Why Should I?
Children's Story
"Where's Ruth?" asked Jamie's mother.
Jamie scowled. "I hate Ruth," she muttered angrily.
"You do?" said Jamie's mother, surprised. About an hour ago Jamie and Ruth had been best friends. "What happened?" she added.
Jamie's eyes filled with tears. Wordlessly, she took her mother's hand and led her out into the back garden. Jamie's mum gasped with horror. There on the back lawn was Frisky, lying on his back with his little paws in air. Jamie's mum quickly bent down and gently picked up the tiny hamster. He was still warm but very stiff, and Jamie's mum knew he was dead.
"What happened?" she asked again.
"It was all Ruth's fault," Jamie began. "We were playing with Frisky in his cage, but Ruth started being silly. She kept tapping on the top of the cage, and Frisky nearly went mad. He kept jumping up and clinging on to the wires with his teeth. I told Ruth to stop, but she wouldn't. She thought it was funny. Then Frisky got stuck there, hanging by his teeth and I couldn't get him off. When he fell down at last, he never moved again. I took him out of the cage and tried to warm him up, but he's dead isn't he?"
Jamie's mum nodded. "I'm afraid he is, Jamie," she said. "And it was very wrong of Ruth to be so silly. But you know, she doesn't have any pets of her own. Perhaps she doesn't know that hamsters are quite delicate creatures, and have to be looked after very gently."
"I don't care!" shouted Jamie, quite forgetting she too had laughed at the little hamster's antics. "She killed my hamster. She's a murderer and I hate her."
"Well now, Jamie," said her mother quietly, "Frisky was quite old for a hamster. I'm not sure that Ruth did kill him. Perhaps he would have died anyway. Perhaps it was time for him to go. Anyway, Ruth didn't mean to hurt him, I'm sure of that. She just didn't know any better. Couldn't you forgive her?"
Jamie shook her head. "Why should I?" she asked. "I don't care about her. I hate her and I'm never going to speak to her again."
And she didn't, even though Ruth said how sorry she was. What's more, Jamie told the whole school about Ruth's actions, and all the children turned against Ruth. It wasn't long before nobody at all would speak to Ruth. Ruth grew very miserable and very sad and she became very thin. Jamie was glad her former friend was hurting. She thought it served her right.
But after a long time, Jamie wasn't glad any more. Ruth was growing thinner and thinner, and seemed very unhappy. And Ruth had been Jamie's best friend, and Jamie missed her. Nobody else was quite like Ruth, and Jamie found she didn't want any other friends. Secretly, in her heart of hearts, she longed to make it up with Ruth, but it was difficult now she'd been so nasty. And it was even more difficult because she'd told everybody she would never speak to Ruth again.
One day when Jamie came home from school, her mother was looking very serious. "I have some bad news for you, Jamie," she said. "I'm afraid Ruth is very ill. She has a wasting sickness, and the doctors don't know what's causing it."
Jamie was horrified. Ruth was her best friend, and now she was terribly poorly. "She won't die, will she?" Jamie whispered.
Jamie's mother hesitated. "I don't know," she answered truthfully. "Would you like to go and see her?"
Without a second thought, Jamie nodded, although she felt rather scared. Perhaps Ruth would refuse to see her. Perhaps Ruth hated her as much as she had thought she hated Ruth.
But when she arrived, a huge smile lit up Ruth's face and she welcomed her friend back. After that, Jamie went round every day, and Ruth began to get slowly better. But Jamie felt ashamed, and for the rest of her life wondered whether she had caused Ruth's illness by her bad behaviour. She prayed a little prayer to God to help her become a more forgiving person in future, and promised herself that in future, she'd always try to understand her friends before condemning them.
Jamie scowled. "I hate Ruth," she muttered angrily.
"You do?" said Jamie's mother, surprised. About an hour ago Jamie and Ruth had been best friends. "What happened?" she added.
Jamie's eyes filled with tears. Wordlessly, she took her mother's hand and led her out into the back garden. Jamie's mum gasped with horror. There on the back lawn was Frisky, lying on his back with his little paws in air. Jamie's mum quickly bent down and gently picked up the tiny hamster. He was still warm but very stiff, and Jamie's mum knew he was dead.
"What happened?" she asked again.
"It was all Ruth's fault," Jamie began. "We were playing with Frisky in his cage, but Ruth started being silly. She kept tapping on the top of the cage, and Frisky nearly went mad. He kept jumping up and clinging on to the wires with his teeth. I told Ruth to stop, but she wouldn't. She thought it was funny. Then Frisky got stuck there, hanging by his teeth and I couldn't get him off. When he fell down at last, he never moved again. I took him out of the cage and tried to warm him up, but he's dead isn't he?"
Jamie's mum nodded. "I'm afraid he is, Jamie," she said. "And it was very wrong of Ruth to be so silly. But you know, she doesn't have any pets of her own. Perhaps she doesn't know that hamsters are quite delicate creatures, and have to be looked after very gently."
"I don't care!" shouted Jamie, quite forgetting she too had laughed at the little hamster's antics. "She killed my hamster. She's a murderer and I hate her."
"Well now, Jamie," said her mother quietly, "Frisky was quite old for a hamster. I'm not sure that Ruth did kill him. Perhaps he would have died anyway. Perhaps it was time for him to go. Anyway, Ruth didn't mean to hurt him, I'm sure of that. She just didn't know any better. Couldn't you forgive her?"
Jamie shook her head. "Why should I?" she asked. "I don't care about her. I hate her and I'm never going to speak to her again."
And she didn't, even though Ruth said how sorry she was. What's more, Jamie told the whole school about Ruth's actions, and all the children turned against Ruth. It wasn't long before nobody at all would speak to Ruth. Ruth grew very miserable and very sad and she became very thin. Jamie was glad her former friend was hurting. She thought it served her right.
But after a long time, Jamie wasn't glad any more. Ruth was growing thinner and thinner, and seemed very unhappy. And Ruth had been Jamie's best friend, and Jamie missed her. Nobody else was quite like Ruth, and Jamie found she didn't want any other friends. Secretly, in her heart of hearts, she longed to make it up with Ruth, but it was difficult now she'd been so nasty. And it was even more difficult because she'd told everybody she would never speak to Ruth again.
One day when Jamie came home from school, her mother was looking very serious. "I have some bad news for you, Jamie," she said. "I'm afraid Ruth is very ill. She has a wasting sickness, and the doctors don't know what's causing it."
Jamie was horrified. Ruth was her best friend, and now she was terribly poorly. "She won't die, will she?" Jamie whispered.
Jamie's mother hesitated. "I don't know," she answered truthfully. "Would you like to go and see her?"
Without a second thought, Jamie nodded, although she felt rather scared. Perhaps Ruth would refuse to see her. Perhaps Ruth hated her as much as she had thought she hated Ruth.
But when she arrived, a huge smile lit up Ruth's face and she welcomed her friend back. After that, Jamie went round every day, and Ruth began to get slowly better. But Jamie felt ashamed, and for the rest of her life wondered whether she had caused Ruth's illness by her bad behaviour. She prayed a little prayer to God to help her become a more forgiving person in future, and promised herself that in future, she'd always try to understand her friends before condemning them.
