Spelling Disaster

My wife was cleaning out some cabinets and found some papers my mother had saved for years. My diploma from LSU was included but what I found interesting were three spelling certificates from my fourth, fifth and sixth grade years. They brought to mind my great spelling disaster. Louisiana used to send out lists of 100 words appropriate to each grade. Teachers called out the words and certificates were given for getting all 100 right. I took the test three years and made perfect each time. So, what was my spelling disaster? My sixth grade teacher set up a spelling bee matching girls against boys. Some boys didn't try and it became me against the girls with me ending up winning. My teacher challenged another sixth grade and the other teacher called the words, asking me something that sounded like rual. I couldn't visualize the word and missed it. My teacher kept saying, " I can't understand it; he spelled down a room full of girls." A spelling disaster and a real embarrassment.