Colleen could see that Frobual was an anagram of Balfour, and from that she deduced that Rhyen was an anagram of Henry, who had written the story. She asked him to see her after school about it.

When everyone else had left the classroom and gone home, she came over and sat at the desk next to his.

“I’m sorry that it wasn’t really about a leprechaun, most of the time,” he said, “I mean, that the main one turned out to be a boy. I’ll rewrite it differently tonight, after I’ve done the rest of my homework.”

“I don’t want you to rewrite it,” said Colleen, “It’s by far the very best of all the stories in the class. And I have noticed that the names of the characters are anagrams. I’ve given you full marks. You’re the only one, and if you see me on the last day of term, there might be a surprise for you.”

Henry, whose previous timeline self had learned of her machine when she told Frances Woodfield about eating Stanley, and had then snuck into her house and willingly shrunken himself for gobbling, was elated. Miss Balfour liked his story. In this timeline he didn’t know just exactly why she liked it so much, but whatever she was going to give him, he would treasure it always.

On the last day of school term, he stayed behind again in the classroom.

“I’ll give you your surprise in a little while,” she said, “I’ll meet you in the clearing at the end of the short walking track behind the school, the track that looks out on the valley. I’ll be there in about 15 minutes.”

Henry made his way down there, and was soon joined by Miss Balfour.

She sat on a raised section of grass, and said, “Would you like to have a cuddle?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Come on then,” she beckoned, and he sat on her lap and snuggled against her.

“Since Rhyen and Miss Frobual were based on us, I suppose it wouldn’t be presumptuous of me to surmise that you are in love with me too.”

“Yes, it’s true,” he said.

She kissed his cheek and then snuggled her own against his.

“I love you very much,” he said.

“I love you very much too,” said Colleen.

“This is a very nice surprise you’ve given me, just like you said you would.”

“This isn’t the surprise,” said Colleen, and he felt one of her hands releasing its embrace of him, “This is.”

She held a small device in front of him.

“Is that what you’re giving me? I don’t know what it is.”

“I’m not exactly giving it to you,” she said, and pressed the switch.

Henry shrank to tiny size, his arms slipping off her as he did so, and he ended up in the lap of her dress.

“This is incredible!” said Henry.

“I gave you all that story writing assignment, so that I could choose the best story, and you’re the winner. I know you wrote it from the heart.”