HOMESCHOOL ON THE INTERNET
The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting
with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of
glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.
"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please!"
Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then
looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned
face.
"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00 If you really want them, I'll
think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save
enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away
and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17
pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she
went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions
for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar
bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.
Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She
wore them everywhere -- Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The
only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble
bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving father and every night when she was ready for
bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a
story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you
love me?"
"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess -- the white horse
from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The
one you gave me. She's my favorite."
"That's okay, honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her
cheek with a kiss.
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's father asked again,
"Do you love me?"
"Daddy, you know I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one
I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the
yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."
"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves
you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.
A few nights later when her father came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed
with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her
chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"
Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her father.
And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a
little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."
With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind father reached out
with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand
he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a
strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny.
He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the
dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.
(Thanks Robert Powell)
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