Theme: Kindness

The best choice

Once upon a time there was a poor boy. He had no father and his mother worked hard as a washerwoman to support the family. He was a very good boy.

He liked to play soccer and since they could not afford to buy a ball, his mother made one with old socks.

The boy had a little sister with many health problems. She didn’t walk, she only lived in bed or in the wheelchair. Even so, the girl was cheerful and loved talking to her brother.

One day the boy had an idea to help his mother. He started working as a shoeshine boy. When he got home from school, he had lunch, changed his uniform, picked up his supplies and went to the street to shine the shoes of the passing gentlemen.

He used to look for busy streets to get several customers. In one, there was a toy store. As he passed by, the boy was looking out the window at a beautiful soccer ball. He dreamed of being able to buy it one day and play soccer with a real ball.

For being polite and capricious, customers liked him and often gave him a few extra bucks. With this, the boy who always gave all the money of his work to his mother also began to save his tips to one day to buy his so desired ball.

Finally, the day came when he counted his savings and saw that he had enough. Very glad, the boy went to the toy store. He had never been there before. He used to look out the window. As he entered the shop, he was delighted.

He admired the toys for so long, that a seller suspected. Thinking that the boy didn’t have the money to buy any, he thought he wanted to steal something. He wanted to put him out of the store. But the boy quickly showed his coins and indicated the ball he wanted to buy.

The seller counted the money and saw that it was exactly the amount needed. He picked up the ball and went to the counter to make the wrap.

The boy was happy because he had fulfilled his dream. During his joy, he remembered the sock ball, his mother and his sister. It was then that an unexpected thought came to him.

- Wait a minute, sir - he said - I think I'm not going to take the ball anymore!

The clerk stopped wrapping and waited while the boy explained:

- I have a sister who will probably never come to this store and will never see these wonderful toys. I want her to know at least one of them which is that pretty doll. Besides, I don’t want to throw away the ball my mother made for me. I'm already used to it.

The salesman then traded the ball for the doll and wrapped it with a beautiful bow.

Arriving home, the boy ran to his sister's room and announced:

- I have something for you!

The girl looked wide-eyed at the package that her brother had left in her lap. As quickly as she could, she opened the gift and was delighted by the beautiful doll she had found. The mother came to see what was happening. She was moved by the joy of her daughter and the kindness of her son. The boy felt in his heart that he had made the right choice by picking up the doll. But he had no idea that his sister's happiness would make him so happy.

Text adapted from a story told by Mr. Hugo Gonçalves, o Paizinho, from Cambé (PR).

Translation:
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com

marcelapradacontato@gmail.com