The next morning Mrs. Lambchop wrote a note to Stanley’s teacher, tied a stronger string to his balloon, and sent him off to school.
“Dear Miss Benchley,” the note said. “Stanley has unexpectedly become invisible. You will find the balloon a useful guide to his presence. Sincerely, Harriet Lambchop.”
Miss Benchley spoke to the class. “We must not stare at where we suppose Stanley to be,” she said. “Or gossip about his state.”
Nevertheless, word soon reached a newspaper. A reporter visited the school and his story appeared the next day.
The headline read: SMILING STUDENT: “ONCE YOU SAW HIM, NOW YOU DON’T!” Beneath it were two photographs, a Before and an After.
The Before, taken by Miss Benchley a week earlier, showed a smiling Stanley at his desk. The After, taken by the reporter, showed only Stanley’s desk and his smiley-face balloon bobbing above it. The story included a statement by Miss Benchley that Stanley was in fact at the desk and, to the best of her knowledge, smiling.
Mr. and Mrs. Lambchop bought several copies of the paper for out-of-town friends. Her colorful balloon artwork lost something in black and white, Mrs. Lambchop said, but on the whole it had photographed well.
Arthur said that “Invisible Boy’s Brother” would have been an interesting picture, and that Stanley should suggest it if the reporter came around again.
Being invisible offered temptations, Mr. and Mrs. Lambchop warned, but Stanley must resist them. It would be wrong to spy on people, for example, or sneak up on them to hear what they were saying.
But the next Saturday afternoon, when the Lambchops went to the movies, it was Arthur who could not resist.
“Don’t buy a seat for Stanley,” he whispered at the ticket window. “Just hide his balloon. Who’d know?”
“That would be deceitful, dear,” said Mrs. Lambchop. “Four seats, please,” she told the ticket lady. “We want one for our coats, you see.”
“Wasn’t that deceitful, sort of?” Arthur asked as they went in.
“Not in the same way,” said Mr. Lambchop, tucking Stanley’s balloon beneath his seat.
Just as the film began, a very tall man sat directly in front of Stanley, blocking his view. Mr. Lambchop took Stanley on his lap, from which the screen was easily seen, and the people farther back saw right through him without knowing it. Stanley greatly enjoyed the show.
“See?” said Arthur as they went out. “Stanley didn’t even need a seat.”
“You have a point,” said Mr. Lambchop, whose legs had gone to sleep.