The Grumpy Old Man
Once upon a time, in the city of Mohawk, there lived an old man named Mr. Ray. Contrary to his name, there was no ray of sunshine in his demeanor. He complained about even the smallest things and blamed everyone but himself for the wrongs in his life.
The Noise of His Neighbor
One day, as Mr. Ray was leaving his house to take a walk in the park, he heard his neighbor, the old Mrs. Kyle, screaming and yelling at her dog:
"Why are you not letting me do my work? Let me clean the house, will you stop it?"
The constant racket disturbed him so much that he muttered, "I can't even sleep at night with your noise." He grumbled as he left for the park.
A Frustrating Encounter at the Park
At the park, he took his favorite bench and pulled out his newspaper. "Finally, peace," he thought. But before he could settle in, a small boy named Tim approached him.
"Excuse me, sir. Would you be kind enough to buy some cookies from me?"
Mr. Ray, already irritated, replied, "Listen to me, boy. I'm having a very bad day. Please don't make it worse."
The boy pleaded, "Just one box, please."
"I don't want a single cookie! Get out of here!" Mr. Ray snapped, and the boy ran off.
A Surprising Encounter with Angie
Grumbling under his breath, Mr. Ray walked to the fountain. As he sat there, he sighed, "Why aren't there more people like me? Why do all of them have to be so annoying?" Just then, a young man dressed in white emerged from behind the fountain.
"Calm down, Mr. Ray. I'm here to help you," the young man said.
"Who are you, and how do you know my name?" Mr. Ray asked, suspicious.
"I am the Angel of Realization. You can call me Angie," the angel responded.
"Are you from the neighboring drama company? Get out of my sight!" Mr. Ray yelled.
But to prove his identity, Angie snapped his fingers, and a pair of beautiful silver boots appeared out of thin air.
"Oh my, you are an angel," Mr. Ray said, startled.
The Gift of the Magical Boots
Angie explained, "Take these boots. Whenever you are angry with someone and wish they acted wiser, wear them. They will take you into that person’s life, and you’ll experience things from their perspective. If you act wisely, you’ll be rewarded with gold, silver, and diamonds."
Tempted by the offer of gold and jewels, Mr. Ray eagerly accepted.
"But remember," Angie warned, "If at any point you realize you were at fault, the boots will bring you back."
“I am never at fault,” Mr. Ray thought, brushing aside the warning.
The First Lesson with Mrs. Kyle
The next day, as Mr. Ray heard Mrs. Kyle screaming at her dog again, he was filled with anger. Remembering the boots, he quickly put them on. The moment he tied the last lace, he found himself in Mrs. Kyle’s house.
"This thing actually works!" he exclaimed.
Inside, the dog was playing with Mrs. Kyle, causing her to drop a bowl of beans. She screamed again, and Mr. Ray felt a sense of déjà vu. Suddenly, he heard his own voice from next door: "Will you stop it, old woman? Always screaming and shouting, I can't even sleep at night with your constant racket!"
The realization hit him hard. He was doing the exact same thing she was. The boots whisked him back to his own house, and tears welled up in his eyes. "No, no. I can’t be wrong," he muttered, wiping his tears.
Understanding the Boy's Struggles
Determined to make things right, Mr. Ray left his house again and went to the park. There, he found Tim again selling cookies. This time, when Tim asked, "Excuse me, sir. Please buy a box of cookies today," Mr. Ray snapped, "I don’t want it."
Before he knew it, he was in Tim’s shoes, lying in bed with a sickly woman asking him to go sell the cookies to pay the landlord. The realization struck him like a lightning bolt. He was wrong. His tears flowed as he wished he could take it all back.
Making Amends with Tim
Tim walked away, head down, and Mr. Ray ran after him. He called, "Hey, little fella, wait!" Mr. Ray caught up with Tim, hugged him, and said, "I'm so sorry, little fella."
"It’s alright. You don’t like cookies," Tim replied.
"Oh bollocks, I love cookies!" Mr. Ray laughed, "Give me all you have, and I’ll pay you for all the cookies you can make for the entire month!"
Tim kissed him on the cheek and handed him the cookies.
Apologizing to Mrs. Kyle
Mr. Ray then went to Mrs. Kyle’s house and gave her the cookies as a gesture of apology.
"What was the need for all this?" Mrs. Kyle asked, surprised.
"Well," Mr. Ray replied, "Let’s just say I haven’t been a very good neighbor. This is my way of saying sorry."
"You are too kind, Ray," Mrs. Kyle said, smiling warmly.
For More Interesting, You Can Read This Story About: The Old Man and His Money: A Timeless Moral Story for Kids.