The Glass in the Road [short story]

Title

Creator

Canova, B. Hill

Language

English

Source

The Young Citizen : magazine for young people 3 (8) September 1937

244-245

Year

1937

Subject

Short stories

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

244 THE YOUNG CITIZEN September, 1937 CHARACTER EDUCATION SECTION Glass In The Road By B. HILL CANOVA MISS ABELLO · lived a good distance from the barrio where she taught. She was glad of this because she enjoyed the walk to school in the mornings. She liked to watch the growth of the rice fields from week to week. It was interesting to pass the same banana tree every morning and study the ripening fruit. The sunshine and cool breeze seemed to give her an appreciation of the world about her. One morning as she went along the road, thinking what pleasant day it was, she noticed three of her pupils a short distance ahead of her. The three boys, Andres, Vicente, and Tomas, were talking and laughing. Suddenly she saw Vicente pick something up from the road and place it by a fence post. The other two boys went on and Vicente soon overtook them. Miss Abello wondered what he had put by the post. When the bell rang and the children marched into the school room Miss Abello greeted them with, "Good morning, children. Isn't this a wonderful day?" "Good morning, Miss Abello," the children replied, "Yes, it is a nice day." · "Suppose," suggested Miss Abello, "that we each tell what we saw on the way to school and we will know who had the most interesting walk to school." The children liked the idea and Luz offered to be the first to tell what she had seen. "Very well, Luz, you may talk first. Tell us what you saw that interested you." "I saw my auntie and her little baby. 'fhey were going to our house to see my mother. I hope they will stay at our house until I get home this afternoon." "I hope they do too," said Miss Abella. "Pedro what did you see?" "I saw some people taking some chickens and eggs to the market. I told September, 1fJ81 THE YOUNG CITIZEN 245 them that my mother wanted to buy some eggs today and told them how to find our house." "That is good. Perhaps you helped the people and your mother too." Jose was anxious to tell of what he had seen. "I saw our neighbors harvesting their rice. As soon as I get home from school this afternoon I am going to help them. We get a share of all we gather." Several of the children told of intere8ting things. that had happened during their walk to school. Miss Abello asked, "Vicente what did you see?" "A broken bottle," was Vicente's brief reply. Some of the children laughed and wondered what could be interesting about a broken bottle .. "Just how did the broken bottle interest you?" asked Miss Abello. "It frightened me." "You do not mean that you are afraid of a broken bottle?" Some of the children smiled again at Vicente's answer. "No, Miss Abello, I am not afraid of a broken bottle, but it frightened me to see it in the road because I thought of what harm it could do. If some one without shoes should step on it they might get a serious injury from it. Also a horse or carabao could be badly hurt by it. Too, a piece of glass could ruin the tire of a car and cause an accident." Miss Abello and all of the children, except Tomas, listened gravely at what Vicente had said. Tomas still smiled and said, "I always wear shoes when I walk on the road and we have no car. I saw the bottle but did not see why I should bother to move it." Vicente stood up quickly and asked permission to talk again. Miss Abello nodded permission. He turned toward Tomas and explained, "Some of your friends have cars. Many of the poor people have to walk on the road without shoes. Many animals have to pass the road. Do you care nothing for your friends, the poor people or the faithful animals?" "Oh, I did not think of all of that. I saw you move the bottle, ·but I did not think why you did it. I am sorry I laughed at what you said. You are more thoughtful than I." "It seems to me," said Miss Abello, "that Vicente has taught us a very fine lesson this morning. In fact, I think he has given us two lessons,-one in thoughtfulness and one in safety."

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