The Broken Pearls

Mrs. Johnson was getting dressed to go to a special meeting and as she put on her pearls. They broke and fell to the floor, going everywhere. She fell to her knees and as she was picking them up she began to cry. Maggie went over to her Mom and said, "I will help you, it will be okay". Her Mother said, "darling you don't understand, these pearls belonged to my Mother and her Mother gave them to her". Maggie helped her Mom find all the precious pearls and Mrs. Johnson placed them in a small jar and put them on her dresser.

Maggie and her brother Jeff were sitting at the table counting their change, it was Moms birthday and they were trying to figure out what to get her. "How much do you have Jeff? asked Maggie. I have a dollar and sixty nine cents and then Maggie said "I have three dollars, that won't get Mom something nice, we have to think of something." Jeff said "Maggie give me some candy and I can think better." Maggie hated to give him candy he always got it all over him, but he was so sweet, he was only 5 years old.

Maggie sat there, her little heart broken and then all of a sudden she thought,' the pearls, if I can get the pearls fixed for Mom she would be so happy'. Maggie told little Jeff to find some thread and she went to the sewing kit and got a needle. She went to the dresser and got the pearls out, she took her time and counted every one to make sure she had them all. As she finished, Jeff said "Maggie, can I see ?"and he reached for them. "Oh no she said look what you have done honey, you got chocolate all over them.

Maggie went to the sink to wash them off and all of a sudden they dropped from her fingers and went down the sink, she started to cry. About that time Aunt Lilly came in and said, "honey, what's the matter ? " "I dropped Moms pearls down the sink, I just got them finished for her birthday and was washing them off and they went down the sink." "Don't cry" she said "I'll call a plumber and he'll get them for you." Aunt Lilly got on the phone and called and the plumber came right away and took the pipe loose and got the pearls out.

Maggie laid them in the window to dry and as she walked a way a Robin came and picked them up and as he did he flew over the big tree in the back yard and dropped them on a branch. "Oh no," cried Maggie, "what is it?" Aunt Lilly said, "Look in the tree, the robin dropped them in a tree. Don't worry Uncle Tom is coming over he will get them for you and this time please put them in a safe place". Uncle Tom placed a big ladder up to the tree and got the pearls for Maggie. As he was coming down the ladder he dropped the pearls and Jenks the dog next door came running and grabbed them and took them to his dog house thinking they were something to play with.

Jeff took off running, "bad doggie, bad doggie" he kept saying. Poor Jenks put his head down and let go of the pearls. Maggie took them right then and placed them in a small box with a piece of black velvet in it. She thought 'I think it would have been easier to just go buy her something,' but she knew how much her Mom loved those pearls. She wrapped the box in beautiful paper and hid it for the special day.

The day came and Dad had gotten a beautiful cake and they were all gathered around the table and then Maggie pulled out the present for her Mom. Mrs. Johnson looked at it and then she opened the little box, she began to cry, it was the most beautiful present she could have ever gotten. "Oh my darling" she said, this is so nice. "How did you do this?" Maggie said "Oh it wasn't any trouble Mom". Uncle Tom and Aunt Lilly just looked at each other and smiled.

There are pictures of Mom and her pearls in Amanda's Photo Album Page 4