Theme: Charity

Antony's Kindness

There was a boy named Antony who loved to play football with his friends. But he didn't have the ball. Therefore, he could only play when the kids from his street invited him.

He asked for a gift ball for his parents, but he still hasn't received it.

	One day Antony remembered his piggy bank. His godmother had given him a piggy bank
with several coins inside and, for a long time, all the money he earned from mom or grandma, he kept there.

When Antony thought maybe he could buy his ball, he got all excited. Then, he ran, took the piggy bank, and looked for his mother. With her help he counted the money and realized he had a good amount.

At the end of the afternoon, they went to the mall and Antony wanted to go straight to the toy store where he bought a beautiful ball.

As he still had money, Antony also bought a toy with parts to assemble.

Before leaving, Antony wanted to go to another store and buy him a chocolate bar after dinner. He was very happy! But when they were leaving the mall, a very dirty boy appeared, with his clothes torn and with the face of someone who was very hungry. The boy looked at them and humbly asked if they had anything to help.

Antony, looking at the boy, imagined how many difficulties he was going through and, affected by the situation, felt like helping him. Therefore, he extended his arm and handed the little bag with the chocolate to the boy. The boy opened such a big smile when he saw the candy, that he thanked him several times.

Antony felt so good for having made that boy smiled, with such a suffering expression that he was touched by it.

Then he took the package from his mother's hands and handed it to the boy as well. It was the ball, his new ball.

The boy was even more grateful. Antony smiled at him, and the mother smiled at Antony.

It was not known who was happier at that moment: the boy who received the gift, the boy who made such a beautiful gesture or his mother who was moved by her son's kindness.

But the story didn't end there.

When Antony and his mother arrived home, they found dad who had just arrived from work with a big surprise for his son: a beautiful soccer ball, even prettier than the one Antony had given to the boy.

They told their father what had happened, and everyone could hardly believe the coincidence of events. The important thing is that they were very happy. Kindness and charity made that day very special.

Adapted from the text by Sheila Jorge, of website Contos de ninar.

Translation:
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com

marcelapradacontato@gmail.com