The Pencil Man!!

Last spring, our kindergartner, aka #4, brought home a really cool pencil with a gold shiny top around it.  You know, where the eraser is... he likes the ones that are colored, not just plain silver.  He showed me his new pencil and told me the 'Pencil Man' gave it to him. I thought nothing of it and moved on to something else.  A few days later, he brought home a different COOL pencil, with a blue top around the eraser.  This one was also sparkly and shiny.  I again asked him where he got it, to which he replied, the 'Pencil Man'!  This time I asked him more about this Pencil Man.  I asked him, 'Does the Pencil Man come everyday?'  He said, 'No- just sometimes.' 'Does everyone get a pencil when he comes?' 'Only if they want one,' he said.  "So, he just gives anyone who wants one- a new pencil for free?" 'Yep," he said- Also, the pencils were not brand new- they were clearly used-- but pretty cool pencils!  HMMMM... I was beginning to think this Pencil Man was quite a mystery.  Another pencil came home, and I questioned his story... I said, "Are you sure there is a Pencil MAN?"  "Are you stealing these pencils from other kids?"  He adamantly denied any such thing and convinced me there was a real "Pencil Man".  After that, I don't recall any more pencils coming home..... The whole situation was forgotten and I had moved on. 
THEN--- the other day, I was looking for a missing CD with his sister, aka #3, who he also shares a room with.  We were looking in his drawers and found about 7 COOL pencils that were not purchased by me.  She then confessed that her little brother told her last spring that there really was no such thing as the Pencil Man!!   HOLY COW!! That little POOP!!!  She promised him she wouldn't tell me so he wouldn't get in trouble!!!!  I WAS RIGHT!!!   There really was NO PENCIL MAN!!!  --- he really was stealing these pencils!!!!  When he got home later, I told him of his sister's confession.... and gave him a real talking to!  He then confessed that he took the pencils from the teacher's aids pencil cup on her desk.  The next day I called the school and spoke to her about it.  I told her who I was and who my son was... her first response was, "Oh, I LOVE ________"  To which I thought, 'Well you won't anymore after I tell you what he did.'  She then told me that she told the kids they could have a pencil if their lead broke or they needed one.  But, what she meant was that they could BORROW one!!  She was sticking up for him saying.... I could see where maybe he forgot to give them back and took them home......!! Whatever--- The fact that he made up this crazy story and lied to me tells me that he knew he shouldn't have taken the pencils.  So, the next day... he wrote her an apology letter and we went to the school three different times trying to catch her so he could return the pencils.  We kept missing her!  Finally, a few days later- we caught her and he gave her the pencils.  He was really embarrassed and didn't want to face her... but he did with his head hung down... tell her he was sorry that he took her pencils and give her his note!  After 4 days of being grounded from everything and getting lectures on honesty and stealing and talking about it over and over... he kept saying, "Could we just stop talking about this?" I hope he learned his lesson!!! STINKER!!!! His sister got quite that talking to too about keeping secrets!