Thrifty Maria [short story]

Title

Language

English

Year

1937

Subject

Short stories, Philippine (English)

Philippine fiction (English)

Thriftiness.

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

The teacher gave assignment to her students, which is to share their own thrifty ways. When the day of sharing came the teacher noticed that there is something lacking from their stories, then she asked Maria about her own thrifty way. There, the teacher found what she meant by being thrifty even though you cannot save a centavo.

Fulltext

332 THE YOUNG CITIZEN Janua,.y, 1937 "THIS is 'Thrift Week,' " the teacher announced, "and I want you to tell me on Friday how you tried to save money to help your pa!ents." The children told their.mothers about the habits of thrift they wanted to form. "We shall save our centavos throughout the yea.r," they said. When Friday came, the teacher asked the pupils to tell in what way they had saved money for their parents. "I deposited a centavo every day in my little bank," Mario announced proudly. · "Where did you get the centavo?" the teacher asked. "From·my father," was the prompt reply. "I helped my mother clean the house so that she will not have to hire a maid," reported Nora. "That is fine," the teacher said. "Children," she continued, "you can be thrifty even though you cannot save centavos. Is there anybody who has been thrifty in a different way?" No hand was raised. Maria, whose parents were very poor, looked at the teacher as if she had something to say, but she kept her hands on the desk. READING TIME FOR ·. Thrifty Maria "Maria, I am sure you have something interesting to tell us. Let us hear it," the teacher urged. Maria rose and began slowly; "I have no centavos to save. My mother cannot afford to give me any. When I reach home, I take off my school dress at qnce. I put on my house dress and help my mother with the washing. When there is a tear, I darn it immediately so that it will not grow larger. My school .dress lasts a week." "And yet your dress is still clean at the end of the week," the teacher remarked. "What else do you do?-" she urged. "I do not drag my wooden shoes. A pair lasts three months," Maria concluded. ''That is what I mean by being thrifty even though you cannot save centavos," the teacher explained. The Kitten That "Meow! Meow!" cried the little kitten. "Why are you crying? You have just had your supper. Go to bed," ordered Mother Cat. "Meow! I want some meat! Meow!" "If you want some, you must catch a ·

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