Nobody at Summerville High School had laughed or played tricks for many weeks now. Next month, the Annual Football Match played between Summerville High School and Maruti High School was going to be held. This year, everyone was sure that the Summerville team would lose. Mr Nair, the principal of Summerville, was so unhappy that he hid under his desk and refused to speak to anyone.

Coach Ahuja was responsible for bringing the school football team up to the mark. He tried his best, but the team was too lazy to practise football. They would run around the field having fun during practice time. The boys would not even come for the morning runs.

Coach had begun by saying politely, ‘Please come for practice.’ When nobody turned up, he had shouted at them the next time, ‘If you don’t come tomorrow morning, I will punish you.’ Nobody came the next day. The boys just did not obey him.

Nobody knew what to do. Every student, teacher, school helpers went around with long faces. There were only thirty more days to the annual match and the school was going to lose.

That morning, Miss Matty was taking a Geography lesson on volcanoes. She showed the class the model of a volcano that actually spit fire. It was a very interesting lesson, but her class was not interested. They were just too sad.

After her class, she looked out of window and saw Coach Ahuja leaving the school in a taxi. Somebody told her that he was sick with cold and flu. He would have to be in bed for a few days. The Summerville football team were very happy. ‘Hurrah!’ They shouted.

Miss Matty wondered if she could do something to help the school win the Annual Football Match.

That afternoon, passing the playground she heard some students talking.

‘Now that Coach is sick, we will definitely lose the match,’ said one.

‘If only Miss Swamp was here,’ said another.

‘Who is Miss Swamp?’ asked a new student.

‘Oh, don’t you know Miss Swamp?’ said first one.

‘She is the meanest substitute teacher there ever was,’ said the second student.

‘She is a witch but trust me, she can get results,’ said the first one.

‘Hmmmm…,’ thought Miss Matty.

After a couple of days when the school football team was just kicking the ball aimlessly on the field, they heard a loud shout, ‘COME HERE, boys.’

The team turned and stared. A woman stood on the edge of the field. She was in a black dress, her hair pulled tightly into a bun, glasses on the nose and mouth twisted like a crooked pin. It was Miss Swamp!

Confused, the boys began to slowly walk towards her when there came another bellow, ‘QUICKLY! I don’t have all day.’ They ran quickly to stand in a line before her.

‘Tomorrow. Everyone on the field at 5 am. All those who are not on time tomorrow morning need not come to school at all. EVER,’ she said in a stern voice. The team looked at one another. Miss Swamp, they knew, would surely do as she said.

‘And now, start running around the field.’

The team began to run.

‘Faster,’ screamed Miss Swamp.

‘Faster! Faster!’ she screeched.

At five, next morning and every morning after that the boys were at football practice. They kicked the ball. They passed the ball. They landed goals. Miss Swamp kept screaming at them. Nothing they did ever satisfied her. She wanted more and more and more. So, the boys practised more and more.

Principal Nair was surprised by how quickly the team had been put into order. He thought he would ask Miss Matty, but then he changed his mind. Miss Matty was a Geography teacher. What would she know about football! He was sure she would know nothing about Miss Swamp, either.

As the days went by, the team actually became better and better at the game. After ten days, when Coach Ahuja returned, he was surprised to see a fit and smart team.

‘Hey! Maybe they will win the annual match,’ he told Principal Nair. The Principal smiled as he remembered a lady in a black dress, hair pulled back in a bun, glasses on the nose and mouth twisted like a crooked pin terrifying the football team. He did not tell the coach about Miss Swamp, who had vanished.

After all, Miss Swamp had been a substitute teacher for Coach Ahuja.

On the day of the match, the entire Summerville High School turned out. The students were very excited. The opposing team from Maruti High School was strong and the match was bitterly fought between the two teams. But like Coach Ahuja had said, the Summerville School won the match by two goals.

The Summerville students went crazy with joy. They cheered and cheered. Coach Ahuja could not stop  patting the boys of school team on their backs. Principal Nair’s broad smile was stuck on his face. Miss Matty was smiling too as she went home.

Humming a song, Miss Matty rang the doorbell. Her twin sister, who looked just like her, opened the front door. Excitedly, she asked, ‘So, what happened? Did Summerville School win the match?

‘Oh yes,’ said Miss Matty. Her sister smiled, looking like the cat who had got a saucer of cream.

Miss Matty smiled too. She said, ‘Thank you for pretending to be me at the school.  I enjoyed being Miss Swamp. If I had not pushed the team to practise hard, we would have never won.’

The sisters laughed. It had been fun to play games with everyone at school.