Today's Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul

[Guest guest]

Ry

At his request, each morning three-year-old Ry's mother

pinned a bath towel to the back shoulders of his size two T-

shirt. Immediately in his young imaginative mind, the towel

became a brilliant magic blue and red cape. And he became

Superman.

Outfitted each day in his " cape, " Ry's days were packed

with adventure and daring escapades. He was Superman.

This fact was clearly pointed out last fall when his mother

enrolled him in kindergarten class. During the course of the

interview, the teacher asked Ry his name.

" Superman, " he answered politely and without pause.

The teacher smiled forgivingly, cast an appreciative glance

at his mother, and asked again, " Your real name, please. "

Again, Ry answered, " Superman. "

Realizing the situation demanded more authority, or maybe

to hide amusement, the teacher closed her eyes for a moment,

then in a voice quite stern, said, " I will have to have your

real name for the records. "

Sensing he'd have to play straight with the teacher, Ry

slid his eyes around the room, hunched closer to her, and

patting a corner of frayed towel at his shoulder, answered in a

voice hushed with conspiracy: " Kent. "

by Joyce Meier

Reprinted by permission of Joyce Meier © 1998, from A Second

Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor

Hansen, Read Hawthorne and Marci Shimoff.