Stephanie took over the running of the school bus. Not the driving, of course, she was only twelve. But she had put herself in charge of the entertainment.
While waiting for the bus, she had found some wild, bright yellow buttercups growing on the side of the road. Her grandmother had told her that if you held a yellow buttercup beneath a person’s chin and it reflected yellow light onto the skin, it meant that person was in love.
Oh what fun!
Stephanie took a buttercup and held it under each pupil’s chin. Janette’s chin reflected yellow! Danny’s chin reflected yellow! Only two yellow chins!
Stephanie began to chant: Danny loves Janette! Danny loves Janette! The whole bus joined in.
The bus driver pulled over to the side of the road and made an announcement:
Stephanie Chrystall would you sit down. And the rest of you can stop making a rumpus.
Stephanie loved that. She began to chant and all joined in:
A rumpus on the bus
A rumpus on the bus
Hi-ho, the derry-o
A rumpus on the bus!