Spiritual Stories for Children: Don't be SelfishWhat Goes Around ComesAround

A couple, whom we shall call John and Mary, had a nice home and two
lovelychildren, a boy and a girl.John had a good job and had just been
asked to go on a business trip to another city and would be gone for
several days. It was decided that Mary needed an outing and would go
along too. Theyhired a reliable woman to care for the children and
made the trip, returning home a little earlier than they had planned.
As they drove into their home town feeling glad to be back, they
noticed smoke, and they went offtheir usual route to see what it was.
They found a home in flames. Mary said, "Oh well it isn't our fire,
let's go home."
But John drove closer and exclaimed, "That home belongs to Fred Jones
who works at the plant. He wouldn't be off work yet, maybe there is
something we could do." "It has nothing to do with us." Protested
Mary. "You have your good clothes on lets not get any closer."
But John drove up and stopped and they were both horror stricken to
see the whole house in flames. A woman on the lawn was in hysterics
screaming, "The children!Get the children!" John grabbed her by the
shoulder saying, "Get a hold of yourself and tell us where the
children are!" "In the basement," sobbed the woman, "down the hall and
to the left."
In spite of Mary's protestsJohn grabbed the water hose and soaked his
clothes, put his wet handkerchief on his headand bolted for the
basement which was full of smoke and scorching hot. He found the door
and grabbed two children, holding one under each arm like the football
player he was. Ashe left he could hear some more whimpering. He
delivered the two badly frightened and nearly suffocated children into
waiting arms and filled his lungs with fresh air and startedback
asking how many more children were down there. They told him two more
and Mary grabbed his arm and screamed, "John! Don't go back! It's
suicide! That house will cave in any second!"
But he shook her off and went back by feeling his way down the smoke
filled hallway and into the room. It seemed an eternity before he
found both children and startedback. They were all three coughing and
he stoopedlow to get what availableair he could. As he stumbled up the
endless steps the thought went through his mind that there was
something strangely familiar about the little bodies clinging to him,
and at last when they came out into the sunlight and fresh air, he
found that he had just rescued his own children.
The baby-sitter had left them at this home while she did some shopping.