The Treasure

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was 

almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout 

stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white 

pearls in a pink foil box. 

"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, 

please!" 

Quickly, the mother checked the back of the little 

foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue 

eyes of her little girl's upturned face. "A dollar 

ninety-five. That's almost $2. If you really want 

them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in 

no time you can save enough money to buy them for 

yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you 

might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma.

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny 

bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she 

did more than her share of chores and she went to 

the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could 

pick dandelions for ten cents.

On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new 

dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the 

necklace. Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel 

dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere- 

Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time 

she took them off was when she went swimming or had 

a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might 

turn her neck green. 

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when 

she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was 

doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night 

when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you 

love me?" 

"Oh, yes, Daddy. You know that I love you." 

"Then give me your pearls." 

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess- 

the white horse from my collection. The one with the 

pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's

my favorite." 

"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." 

And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy 

asked again, "Do you love me?" 

"Daddy, you know I love you." 

"Then give me your pearls." 

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby 

doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so 

beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that 

matches her slippers." 

"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy 

loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a 

gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was 

sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As 

he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and 

one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?" 

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up 

to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her 

little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally 

said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy 

reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, 

and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and 

pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine 

pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. 

He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store 

stuff so he could give her genuine treasure. 

~by Alice Gray~ 

Designed by 

Stella