Title of the work: “The Importance of Truth”
Author: Janet Mora
2 characters:
- Joshua (8 year old boy).
- Mr. Claus (65 year old grandfather).
SETTING: Inside a small village bakery.
INTRODUCTION: Joshua, a naughty little boy, is inside Mr. Claus’ bakery looking at the delicious freshly baked chocolate muffins.
Joshua: (with his nose pressed against the glass separating him from the chocolate muffins fresh from the oven) What delicious muffins Mr. Claus, they are the most tempting I’ve seen all year!
Mr. Claus: (with a proud face) Thank you dear Joshua, I worked with much dedication and love all morning so that all the inhabitants of this beautiful town will be delighted with the best muffins they have ever tasted. I will leave this tray fresh from the oven here while I go get the others, be a good boy and keep an eye on them while I go get the others, yes Joshua?
Joshua: Of course Mr. Claus, trust me!
Mr. Claus retreats to the kitchen and Joshua is left alone with the tray of hot muffins. Joshua’s stomach starts to rumble.
Joshua: (touching his stomach) Oh, I’m so hungry! And I didn’t bring my money today. My mother will be home from work in two hours, I can’t last that long!
Five minutes pass, Joshua looks desperate.
Joshua: But what’s keeping Mr. Claus? Well, I think if I take just one he won’t notice. I mean, it’s one among many (Joshua takes one from the tray and devours it quickly).
We see Mr. Claus come in with a new tray.
Mr. Claus: (putting the tray down next to the other) Joshua, sorry it took me so long, I had a little accident with the yeast, it kept rising. But everything is in order now. Did something happen during my absence?
Joshua: (nervous and with a weak voice) Oh no Mr. Claus, everything is in order.
Mr. Claus: Good boy!
Mr. Claus picks up the old tray to put it in the display when he suddenly notices that a muffin is missing.
Mr. Claus: (with a puzzled face) Joshua! I’m missing a muffin here, what happened?
Joshua: (with a nervous voice) Eeeh, oh yes Mr. Claus, I forgot… When you were in the kitchen a boy came in and took one without paying. It was so fast that I couldn’t do anything.
Mr. Claus: That’s strange, what did the boy look like?
Joshua: Eehh… Well… He was a little taller than me, with freckles and his clothes were dirty. I think I’ve seen him around here before. If I see him again I’ll yell to the whole town that he’s a thief.
Mr. Claus: (in a very serious voice) Oh dear Joshua. I am very disappointed. While I was solving the yeast problem, I was watching you through the hidden camera in the bakery to make sure nothing happened to you. And I saw that you took the muffin.
Joshua: (with tears in his eyes) Excuse me Mr. Claus, but I was too hungry and I had no money. I thought you wouldn’t notice.
Mr. Claus: I was going to give you and your mother muffins for being such a good boy and helping me take care of them. Do you realize that your reward would still be to relieve your hunger?
Joshua: I’m so sorry, excuse me Mr. Claus, please don’t say anything to my mom.
Mr. Claus: I won’t say anything to your mother, Joshua. But I hope you have learned the importance of not lying. Especially since you blamed it on that little boy who always comes to shop at my bakery. What would have happened if I hadn’t seen anything and believed your story? That poor innocent child would have gotten into serious trouble. Now how am I going to believe you next time?
Joshua: I feel so ashamed. I promise to clean the bakery floor all week as an apology.
Mr. Claus: I accept your proposal and your apology Joshua. I hope you will never lie again.
Joshua: (walks up to Mr. Claus and hugs him) It won’t happen again.
We see how Mr. Claus puts two wrapped muffins in Joshua’s jacket pocket.
END.