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John and the sweetshop
When John was in Sunday Club he learned this:
"Some people try to get us to do things that are wrong. If we do not do what they want they say we are scared and that we are babies. When this happens we need to remember that God does not want us to do bad things. You are not scared because you say you will not do wrong. You are being brave."
John was at School. He noticed that a boy called Rory had lots and lots of sweets and chocolates.
"Who gave you all the sweets?" said John, "Is it your birthday?"
"No, said Rory. "Some of us got together and stole them from the tuckshop. The Grabbit twins were with me . They have great long arms and they can carry loads of sweets. We are going to steal some more today. You can come and help."
"I could not do that," said John, "It would be wrong."
"You are chicken," said Rory. You are afraid you will be caught. Look! All you need to do is to go and ask the man for some chocolate drops. He will go and look for them but he will not find any because we stole them all yesterday. While he is away looking we will steal all the other sweets in the shop. No one will know that you helped us."
"John thought, "I would like some sweets. If I do this no one will know it was me. But then he thought. No! Stealing is wrong. God does not want me to do that."
"No!" said John, "I will not help you to steal."
"You are a baby!" said Rory, "You are too scared! You are chicken."
"Chicken! Chicken! Chicken!" shouted Rory's friends.
John felt as if he was going to cry but then he remembered what he had learned in Sunday club, "You are not scared because you say you will not do wrong. You are being brave!"
When John got home his father said," Why are you looking unhappy John?"
"Some boys asked me to help them to steal some sweets from the shop and when I said 'No', they kept calling me chicken."
"Well, I am very pleased you did say no," said his father, " I have just heard what happend to those boys
They did steal the sweets and they were just going out of the shop when a policemen walked in. He had come to talk to the shop keeper about the sweets that were stolen yesterday. When they saw him they were chicken. They ran back into the shop and they were so frightened that they jumped through a very large window at the back. Three of them were cut by the glass and taken to hospital in the ambulance. I don't think they were very brave. Do you?"
"Was anyone else there?" said John.
"Yes," said his father, "The Grabbit twins were caught and taken to the police station in handcuffs.
I hope that they have all learned their lesson! "
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