Laugh with the children at your own silliness. At their age it would
have seemed as funny to you as it now does to them.
Pick up the mouse, examine it with interest, and say, “He is a funny
little fellow, isn’t he! (Approval.) But he hasn’t very good manners to
interrupt us so in school time. Let’s put him up here on the teacher’s
desk, where he can learn to be more polite.” (Suggestion—that the act
was rude.)
“Charles, you may read next. Imogene, see if he reads just right.”
(Substitution.)