--- title: "Professor Percival and the Floating Fiasco" description: "Professor Percival forgets to water a strange geranium, and soon Topsy-Turvy School is floating through a day of flying meatballs, made-up diseases, and trumpet-song flowers." tags: ["Funny Stories", "responsibility", "kindergarteners", "early-readers", "funny", "talking-animals", "read-aloud", "rainy-day", "Professor", "SchoolStories", "BeResponsible", "ChildrenStory", "BedtimeStory"] language: en source: "Stories for Kids" url: https://www.stories4kids.net/stories/funny-stories/professor-percival-and-the-floating-fiasco/ --- # Professor Percival and the Floating Fiasco _A Story About Responsibility_ Professor Percival forgets to water a strange geranium, and soon Topsy-Turvy School is floating through a day of flying meatballs, made-up diseases, and trumpet-song flowers. Category: Funny Stories Topics: Funny Stories, Responsibility, Kindergarteners, Early Readers, Funny, Talking Animals, Read Aloud, Rainy Day, Professor, School Stories, Be Responsible, Children Story, Bedtime Story ## Story Professor Percival pranced through Topsy-Turvy School, where desks dangled from ceilings and teachers taught while standing on their heads. His mismatched socks (one polka-dotted, one striped) did not match because matching was far too ordinary. - Did you know, he announced to a potted plant, - that I am BRILLIANT at absolutely EVERYTHING? The plant said nothing, which Percival took as total agreement. Every Tuesday at exactly 3:00, Percival had ONE job: water the Gravity Geranium in Room 42. This special plant kept the school's topsy-turvy gravity working properly. But Tuesdays were SO busy with being clever and correcting everyone. Today was Tuesday. The clock showed 3:17. Percival had completely forgotten. ![Professor Percival and the Floating Fiasco - Boy with mismatched socks strutting past upside-down classrooms](../../../assets/stories/funny-stories/professor-percival-and-the-floating-fiasco-1.jpg) *Boy with mismatched socks strutting past upside-down classrooms.* Just then, books whooshed past Percival's head like confused paper airplanes! They swooped and spiraled, pages flapping wildly. His pulse quickened. A mystery! - AH-HA! he shouted, startling a flying dictionary. - I have SOLVED it! These books obviously have BUBBLE BRAIN SYNDROME! He had invented that disease exactly two seconds ago, but it sounded impressively scientific. A geography textbook bonked his nose. - Ow! Percival rubbed his face. - Rude book! Do not you know I am trying to help? Mrs. Twiddle, the upside-down librarian, walked past on her hands. - Fascinating diagnosis, Professor, she said. - What is your cure? Percival's mind raced. - Um, obviously I need this. ANTI-BUBBLE SPRAY! He dashed to the supply closet (labeled - Gymnasium because nothing here made sense) He emerged wearing swimming goggles and clutching a spray bottle filled with apple juice. - HOLD STILL, BOOKS! he commanded. The books ignored him completely. ![Professor Percival and the Floating Fiasco - Boy spraying juice bottle at books zooming overhead](../../../assets/stories/funny-stories/professor-percival-and-the-floating-fiasco-2.jpg) *Boy spraying juice bottle at books zooming overhead.* WHOOSH! An atlas smacked his elbow. SPLAT! A cookbook knocked his goggles sideways. BOING-BOING-BOING! Three mystery novels bounced off his behind like rubber balls. Percival swung the spray bottle in wild circles, missing every single book. - This is IMPOSSIBLE! he panted. - My brilliant plan should be WORKING! Mrs. Twiddle peered at him thoughtfully. - Have you noticed anything ELSE unusual today? she asked. Percival paused mid-spray. Now that she mentioned it, pencils floated past like tiny logs on an invisible current. The water fountain sprayed upward instead of downward. His left shoe felt weirdly light. He looked down. His left shoe was hovering three inches above the floor, still tied to his foot. - That is strange, he admitted slowly. His stomach squirmed. Strange meant he did not understand. Know-it-alls were supposed to understand EVERYTHING. - Perhaps, Mrs. Twiddle suggested gently, - Bubble Brain Syndrome is not quite right? Percival's cheeks burned hot. - But I ANNOUNCED my diagnosis! Very loudly! To everyone! - Even brilliant scientists revise their theories, Mrs. Twiddle said. Revise. That word tasted sour, like accidentally biting a lemon. Revising meant being wrong. ![Professor Percival and the Floating Fiasco - Boy staring at his floating shoe with wide eyes](../../../assets/stories/funny-stories/professor-percival-and-the-floating-fiasco-3.jpg) *Boy staring at his floating shoe with wide eyes.