Freedom

Illustrated by Tim Heitz

"**Freedom**" is the seventh chapter of *Wayside School Is Falling Down*.

## Plot

This chapter begins with Myron crumbling a cracker on the windowsill to attract a wild bird named Oddly, whom he's recently befriended. He briefly turns away, as Oddly only comes if no one is looking. Myron watches Oddly out of the corner of his eye, and Kathy asks if his dumb bird friend has returned. Myron, however, remarks it isn't 'his' bird, as Oddly is free. Kathy thinks Myron is a birdbrain. Myron watches Oddly fly away, making him feel both sad and glad at the same time because although Oddly is gone, he is still free. However, Myron realizes he isn't free and worries that Oddly thinks his desk is a cage. He wishes he could be free to do whatever he wants just like Oddly. Quickly, Myron gets out of his desk and sits on the floor. Mrs. Jewls makes Myron get back in his seat, making him very upset. He feels like his desk is a cage, and he hates having to get out of his seat and go downstairs every time the bell rings, and go upstairs whenever it rings again. After the bell rings a few more times, Myron refuses to go with the flow and instead wanders into the basement.

Myron worries about what could be in the basement. He worries that he might see dead rats living down there, or maybe even Mrs. Gorf, whom even after her demise in the first book, the kids still worried may have been around the school. In the basement, Myron can't see anything. He stumbles around for a moment until he finds a pipe that feels like it's covered with a thousand spider webs. Myron follows the pipe, but gradually hears some footsteps. He stops, and the footsteps stop a second later. He starts walking again, and hears the footsteps, stopping again a few seconds later. Myron eventually figures out that he's being followed. He darts away from the pipe, causing the unknown figures to follow him, until he stops, in which they stop again. He takes off one of his shoes and throws it into the distance, causing the footsteps to follow that. He takes off his other shoe and throws it in the same direction, but it never hits the ground.

The footsteps once again continue after Myron, and Myron tries to sprint away only to slip on a puddle of goo and fall over. He tries to hold his breath and be as quiet as possible. Suddenly, a light turns on above him, revealing the three mysterious men with the attaché case, frightening Myron. They ask for Myron's name, and he gives it, only to regret not coming up with a fake name. The man with the attaché case opens his case and takes out a notebook, in which he sees Myron should be in his desk in front of Sharie in Mrs. Jewls's class. The other man with a mustache asks what Myron is doing out of class. Myron remarks he just wants to be free, and he'll never return to the basement again if he can get that. The bald man asks Myron if he wants to be free or safe, because he can't have it both ways. Myron is confused, but the men decide to explain.

The men explain that if Myron chooses to be safe, he'll have to sit in his desk every day, go to Wayside School five days a week, go to bed at the same time every day, but not until after he brushes his teeth. He won't be able to watch TV until after he finishes his homework, and will have to go inside whenever it rains, but not until he wipes his feet. He can do that, or he can be free. If he chooses to be free, he'll be able to do whatever he wants and not have to worry about rules. Myron decides that he wants to be free. He signs a paper he can't read, because it's written in an unknown language, and the men tell him he's free. They wish him good luck, give him one shoe back, turn off the light, and walk away. Myron, unsure where he is, tries to find the pipe again. Eventually he does, but isn't sure if it's the same one, but walks alongside it anyway just to be safe. When he's about to give up hope, he trips over the stair to the first story, and walks upstairs. In Mrs. Jewls's class, she scolds Myron for being late and tells him to write his name on the discipline list and return to his seat for an arithmetic test. Myron, however, refuses to take the test or write his name on the board, as he is now free, so he sits on the floor next to his seat and there is nothing Mrs. Jewls can do about it.

Later that afternoon, Mrs. Jewls finds Myron's other shoe in the refrigerator of the teachers' lounge.

## Characters

* Myron
* Oddly (debut)
* Kathy
* Mrs. Jewls
* Mrs. Gorf (mentioned)
* The men with the attaché case
* Sharie (mentioned)

## Trivia

* In later chapters, such as "Pencils" and "Valooosh," Myron is seen utilizing his newfound freedom to get out of certain assignments and attend other classes.
* Oddly returns in "Kathy and D.J."
* The shoe being found in the refrigerator at the end of the chapter is a reference to "Homework" and "Another Story About Socks".
* This is the second appearance of the men with the attaché case, and their only appearance in *Wayside School Is Falling Down*.

## Gallery

Joel Schick illustrationAdam McCauley illustration
### Foreign editions

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