce would hand out napkins. Jimmie would give Lirpå Sloof a handwritten copy of the sunnmorsbrod recipe.

Additional job assignments were planned by the second graders for their class members. Andy would welcome Mr. Lirpå Sloof and with a flourish, would hand over his original crayon drawing of Davy Crocket. Vicki would read a welcome she had painstaking written and prepared. Art and Willie would lead the room in the Flag Salute. Steve and Jim would follow with the Cub Scout pledge. Carol and Mona would show Mr. Lirpå Sloof to the specially decorated seat at the front of the first and second grade room. Meanwhile the first graders labored over crepe paper flowers, assorted window decorations, white paper snowflakes and appropriate poems to recite for our guest. The first and second grade Norway exposé would be breathtaking. No doubt, Mr. Lirpå Sloof would be in complete awe.

The rest of February and the month of March passed in feverish preparation. Suddenly, finally; the first of April was the very next day. Everything was ready. The entire school was prepared. Orville the beloved carpenter, handyman, bus driver and custodian had outdone himself building, painting, polishing, hanging up paper chains, patiently helping all the teachers and students get the grade school absolutely perfect for Mr. Lirpå Sloof.

At 9:00 AM on the first day of April, 1963, all Fairview Grade School students and adults came dressed in their best. A few upgrades in appearance were a bit startling, at first glance. Many of the girls had slept in damp pin curls fastened tight with metal bobby pins all night. The resulting hair style looked for all the world like the winged liberty head on the Mercury dimes. The boys looked more recognizable, with their normal burr haircuts and plaid shirts and jeans. Everyone looked polished and prepped for the welcoming of Lirpå Sloof.

Among the distinguished attendees were school board members, a couple of business people, and several members of the Fairview Chamber of Commerce. They, and a handful of parents with babes in arms or little children in hand crammed into the big upstairs reading room at Fairview Grade School.

As everyone settled in, the room fairly crackled with anticipation. Nonchalant, Mr. Muns lounged against the metal filing cabinet at the front of the room. He held a long, manila envelope in his left hand. The address was typed to Mr. Burl Muns, Principal. Fairview Grade School.

Also visible on the envelope, Hand-lettered in bold red capitals were the following instructions: “DO NOT OPEN UNTIL THE FIRST OF APRIL AT 9:15 AM.”

It was almost time.

At 9:15, Mr. Muns stepped up to the microphone on the podium, both borrowed from the high school. He cleared his throat and with his thumb, opened the envelope from his college friend.

Breathlessly, everyone waited.

The color drained from Mr. Mun’s face. Then he flushed a bright red.

Speechless, he handed the letter to the president of the school board who read aloud: APRIL FOOLS, BURL! READ LIRPA SLOOF BACKWARDS! HAHA!

Silence. Utter Silence.

Several teachers burst into tears. Confused, some of the older girls began weeping as well. Smaller children began crying, some sobbing outright. Angrily, adults began talking in a whisper that grew into an angry rumble.

In a thrice, Pete, the man who owned the grain elevator near the elementary school pushed forward. Well-respected as a kind, honest man with a heart of gold, he addressed the crowd.

“Hey now, hold on, folks! This was meant as a joke! Let’s take this in the right frame of mind.

Mr. Muns will know what to do!”

Recovering from the initial shock and regaining composure, Mr. Muns took his cue from Pete. He mopped his face with a starched, white handkerchief. Mr. Muns spoke into the microphone.

“First, thank you to all who made this possible. Many people worked very hard to learn about Norway and to get together a fine day for Mr. Lirpå Sloof. It turns out it was meant as a joke. Let’s take it as a joke. And today, let’s celebrate Lirpå Sloof with the ceremony the teachers, the children and their families have concocted, and worked so hard to plan.

“And don’t forget the sunnmorsbrod!” Vera called from the back of the room. “Everyone will have to have a taste!”

Vera hurried back to the kitchen to finish up lunch and the finalize the refreshments.

Mrs. Eichenburger directed the folks out of the reading room.

“Boys and girls, let’s all go to your classrooms and get ready for Lirpå Sloof Day!” Mrs. Eichenburger the reading teacher encouraged all. “Let’s have a dandy day! We shall celebrate everything we have learned about Norway, and the good times we have had getting ready!”

She laughed, and other teachers laughed as well, some still wiping tears from their eyes.

It was a different kind of wonderful day, after all. Singing, dancing, a dramatic Chautauqua, eating sunnmorsbrod, speaking “poems and pieces”, and enjoying a whole day of Norway-themed activities. We had created a remarkable celebration for the non-existent Lirpå Sloof. Instead, it turned out to be for us! It was the process of working for a common cause that made the experience special. Working to give our best, everyone planned and pulled together. We had fun.

It was a day to be remembered.

“Live and learn”, my mother often used to say. Certainly, the Fairview Grade School folks and the community had lived and learned a great deal on April 1, 1963.

In particular, I know I sure did.

In fact, I still spell words forwards AND backwards, just in case Lirpå Sloof may be lurking in the shadows, waiting to pull the wool over someone else’s eyes another day.

Oh. And the Sunnmørsbrød sounds perhaps more like:

Whoon-Mur’-Uh – Beer’-Off - than summersbread Phonics did come in handy, along with youtube, after all.