The Math Lesson
by Emily



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     Note to Readers: I have a math teacher who constantly puts me down whenever I ask questions about stuff we already went over. "Well, we went over that yesterday, didn't we?" seems to be a favorite phrase of her's. Even though I've learned to pay more attention by now, when I first heard of TENG I wondered what would Kuzco do if some teacher said that to him? Out of that idea grew this story. Enjoy!




     "Your Highness? Your Highness? Your Highness!"
     The 7-year old monarch stood in front of his mirror, straightening his headdress. He finished with the headdress, licked his hand, and ran it through his bangs in a sophisticated manner. All this while, the servant was calling him.
     "Yes?" he finally asked, turning.
     "Your Highness." the servant bowed, "I am here to inform you that it is time for your lessons."
     The young one stuck his nose in the air, "I don't feel like going to lessons today," he said.
     "Oh, come now, Kuzco." another voice said. An thin old woman in a tight, purple dress came up from behind the servant. "You're excused." she said to the servant, who stood and left. She looked back at Kuzco, "In order to become emperor someday, Kuzco, you must be learned." she said in a sugary-sweet voice, "Why don't you give your lessons a try?"
     "I already know enough." Kuzco flipped his hair with one hand, "And besides," he turned back to the mirror and started straightening his headdress again, "I'm the prince. Why can't I just get rid of my lessons?"
     Yzma laughed bitterly. "My dear young prince, everyone has something they want to get rid of." While his back was still turned, she glared at him, and her voice lost the sugary-sweet quality, "Believe me.
     "Besides," she went on, "You have a new teacher. Why don't you give them a shot?"
     Kuzco sighed in a bored tone, "Oh, all right. I suppose I could give it a try..."

*

     "All right," said the teacher. She whipped off the sheet that had been covering the blackboard, revealing a pattern of Mayan numbers. "According to what your advisor told me, you've already covered addition and subtraction. Let's review, shall we?"
     "All right, whatever." Kuzco leaned back in his chair.
     The teacher cleared her throat and pointed to one of the numbers, "Two plus three is...?"
     "Five."
     "Very good, Your Highness. What about five plus two?"
     "Seven." Kuzco yawned.
     "Excellent! And seven plus five equals...?"
     "Eleven."
     "Twelve." the teacher corrected, "Twelve, Your Highness."
     "What?" Kuzco asked, his eyes snapping open.
     "Seven plus five equals twelve, Your Highness."
     "Are you saying I'm wrong?" Kuzco lowered one eyebrow.
     The teacher paused, then her face fell, "Ah, no... No, Your Highness, I was simply suggesting that perhaps you may have miscalculated..."
     "Dispose of the math teacher." Kuzco waved his hand in the air. Two guards came and took the teacher by the arms.
     "Wait! Your Highness! Your education!" the teacher cried out. Kuzco just yawned again.
     Suddenly, Yzma walked in the room, "Ah, young prince Kuzco. What have you learned today?"
     Kuzco sighed as though he were exhausted. "That teachers can be most exasperating."