That Doesn’t Seem Fair.

Wee 1 was planning on running a race, but he was small. He was also a determined little bear and an extremely good sport. He listened to Georgia the giraffe’s stories and had learned that manners and niceness were the way to behave. He was sure that all the other runners would feel the same. He wanted to have fun with his friends.

The day of the race came, and Wee 1 was lined up! He was running against Jefferson, Cookie (who was not allowed to fly) and Dog. Wee 1 was aware that Jefferson and Dog would do that thing called “trash talk,” and according to Georgia, this practice was allowed in moderation.

As he approached the starting line, he noticed a new member of their group. He introduced himself to Fred, who started in right away on the trash talk.

“You think you can run on those short legs?” Fred asked.

Wee 1 was a little confused because his legs were in perfect proportion to his body. Still, he thought this was all in fun, but maybe a little too personal. He would have to ask Georgia when he got to the finish line.

They were asked to line up. Wee 1 was in the middle, between Jefferson and Cookie. When they were told, “On your mark, get set, GO!” Wee 1 was off and running and doing very well on his legs that fit him perfectly.

When he was starting to think,j ust perhaps, he had a chance of winning. Fred reached out and pulled him back. Wee 1 was so startled that he tripped and fell. Oh no! This seemed to be a disaster! Then a surprising thing happened.

It is here, dear reader, that I will interject: Why are we so surprised when kindness happens? OK, back to the race.

When Jefferson became aware of the fall, he turned so fast that he became a blur. He stopped next to Wee 1 to help him stand, which wrecked his own chances of winning the race. Jefferson was furious because Fred had been unfair and Wee1 was puzzled over why Fred had broken the rules.

The race was over, and of course Fred had won. He was practically running victory laps when he became aware of the quiet around him. This victory wasn’t really his. He had not been fair to get his win, and everyone knew it.

The right thing to do was to give up the trophy, but he didn’t want to. Fortunately, his inner voice was quite loud and very insistent. It said, “You are not going to enjoy this trophy because every time you see it, you will be reminded of how you got it.”

To be truthful, he could ignore the inner voice, but he really didn’t want to be known as a cheat, even to himself. He stopped gloating, turned to poor Wee 1, and hung his head.

“I’m sorry that I played unfairly,” Fred said. “Can you forgive me? You can have the trophy.”

Wee 1 accepted the apology and the trophy, then promptly turned to Jefferson and said, “You would have won the race, and you lost because you helped me. I want you to have the trophy.”

He looked at the other runners, and they nodded. Jefferson was fun to try to beat, but no one ever did.

It was then that another surprising thing happened. That Jefferson… was full of surprises. He looked at Fred, who was hanging his furry dog head in shame.

“That was a very brave thing to do, Fred. Admitting that you were unfair and making it right is a very difficult thing to do. Please take the trophy, not for coming in first, but for doing the right and fair thing.”

Fred knew one thing for sure, when he looked at this trophy, he would be reminded of this day and the friends he made.