The Bracelet Read online

  The Bracelet

  Adapted from a story by Elizabeth Ballard

  Illustrations by Miriam de Rosier

  The Bracelet

  Digital Edition v1.0

  Text © 2003 Elizabeth Ballard

  Illustrations © 2003 Miriam de Rosier

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.

  “The Special Story of Miss Thompson,” is found in Who Switched the Price Tags? (pp. 69–72), by Tony Campolo. Dallas, Texas, et al: Word Publishing, 1986. Used with permission.

  Gibbs Smith, Publisher

  PO Box 667

  Layton, UT 84041

  Orders: 1.800.835.4993

  www.gibbs-smith.com

  ISBN: 978-1-4236-1433-3

  The Bracelet

  Table of Contents

  The Bracelet

  The Bracelet

  On the first day of school, Jean Thompson told her students, “Boys and girls, I love you all the same. I have no favorites.”

  Of course, she wasn’t being completely truthful. Teachers do have favorites and, what is worse, most teachers have students that they just don’t like.

  Teddy Stallard was a boy that Miss Thompson just didn’t like. He didn’t seem interested in school. There was a deadpan, blank expression on his face and his eyes had a glassy, unfocused appearance. When she spoke to Teddy, he always answered in monosyllables. His clothes were musty and his hair was unkempt. He wasn’t an attractive boy and he certainly wasn’t likable.

  Teachers have records. And Jean Thompson had Teddy’s.

  “First grade: Teddy shows promise with his work and attitude, but poor home situation.”

  “Second grade: Teddy could do better. Mother is seriously ill. He receives little help at home.”

  “Third grade: Teddy is a good boy, but too serious. He is a slow learner. His mother died this year.”

  “Fourth grade: Teddy is very slow, but well behaved. His father shows no interest.”

  Christmas came, and the boys and girls brought their presents and piled them on Miss Thompson’s desk. They were all in brightly colored paper except for Teddy’s. His was wrapped in brown paper, held together with Scotch tape. On the paper he had written the simple words, “For Miss Thompson from Teddy.”

  When she opened Teddy’s present, out fell a gaudy rhinestone bracelet, with half the stones missing, and a bottle of cheap perfume.

  When the other boys and girls began to giggle, Miss Thompson had enough sense to silence them by immediately putting on the bracelet and putting some of the perfume on her wrist. Holding her wrist up for the other children to smell, she said, “Doesn’t it smell lovely? Isn’t the bracelet pretty?” And the children, taking their cue from the teacher, readily agreed.

  At the end of the day, when all the children had left, Teddy lingered, came over to her desk and said, “Miss Thompson, you smell just like my mother. And her bracelet looks real pretty on you too. I’m glad you liked my presents.”

  When Teddy left, Miss Thompson got down on her knees and asked God to forgive her.

  The next day when the children came, Jean Thompson was a different teacher. She helped all the children, but especially the slow ones, and especially Teddy Stallard.

  By the end of that school year, Teddy showed dramatic improvement. He had caught up with most of the students and was even ahead of some.

  She didn’t hear from Teddy for a long time. Then one day, she received a note that read:

  Dear Miss Thompson:

  I wanted you to be the first to know. I will be graduating second in my high school class.

  Love,

  Teddy Stallard

  Four years later, another note came:

  Dear Miss Thompson:

  They just told me I will be graduating first in my class. I wanted you to be the first to know. The university has not been easy, but I liked it.

  Love,

  Teddy Stallard

  And, four years later:

  Dear Miss Thompson:

  As of today, I am Theodore J. Stallard, M.D. How about that? I wanted you to be the first to know. I am getting married next month, the 27th to be exact. I want you to come and sit where my mother would sit if she were alive. You are the only family I have now; Dad died last year.

  Love,

  Teddy Stallard

  Miss Thompson went to that wedding and sat where Teddy’s mother would have sat. She deserved to sit there; she had done something for Teddy that he could never forget.

 

 

  Miriam Willard, The Bracelet

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