Scandinavia and the World Characters' Childhood

The First Periodical Test Adventure

It was a bright and sunny day in the middle of October 1996, and Ms. Larsson’s Grade 2 class was preparing for their very first periodical test. The classroom was quiet, with the sound of pencils scratching on paper as the students concentrated on their tests. However, in the back corner of the room, two boys were having a completely different kind of adventure.

Sweden, with his blonde hair slightly tousled, and Brother America, who was always full of energy, had decided that their hands were no longer just hands—they were now crawling, laughing babies.

“Look, Sweden!” America whispered, giggling as he made his hand crawl across the desk, wiggling his fingers like tiny feet. “My baby’s trying to escape! Hihihihi!”

Sweden, trying to stifle his laughter, joined in. “My baby wants to catch up to yours! Hihihihi!” he whispered back, making his own hand crawl across the desk. The two boys were so caught up in their game that they completely lost track of time.

As they pretended their hands were babies crawling around the desks, America suddenly had another idea. He grabbed his water bottle and pretended to pour water on the desk. “Now they can go swimming! Hihihihi!” he said, making a splashing sound with his mouth.

Sweden’s eyes widened with excitement. “They’re swimming now! Hihihihi! Come on, little baby, don’t let America’s baby swim faster than you!”

The two boys continued their playful game, their hands darting around the desk as they giggled. The rest of the class was still focused on their tests, but Ms. Larsson, who had been keeping an eye on the room, noticed the boys' little adventure.

“Sweden, America,” Ms. Larsson called out softly but firmly, “it’s time to finish your test. You can play later.”

The boys looked up, realizing that everyone else was almost done. The other students began to turn in their tests and pack up to go home, leaving only Sweden and America still at their desks.

America quickly stopped playing and picked up his pencil. “Sorry, Ms. Larsson,” he said, trying to focus on the test in front of him.

Sweden, however, was a bit slower to put away his imaginary game. He glanced at America, who was already writing furiously, and then back at his own test. “Oh no, I’m so behind!” he thought, feeling a little panicked.

America, always quick with everything he did, finished his test first and turned it in with a confident smile. “All done!” he announced as he handed his paper to Ms. Larsson.

Ms. Larsson smiled at him. “Good job, America. You can go home now.”

America grabbed his backpack and gave Sweden a quick wave. “See you tomorrow, Sweden! Don’t let your baby fall behind!” he joked as he headed out the door.

Sweden, seeing that America was done and had already left, felt the pressure to catch up. He grabbed his pencil and started working as fast as he could, but he was careful to make sure he didn’t make any mistakes. “I have to finish this right, even if I’m late,” he thought to himself.

The classroom was now completely empty, except for Sweden and Ms. Larsson, who was patiently waiting at her desk. The clock on the wall ticked steadily, reminding Sweden that he was running out of time.

Finally, just as the sun began to set and the school grounds grew quiet, Sweden put down his pencil with a sigh of relief. “I did it!” he said to himself, a small smile spreading across his face.

He quickly walked up to Ms. Larsson and handed in his paper. “Sorry it’s late, Ms. Larsson,” he said, a bit embarrassed. “But I think I did okay.”

Ms. Larsson smiled gently at him. “It’s okay, Sweden. I’m glad you finished it and that you took your time to do it well. Remember, it’s important to focus when you need to, but it’s also good to have fun. Just find the right balance, okay?”

Sweden nodded, feeling a little wiser from the experience. As he packed up his things and prepared to go home, he thought about how much fun he’d had with America, even if it had almost made him late.

As he walked home alone, Sweden decided that next time, he’d try to balance his playtime and work better. But for now, he was just happy that he had finished his test and could look forward to more adventures with his friends.