Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The Shared Cake Never Runs Out - By Dandy Ahuruonye © 2000 - 2015


The Shared Cake Never Runs Out

“Muri it is time for breakfast”! Yes Mum, I'm coming down now. “Please sit here”. Yes Mum. “Here is your bowl of cereal, and this is your apple - please be good and eat your fruit with the breakfast”. Thank you Mummy. “I am going up to the bathroom now; when you finish please come upstairs to have your bath and get ready for school?”.

Muri finished his breakie and ate the apple before running up to the bathroom. He had his bath and quickly put on his school uniform. "Mummy I am ready". “Oh, you have been such a good boy this morning. Right, let’s go then. Do you have your school bag and all the items you need?” "Yes Mum, I have everything".

At school Muri listened as the teacher taught the class, he also asked questions when he did not understand what the teacher said. He obeyed when the teacher asked him to help clean the classroom, and he refused to play in an area where the kids were not allowed to play. Before going home that day the teacher wrote a letter to his parents telling them what a great boy Muri had been that day.

When he arrived home Muri helped his Mum to prepare dinner and after dinner he helped do the dishes.

Because he had been a very good boy all day his mother decided to reward him with a yummy cake.

"Oh, thank you so much Mummy - I love chocolate cake". But as he was about to eat the cake, the door bell rang. Muri put his cake on a plate and placed it on the dinner table and quickly went to answer the door. He was surprised to see his friends at the door. “Muri come with us - we are going to play on the grass over there, come”. Muri told his friends that he had just finished eating his dinner and wanted to eat his desert. “Right, we can wait for you”. If so, please come in, his friends sat down and watched as he began to eat the chocolate cake. His friend wanted him to share the cake but Muri was not sharing.

One of his friends asked him for a piece cake but he refused - he was enjoying the cake so much. A friend told him that if he shared and gave him a piece the cake will get bigger and then there will be more than enough for him and for all of them.

"Are you sure"? “Yes - when you share, you increase what you have - try it”. Muri then gave him a piece of cake but nothing happened. He also gave a piece to the rest of his friends, by now there was just a tiny piece of cake left on the plate.  Muri looked at his friends as if to say - see - all my cake has gone.

When he looked again at the plate he noticed there was a large chocolate cake on the plate. As he was not very sure, he poked the cake with his finger to confirm it was a cake. He began to share the cake out and as he removed a piece to give to his friends that piece was immediately replaced by another piece, so that the cake on the plate just didn't run out.  As Muri shared the cake, he noticed there were more cake on the plate.

After the boys had had enough cake, they went outside to play with other friends.

After the play Muri came home to check the plate and found that there was a tiny slice of cake left. He felt bad that he did not give any to his Mum or Dad - so he gave the small slice to his Mum.

As soon as he handed it to her he noticed that there was now a large chocolate cake on the plate. The next day he took the cake to school and shared it among his schoolmates. Each time he gave out a slice, that slice was replaced by another slice. From that day on - Muri shared everything he had because he now knew that he would get more by sharing.  He also realised he was happier when he shard what he had than when he kept things for himself alone.

His friends also learned that they would be rewarded by sharing what they had, therefore all the kids at this school began to share their lunches and their food because they would get more by giving more - So the only cakes you are able to keep are the ones you gave away!

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