* - Maybe, Percival whispered, - I should investigate MORE before announcing answers. Mrs. Twiddle's eyes twinkled. - Shall we explore together? she asked. They bounced through hallways like astronauts on the moon. In the art room, paintbrushes painted the air instead of paper. In the cafeteria, meatballs orbited students' heads like tiny planets. Then Percival spotted something through the window of Room 42. The Gravity Geranium drooped in its pot, leaves brown and crispy, stem bent like a tired question mark. His heart stopped. - What day is today? he whispered. - Tuesday, Mrs. Twiddle said quietly. - What time is it? Percival checked the backwards clock. - 3:47. The truth crashed over him like a bucket of ice water. The floating books. The hovering objects. The wonky gravity. Not Bubble Brain Syndrome. His fault. He had forgotten to water the Gravity Geranium. AGAIN. For the third Tuesday in a row. Because being clever felt more important than doing his actual job. - Oh no, he breathed. Tears stung his eyes. - I caused ALL of this. ![Professor Percival and the Floating Fiasco - Wilted brown geranium in window with floating chaos beyond](../../../assets/stories/funny-stories/professor-percival-and-the-floating-fiasco-4.jpg) *Wilted brown geranium in window with floating chaos beyond.* - So what happens, Mrs. Twiddle asked softly, - when the Gravity Geranium gets thirsty? Percival's brilliant brain finally connected the dots. Thirsty plant. Broken gravity. Floating EVERYTHING. - I messed up, he said, voice cracking. - In a big way. I was so busy showing off that I forgot my responsibility. And now the whole school is upside-down! More upside-down than usual, I mean. Saying it aloud hurt worse than any book-bonk. His hands shook as he grabbed the floating watering can. He carefully, so carefully, poured water into the geranium's dry soil. - I am sorry, he told the plant. - You were counting on me, and I let you down. For three long seconds, nothing happened. Then, SPROING, the geranium's leaves turned emerald green. Purple flowers burst open with sounds like tiny trumpets: toot-toot-TOOT! CRASH! Books tumbled onto shelves. THUD! Meatballs plopped into bowls. BONK! Percival's shoe hit the floor. Gravity snapped back into perfect topsy-turvy order. Percival sank onto a chair (which was bolted to the ceiling, naturally). - I was wrong, he admitted to Mrs. Twiddle. - About Bubble Brain Syndrome. About being brilliant at everything. About what matters most. - And what DOES matter? Mrs. Twiddle asked. Percival thought hard. - Taking care of your responsibilities. Even when they seem small or boring. Especially then. Mrs. Twiddle smiled. - Now that is truly brilliant. ![Professor Percival and the Floating Fiasco - Green geranium blooming as books settle onto shelves](../../../assets/stories/funny-stories/professor-percival-and-the-floating-fiasco-5.jpg) *Green geranium blooming as books settle onto shelves.* The next morning, Percival arrived at school extra early. He watered the Gravity Geranium first, then created a giant chart: - RESPONSIBILITY SCHEDULE with checkboxes, stickers, and reminder bells When his classmates arrived, Percival took a slow breath. - I need to tell you all something, he said. - Yesterday's floating disaster was MY fault. I forgot to water the Gravity Geranium because I was too busy acting like I knew everything. And I was completely wrong about Bubble Brain Syndrome. I made that up. His classmate Rosie snorted. - We KNEW that was not real! she giggled. Percival's face turned pink, but he continued. - The point is, doing your job matters more than seeming smart. And admitting when you do not know something is actually braver than pretending. His friend Marcus grinned. - Want help remembering? We could share plant duty! Warmth spread through Percival's chest. - Really? That would be actually wonderful. - Plus, Rosie added, - now we can ALL investigate mysteries TOGETHER! Actual investigating, without making up silly diseases. Percival laughed, a real, genuine laugh. - Deal! he said. - I will bring the goggles. ![Professor Percival and the Floating Fiasco - Boy showing responsibility chart to smiling classmates around geranium](../../../assets/stories/funny-stories/professor-percival-and-the-floating-fiasco-6.jpg) *Boy showing responsibility chart to smiling classmates around geranium.* From that day forward, the Gravity Geranium thrived under the care of many hands. Percival still loved learning facts and sharing discoveries, but now he checked his responsibility chart first, asked questions instead of announcing answers, and said - I do not know yet, let us find out! more than: - I KNOW EVERYTHING At Topsy-Turvy School, where floors were ceilings and sense was nonsense, that made him the wisest student of all. And the Gravity Geranium? It bloomed purple every single day, humming its tiny trumpet song.