Friday, September 23, 2011

A Cookie Parable

Some cookies went missing at the Jones house while Ashley, the babysitter, was watching seven year old Jacob and his little sister Emma, five.  Emma had taken some.  She felt bad and told the 16 year old Ashley that she and Jacob had their hands in the cookie jar when Ashley wasn’t looking.  But Jacob denied it.

Jacob said, “I didn’t take any cookies.  Emma is a liar.  I was in the kitchen with her, and she took some cookies, but I didn’t.”  Jacob was angry that Emma might get him in trouble.  He was afraid when he found out that babysitter Ashley was going to let their parents know, because he knew he would get in trouble for it.  It wasn't the first time.  He was so afraid, and so angry that he decided to do something about it.  

When mom and dad got home, Ashley explained to the parents what had happened.  Dad and mom called in the kids and asked each of them, to tell what happened.  Emma said they had both taken cookies, and she was sorry, and understood that she might be punished.  Jacob looked uncomfortable and was squirming in his seat.  He said, “I didn’t take any cookies!  Emma is a liar!  And besides, mom and dad, Ashley hates me!  She has something against me and that’s why she believes Emma!  You should fire her as a babysitter because she isn’t fair.”

Dad and mom believed Emma was telling the truth.  But Emma felt horrible when she heard what her brother Jacob had said.  She loved having Ashley as a babysitter.  She didn’t want to lose her because Ashley read her stories at night and calmed her down when she had night terrors.  But Jacob went in his room, slammed the door, and wouldn’t come to dinner for days.  

Mom and dad didn’t know what to do.  Finally, they told Ashley they couldn’t use her as a babysitter anymore because Jacob had thrown such a tantrum.

Emma felt horrible and that losing Ashley was her fault.  She knew that all she had to do to keep Ashley as a babysitter was change her story.  All she had to do was say she had lied, that Jacob hadn’t taken any cookies.  But she wouldn’t change her story.

So who had their hands in the cookie jar?

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