If Ms. Holloman was an animal in a fable, what would she be??

Sometimes, for the fun of your students (and your own entertainment), you have to take advantage of the "teachable moments" they give you. This week, I had the perfect opportunity to do just that. My students were studying different types of fiction text, and on this particular day, the focus was on fables. Now, for those of you reading this who have forgotten, fables are short stories, usually with talking animals, that have a moral to them (also known as a lesson). During our discussion of various fables, one of my students raises her hand and says:

"You know, I was just thinking, teachers are like fables because they teach us all a lesson that we need to know."

It was at this moment the giant lightbulb went off! I had an idea that both the kids would find fun, and I would find highly entertaining. During an already planned assignment, I gave the students an extra question. The question was, "If Ms. Holloman was an animal in a fable, what would she be and why?". Now, of course having taught ten year olds for six years, I was fully prepared to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly. Of course, I couldn't keep these responses to myself, so I had to share them for your entertainment:

An owl because Ms. Holloman is wise and smart.
A wolf because they are smart, intelligent, and brave.
An oppossum because you are so crazy and funny so I can imagine you upside down (don't worry, you're not ugly like an oppossum).
A tiger so you can protect yourself.
A dog because she has a dog.
An elephant because elephants are smart and have a good memory like Ms. Holloman.
A cheetah because she loves polkadots and cheetahs have these, and she also looks like she is fast and skinny like cheetahs.
A penguin because they are smart, funny, and really friendly.
A ram because she loves UNC.
A wise dog because you are very wise and extremely friendly.
A chipmunk because you have a high voice.
A tiger because you are fierce.
An owl because you are super smart.
A camel because you eat (yes, that's what he wrote) lots of water and camels have water in their bumps.
A chipmunk because your smile reminds me of a chipmunk.
A hare because hares are fast and smart like Ms. Holloman.
A bluebird because she is nice, wears blue a lot, and has long fingernails.
An owl because she is smart and has eyes in the back of her head.
A kangaroo because she can jump at anyone who does something wrong. She also really likes kids, so if she has a joey one day, she will have a kid with her all the time.
A puppy because they are pretty and so are you.
A spider because spiders are smart and crafty.
A donkey because they are funny.
A horse because she is tall and beautiful like horses.