<Tr> <Th> ISBN </Th> <Td> 0440204682 </Td> </Tr> <P> "The Children's Story" is a 4,300 - word short story by James Clavell . It first appeared in Reader's Digest (June 1964 issue) and was republished in book form in 1981 . It is also the title of a 1982 short film based upon the story, which aired on Mobil Showcase . </P> <P> The story takes place in an unnamed school classroom in the United States, in the aftermath of a war between the US and an unnamed country . It is implied that America has been defeated and occupied . The story opens with the previous teacher leaving the classroom, having been removed from her position and replaced with an agent of the foreign power . The new teacher has been trained in propaganda techniques, and is responsible for re-educating the children to be supportive of their occupiers . During the course of the story, the children are persuaded to abandon their religion and national loyalty . Framing the story is the fact that, while the children have ritually recited a' Pledge of Allegiance' every morning, none know what it actually means . The teacher is relentlessly positive about the change, offering the children candy, songs and praise . When asked if the war was won or lost, she responds only that "we won," implying that everyone would benefit from the conquest . </P> <P> Only one student is initially hostile to the new teacher, a child named Johnny, whose father had been arrested and placed in a re-education camp . At first, he defends his father, but when he is rewarded by the teacher with a position of authority in the class, he quickly accepts the new regime and commits himself to not accepting "wrong thoughts ." The story takes place over a twenty - five - minute span . </P>

The children's story by james clavell questions and answers