David, who was twelve years old, had been saving money for months to buy the shoes of his dreams. He didn’t know it yet, but his life was about to change in a big way. David made friends with a classmate named Guillermo on the bus ride home from school every day. Guillermo admired David’s soccer skills and wanted to be like him.
As they talked on the bus, David was very excited to tell them he was going to buy new shoes. But David’s heart melted when Guillermo’s torn shoe fell off, showing the worn-out bottom. He could not stand the thought of his friend being like that while walking around.
David gave up on his dream sneakers and got Guillermo a pair of comfortable boots instead. This act of kindness was seen by many. The owner of the shoe shop, Mr. Manning, was moved by David’s kindness and chose to give him a reward.
Next day, Mr. Manning brought a truck full of shoes to David’s house. He gave David and his family free shoes, and he also did the same for Guillermo and his family. David was thrilled and thankful for the gift.
David’s mom was so proud when she saw that her son’s good heart was being found. Not only did David’s act of kindness change Guillermo’s life, it also made other people want to do the same.
As David looked at the truck full of shoes, he understood that small acts of kindness can sometimes bring the biggest rewards. His story is a good lesson that little things we do can have a big effect on the people around us.
David’s friendship with Guillermo grew stronger, and the two of them kept helping each other. The nice thing David did set off a chain reaction that made other people want to show love and kindness. “Always help the needy whenever you can,” David’s mother used to say. That was a good lesson that David learned. He would remember it all his life.