Lishell the Taker

Fully Help is a 13 year old girl from Gardenville. On her bedroom wall is a plaque that says: "When you help me, I cannot resist helping you back." Against her parents' wishes, Fully remains close friends with Lishell Sporenks, a girl from Garbageville whose the same age as Fully. But Lishell has very different ideas of what is right and fair. In fact, she never thinks about it; which is one of the reasons why she's a garbage girl and not a garden girl.

One April day Lishell asked Fully if she could borrow her beautiful never yet worn silver ball gown to wear to a sock hop she wanted to attend. Lishell cried saying she had nothing to wear. And she wouldn't be able to go to the sock hop unless Fully loaned her the gown. What she didn't tell Fully was she wanted all the other girls to suffer envy and jealousy when they saw her wear the most impressive gown of any girl there. Fully being soft hearted and generous and some would say gullible, said, "Of course you may borrow the gown. Just promise me you'll take good care of it." "Oh yea, yea, sure, sure," said Lishell grabbing the gown and racing out the door before Fully changed her mind.

After the dance, Fully had to remind Lishell seven times to return her dress. Finally one Saturday, she returned Fully's dress but only because she wanted to borrow a pair of Fully's shoes, the shiny black patent leather ones that Fully'd only wore once. Fully was so stunned at the condition of her silver dress - it was no longer shiny. It appeared to have been soaked in tomato sauce or strawberry soda. She didn't know why her dress was ruined, Lishell only shrugged her shoulders when Fully asked her, "What happened to my beautiful dress?" But Lishell was too busy trying on Fully's shoes to notice that Fully was upset and crying.

"Lishell, are you going to have my dress cleaned? Mother bought it for me to wear to the Summer Gardeners Party."

Lishell said, "I can't. I don't have the time." Then she grabbed Fully's shoes and ran out the door, like a thief in the night. This wrong behavior by Lishell had happened many times before. But no matter how often Fully was wronged by Lishell, she just kept making excuses for her: "She's just a poor uneducated garbage person; no one told her she should be good and fair." Or Fully would think: One day Lishell will read the sign on my wall and start being fair with me. One day. Fully's parents who have lived long enough and experienced enough to be wise tried to help Fully see that if Lishell wanted to be fair, she'd be on her way to becoming a Garden person. She's told you she likes Garbageville. She likes being a part of that place.

THINK AND EXPRESS TIME CHILDREN! Ned a young inhabitant of Gardenville thinks Fully should smack Lishell to stop her from mistreating her. He also thinks Fully should never allow Lishell in her parents' home ever again. DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE? WHY?

Randolph thinks Fully should write Lishell a letter naming all the times she was blatantly and hardheartedly unfair to her. He thinks Fully should point out the many many kindnesses she has given Lishell. Randolph is convinced that if Lishell is faced with her wrong doings, she'll feel guilty and change her ways.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE FULLY AND HAD A FRIEND LIKE LISHELL? WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE LISHELL?

We'll explore the different values of people, good and bad, next time. Thanks for reading my words.