Pencil Sharpener Woman, from THE WOMAN WHO COULD EAT WOOD

Pencil Sharpener Woman Her shapely metal figure was baby blue, but there was much more to her. She sharpened all grades of pencil lead with the greatest of whir. Her movable face plate with pencil gripper and human features was, as commented by most library customers, the opposite of gross. She was very fond of customers of all colours, of all sizes, the dented, and, of course, of all classes. ‘Your love of reading keeps you learning,’ she often complimented. Unfortunately some customers weren’t fond of her at all though, and they demanded that she be let go. ‘Why? Why? Why!’ was her only reply. When her haters returned books late, and refused to pay the small fine, anger and hate she felt for their stupid action and whine. So to teach them a lesson, on the front desk made of pine, when the whiners sharpened their pencils she shut off her automatic stop mechanism normally fine, turned her hand crank as rapidly as an equine, and her sharp blades ate up their pencils just fine.