Pearl was poor but hard-working. Every day, she used a simple wooden spade to help the village. One morning by the river, the wooden spade slipped from her hand and splashed into the deep water.
Pearl sat down on the bank and sighed. It was her only one. Suddenly, the water swirled, and Dot the dragon rose from the waves, shining. ‘Why are you sad?’ she asked.
When Pearl explained, Dot dived down and came up with a golden spade. ‘Is this yours?’ Pearl shook her head. ‘No, mine was plain.’ Dot dived again and came up with another. ‘No,’ said Pearl, ‘it was wooden.’
The third time, Dot brought up the wooden spade. ‘That’s mine!’ said Pearl, delighted. Dot smiled. ‘You told the truth three times, even when you could have lied. For that, you shall have all three.’
Pearl went home with the wooden spade and the shiny gifts. She shared them with the village. And everyone said, ‘Honesty is the finest treasure of all.’
The little lesson
Honesty is always the best treasure.
Let’s talk about it
- Why was it hard to tell the truth?
- What reward did Pearl get?
Finish stories to collect Pearl as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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