Another Story About Potatoes

Illustrated by Tim Heitz

"**Another Story About Potatoes**" is the twenty-fourth chapter of *Wayside School Is Falling Down*.

## Synopsis

Joe forgets his lunch, so he tries Miss Mush's potato salad.

## Plot

This chapter opens with Joe in the lunch line, as he forgot his lunch at home. Joe walks up to Miss Mush and asks what she has, she says she only has potato salad. Mushroom Surprise is out of the question as Mrs. Jewls made her throw it all away and promise never to make it again. Joe decides to order the potato salad, making Miss Mush happy. Sharie, who had also forgotten her lunch, is next in line. She asks if Miss Mush has anything other than the potato salad, and Miss Mush says she doesn't, so Sharie decides not to order anything. Joe is revealed to be the only person who got the potato salad, and no one else decided to order it.

Joe goes to the cash register, pays for his lunch, and walks to the condiment table. He decides to create a decorative pattern of ketchup and mustard over his dull gray potato salad, impressing Bebe, who says he's a very good artist. Joe looks for somewhere to sit, when John calls him over. John is also impressed by the colorful pattern Joe has created over his potato salad, and Joe thanks him. Meanwhile, Miss Mush asks if anyone wants seconds, but no one wants seconds of the potato salad, they did (apparently) go for seconds of nothing but soon Miss Mush (somehow) ran out of it. John questions what the potato salad feels like, and Joe says it feels lumpy, gooey, and spongy as he mixes it. John remarks it looks kind of like a face, and Joe notices it too. He laughs and decides to make it look even more like a face. He piles up potato salad in the middle to make a nose, and John digs out two holes for eyes and draws eyebrows as well. Joe gives it a smiling mouth, and John gives it pointed ears. The two laugh, wondering what it tastes like, when Joe notes it looks kind of familiar, like someone he knows. John agrees, when suddenly the smile on the potato salad turns to a scowl. John suddenly realizes who the potato salad looks like: Mrs. Gorf. Mrs. Gorf, as the potato salad, laughs and says that this time she'll finally get Joe and John, and attempts to turn them into apples. Joe and John realize the only way to stop this menace is by eating her, and the two work on wolfing down the potato salad as quickly as possible. When they finish, they decide it didn't taste too bad, and decide to go back for seconds.

## Characters

* Joe
* Miss Mush
* Mrs. Jewls (mentioned)
* Sharie
* Bebe Gunn
* John
* Mrs. Gorf (as potato salad)

## Trivia

* The title of this chapter references "Calvin's Big Decision," which is also about potatoes, and "Another Story About Socks."
* The most likely reason that Mrs. Jewls made Miss Mush promise never to make Mushroom Surprise again was what happened in "Mush". It is unknown if Ron also got punished since it wasn't *entirely* his fault.
* Sharie being in line after Joe may be a reference to the chapter "Sharie," which immediately follows "Joe" in *Sideways Stories from Wayside School*. This is likely, however, just a coincidence.
* Even if she's in the form of potatoes, this is the last physical appearance of Mrs. Gorf in the *Wayside School* books.

## Gallery

Joel Schick illustrationAdam McCauley illustration
### Foreign editions

Peter Allen illustration (UK)Peter Allen second illustration (UK)Satoshi Kitamura illustration (Japan)