Your Nose is Growing!

After reading a story to some first graders today, we were summarizing what we could learn from the story. Noticing that one good point hadn't been mentioned yet, I asked the children what we could learn from Jason, a story character who had given a little girl a second chance to be his friend after she'd been ostracized by most of her classmates for lying to them. A handsome boy raised his hand and said, "Forgive people when they're really sorry for being bad." Expanding on his good answer, I replied, "Yes, Jason understood about lying because he used to do it, too." All of a sudden a chorus of voices from all around the room said, "Me, too. I used to lie, too." Kids were nodding and agreeing with those around them that lying is something they could understand and relate to, and they seemed to be happy that Kim, the main story character, had been given a fresh start by Jason. Seeing a raised hand, I called on a curly haired snaggle-toothed boy. With an angelic face and a devilish smile, he said, "I've NEVER told a lie, not ever." Seeing the unbelieving faces turned toward him, he protested, "Really, I'm not joking, I've NEVER told a lie." I laughed and said that telling lies is just something that most of us do when we're little, especially when we're trying to keep from getting in trouble, but that hopefully we learn to be honest as we get older. As I prepared to leave, his teacher and I shook our heads and giggled at this little boy's protestations, and she murmured, "I think he just told his first one." Amen, Sister, amen!