It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. A blanket of bright, warm sunshine gilded the playground of
Jenny's local park. Spring was here and swallows were singing cheerful tunes amongst the treetops
and a cool, gentle breeze made the crunchy leaves dance along the well-trodden pathways. Jenny
was meeting her friend Anna by the Big Dipper slide at exactly two o'clock sharp. Certainly, she
didn’t want to be late and she only had two minutes left to spare! Carefully, she weaved along the
path like a snake between the other children, who were as desperate to get to the playground as she
was. She glanced nervously at her watch as she rounded the corner and the huge, silver slide came
into view. At the bottom was a tall, slim gir! with round, pink spectacles who was waiting patiently
tapping her foot. It had to be Anna: she was wearing her distinctive Minnie Mouse jumper.
“Just in time Jen! Didn't think you were coming,” Anna laughed as she gave Jenny a warm hug.
Out of the comer of her eye, Jenny spotted the five-pound note cartwheeling along the crumbling
tarmac. As quick as a flash, she stamped her foot on it trapping it in an instant under her trainer.
“Well finally a bit of luck!” Jenny beamed at Anna,
“Do you think someone has dropped it?” questioned Anna.
“Well there isn’t anyone around so finders keepers! Fancy an ice-cream?" asked Jenny.
‘Anna gave her a cheeky wink. As Jenny was walking towards the ice-cream van at the edge of the
playground, she noticed a young boy who was sitting on the bench in floods of tears. On the ground
lay the smattered ruins of his ice-cream. Jenny's heart sank in her chest. She knew just how the boy
felt: the same thing had happened to her a few weeks ago. Hungrily, she glanced up at the menu and
it said: Ice-cream £2.50 each. Without a doubt, Jenny was top of her class in maths and knew
instantly she only had enough money to buy two ice creams.
A little voice inside her head whispered, ‘You found the five-pound note why should you spend it on
someone else?”
The thought made Jenny wince with guilt. No, her mum had brought her up to think better than
that.
“Two ice-creams please,” she announced to the man behind the counter.
Cautiously, she glided over to the boy and handed him the tall, delicious ice-cream and his face lit up
immediately. Jenny realised she had made the right decision when she saw the smile on his face. As
she got back to the playground, she handed Anna the other ice-cream,
“Thanks Jen! But where's yours?” said Anna gratefully.
“That boy over there is munching on it,” Jenny laughed as she smiled into the distance.