Story of My Life

Chapter 1

"Mommy! Look wat I fwound!" A blue hedgehog announced, climbing onto his mother's lap to present his handful of dirt and worms in one hand and a small sunflower in the other.

"Wow! Where'd you find them?" Bernadette asked, trying to mask her discomfort while the other moms on the grass tried to conceal their laughter.

"I fwound these-" he held up the handful of worms "-under neaph the pritty bush in the park!" Maurice stated proudly.

"And the sunflower?" His mother prompted.

"It was sitting in Mrs. Nice Girls yard and I thwouht I could be nice and get it for him! It was hard. And it's for you, mommy!" Maurice responded with a big smile on his face.

"Maurice! Did you get Mrs. Nice Girls permission first?" Bernadette asked with a scolding tone.

"Well... No." Maurice responded, a sad look replacing the previous joyful one. "Are you mad at me now?"

"A little bit. That's called stealing, and it's no good. Stealing can break others trust in you. You need to go return the flower. I'll come with you." Bernadette scolded, standing up and giving her son her hand.

"Okway mommy..." Maurice glumly replied, taking his mother's hand (Dropping his handful of dirt and worms first) without looking up and letting her guide him to 'Mrs. Nice Girls' house.

When they got there, Bernadette knocked on the door and waited for it to open, revealing a yellow, adult fox.

"Oh, hello Bernadette! How can I help you today?" The fox asked.

"Well, Maurice has something say to you, Rosemary. Don't you Maurice?" Bernadette responded firmly, but kindly.

"Oh does he now?" Mrs. Prower asked, kneeling down to Maurice's hight.

Maurice held out the flower and responded with, "I'm sworry. I stole your fwower and mommy told me steawings bad. Here you go."

"And?" Bernadette urged.

"I won't do it again with out your per-ma-shon." The world was drawn out slowly, Maurice hadn't quite figured out how to pronounce it yet.

Mrs. Prower looked shocked for a second before saying, "Thank you, Maurice. Stealing is bad, but since you apologized, you can keep the sunflower! The reward for apologizing is always greater than the guilt that not apologizing has."

"R-reawy?" Maurice asked, joy flooding his face once more.

Mrs. Prower smiled, "Yes, really! Thank you for apologizing!"

"Yay! Mommy, can I pway some more?" Maurice asked, letting go of his mother's hand to look I to her eyes.

"Sure thing honey! Be back at 6!" Bernadette hollered after her son as he ran off. "That kid!"

"He sure does seem like a handful!" Rosemary agreed.

"He is. Speaking of kids, how's your family?" Bernadette asked, sitting down and inviting her close friend to sit with her.