Interesting Klepto

I have some interesting kids in my class. One student is always stealing pencils. I asked him to knock it off because at any given moment, someone is missing a pencil. He doesn't take any pencil (well actually he does), but he inspects it first. Very, very, VERY carefully.

Once I watched him take a pencil and study it over and over while he was to be reading. He hid it in his pocket, pulled it out and studied it from tip to eraser -even holding it in his palm like he was weighing it. I called his name and said, "Is that your pencil?" He says, "I don't think so, but I'll hold on to it in case." He reluctantly handed it over after a stern look.

The following day I heard that same line, like clockwork. "MRS. CAAAAAADMMANN, SOMEONE STOLE MY PENCIL! IT WAS RIGHT HERE!"

I look over the said thief and immediately see a "new" pencil in his shirt pocket. His excuse?

"It was on the table, I didn't think it was anyone's. Actually you should thank me, someone could have stolen it!"

I have spoken to him about this and his response was "What? ME? Take pencils?" (with a "new" pencil in his shirt pocket) I wonder everytime he has pencils in his pocket now. I've seen him with everything from mechanical pencils to itty bitty golf pencils, he doesn't discriminate.

Looking back, I figure it's better pencils than anything I could think of....until all my black pens went missing yesterday....