# Mr Jones — afternoon off for Wembley

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-mr-jones-world-cup-wembley
- Themes: school, kindness, father, humour
- Life situations: school, family, sport

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Scary disciplinarian primary teacher Mr Jones. Dad has two World Cup England–Poland tickets at Wembley and lunch with Brahm; the boy asks for the afternoon off — totally against rules. Mr Jones: you're doing okay — off you go.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

Mr. Jones his name was and he was a very scary teacher. But I still remember one of my experiences with Mr. Jones. [snorts] My father, this is very worldly but please excuse this. My father had the afternoon off work and I uh went home for lunch and my father sort of saw me in uh you know my mother's little apartment just close by and my father said, "Oh, it's a shame you have to go to school this afternoon. I got these two tickets for a World Cup soccer match against Poland at Wembley Stadium. And he said, "It's a shame you have to go to school. You could have come with me to watch the match." Now you know what in places like UK and even Poland a soccer match is like this is World Cup qualifying match. And so I said, "Oh, you never know. You can always ask." So I had the guts to go up to Mr. jokes and I asked him, "Uh, please, sir, can I have the afternoon of school to watch a soccer match?" That's totally against the rules. But he told me, he said, "Well, you're doing okay. Off you go

## Teaching point

Kind firmness can bend a rule for a kid who has earned trust.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Young Ajahn Brahm's teacher, Mr Jones, was a strict disciplinarian. When his dad got tickets to an England match at Wembley, the boy gathered his courage and asked for the afternoon off. Against every rule, Mr Jones said: you're doing well, off you go. Kindness and trust can bend rules. And it never hurts to ask.

## Source

- [Joy and Power of Peace | Ajahn Brahm | 13 February 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaYAEgABL2M) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 17:52 to 19:37: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaYAEgABL2M&t=1072s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Appreciation | Ajahn Brahm | 29 November 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaBYSDBj37E) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 17:12 to 18:02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaBYSDBj37E&t=1032s
- [Monastic Life: A Dialogue with Ajahn Brahm | Ajahn Brahmali | 1 December 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPdRP2DEzMs) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 8:09 to 9:37: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPdRP2DEzMs&t=489s