Another story (30th June)

Here’s another one that I read. I believe it originally is from some collection of Russian stories.

This is about a young boy called Dennis. Every evening after coming back from school he keeps his school-bag outside the closed door of his house and plays with a friend who stays close by. This is because his parents both work and little sister is put in a crèche. One day he is playing with his friend showing him the new toy car his parents got him a day before. They play with it for a while and then its time for the friend to go home. Dennis is sad as he has to spend the next few moments alone - till his parents come home with his baby sister – with only the gathering twilight for company.

His friend waits a little longer to show Dennis what he has in his school-bag. Dennis's eyes sparkle as he looks at the small match-box. Soon his friend goes home. Dennis’s parents and his sister come home to find him sitting on the stairs with the matchbox in his hand. His mother ruffles his hair affectionately and asks him about the new car. Dennis shows her the matchbox and tells her that he traded his new car for it.

His mother is astonished that her son should give away the car he so wanted for the matchbox. She leans forward to see what’s inside. As she catches sight of the small fire-fly in one corner of the matchbox her son explains "Mom, I traded because this one’s alive!"