Moral Storries Number 4: Love and Help Children
The Way to Happiness is a common sense guide to better living which has been distributed to more than 100 million people in over 100 languages. It describes 21 principles to a better quality of life.
Principle number 4 is "Love and Help Children."
Now read the short story about this important principle.
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Love and Help Children
In a busy bus station, there is a little girl sitting all alone on a bench. She stares at the floor as all the busy travelers rush around her. She does not move.
Some of the people are in such a big hurry that they do not notice her. Other people look at her, but they think, "She is not my daughter. She is someone else's responsibility. I am sure her mother and father must be close." They continue running to where they need to go.
After some time, a man stops next to the girl. He is very tired after a long day of work, and he just wants to get to his home as quickly as possible so that he can be with his family. But he cannot just leave this little girl alone. He cannot see her parents anywhere. The little girl is no older than his own little daughter!
The man walks up the girl. "Hello," he says. "Are you all right? Are your parents here with you?"
The little girl does not even look up at him. He gently sits down next to her and touches her shoulder. Now she lifts her head, and he can see that she is crying. He feels terrible!
But he gives her a very warm smile and holds out his hand. She looks scared, but she takes his hand and lets him lead her to the bus station information desk. He helps her sit down on a chair next to the desk and explains the situation to the security guard.
The guard makes an announcement over the speakers. "Attention: a young girl is waiting for her parents at the information desk. If you are looking for your daughter, please come immediately! Thank you."
A couple of minutes later, a woman comes running toward the desk. As soon as she sees the little girl, she shouts and runs up to her. She lifts the girl into her arms and holds her very tight. Then she separates herself from her daughter and looks at her face while she says, "I am here, Andrea. Everything is okay. I love you, honey."
Then she turns and greets the man. "Thank you so much, sir," she says. "We got separated in the crowd earlier. My daughter is deaf, so I could not make an announcement over the speakers for her. I was looking for her everywhere. I was so worried!"
Now the man understands why the little girl did not look at him until he touched her shoulder. He feels happy that he has helped. It must have been very scary for little Andrea and her mother! He smiles and thinks of how he will tell his family about this. He is a father, too. He knows how important it is to love and help all children.
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Exercises
Vocabulary Questions
1. What does "gently" mean?
a) in a confident way
b) in a fast way
c) in a soft way that will not scare someone
d) in a logical way
2. What does "deaf" mean?
a) that someone cannot hear
b) that someone cannot speak
c) that someone cannot see
d) that someone cannot feel
3. What does "help" mean?
a) to do something unpleasant
b) to make a plan for something
c) to try something new
d) to aid someone and make things easier for them
Grammar Questions
1. The people in the bus station are ________ a big hurry.
a) to
b) in
c) of
d) with
2. Thank you ________ much.
a) so
b) too
c) super
d) a lot
3. He cannot see her parents ________.
a) somewhere
b) everywhere
c) anywhere
d) where
Comprehension Questions
1. Why doesn't the little girl answer the man when he talks to her?
2. How do the man and the security guard find Andrea's mother?
3. In your opinion, why is it important to love and help children?