Poor Old Man Living in Abandoned Car Collects Broken Dolls, One Day Little Girl Approaches Him – Story of the Day

A little girl named Tina decided to approach a poor old man until the broken dolls at the back of his car frightened her. She ran home to let her mom know, only to find out that her mother actually knew the old man.

Tina was a 10-year-old girl who often walked around the neighborhood with her friends. One morning, they decided to turn to a street that they'd never played in before, near where Tina's house was.

While on that street, they saw an old homeless man getting out of an abandoned car. One of the girls suddenly whispered, "My mom warned me about him. She said that he's a bad man who's been living in that abandoned car. Nobody loves him, and everyone stays away because they know he's bad."

As the man walked towards them, all the children decided to run away, except Tina. She waited until the man walked closer to see what he would do. When he reached her, he gave her an apple. "Thank you," she said shyly.

"Wait here," the old man said as he walked back towards his car. Tina walked closer to where he was until she saw the curtain fall from the back window. The back of his car was filled with old, broken dolls.

Frightened, she ran away. The man tried to run after her, but she hurried home and closed the door. "What's wrong, Tina?" her mom asked as soon as she slammed the door.

"The homeless man from the other street was running after me," she said, still trying to catch her breath.

Her mother, Patricia, was furious. She walked outside the house and screamed at the man from across the street. "Stop scaring my daughter. Stay away!" she told him.

The following day, Tina went outside to walk with her friends. Before leaving, she noticed a lovely doll on their doorstep. It was painted and wearing beautiful hand-stitched clothing.

"Where'd you get that?" Patricia asked her, surprised.

"I just found it on our doorstep," Tina told her mom, who rushed upstairs after to get something. She came back down with a similar doll.

"Come on," her mom said, taking her hand before walking with her outside. Tina was surprised when her mother steered them towards the direction of the abandoned car that the homeless man lived in. "It's you who made these, right?" Patricia asked him, showing him the dolls.

The homeless man nodded. "Yes, I made those," he admitted.

Patricia smiled apologetically. "Please, have dinner with us at home," she invited the man over. He almost refused, but Patricia insisted.

"I'm sorry I didn't recognize you right away," Patricia apologized after setting food on their table. "It was you bringing dolls to the orphanage where I grew up," she told the man.

"I still bring dolls there up until today. I still find old broken dolls to repair and paint, and I donate them to orphanages. Sometimes, toy stores with damaged dolls allow me to take the dolls they're about to throw away," the man, who introduced himself as Patrick, shared. He then took the doll Patricia's mom kept on the counter.

"I remember this doll. It's one of the best I've ever done. You were the little girl who treated me to a sandwich by the orphanage fence, right? And then I gave you that doll," he recalled.

"This is the only doll I've ever owned, and of course, it's my favorite toy. I couldn't let go of it, so I've always kept it with me," Patricia said, tears filling her eyes. "It's been my companion ever since."

When Tina's dad, Adam, arrived, his wife told him the homeless man's story. He was immediately impressed with Patrick's kindness and devotion to spreading happiness to children in orphanages, so he offered him an opportunity to start a small business.

"Would you like to start a toy repair shop? I'd be happy to help you put it up and give you the capital to start it," Adam proposed.

Patrick was delighted. It was the first time someone's ever offered to help him start anew. Although he was ashamed, he took the offer and promised he'd continue his good work donating to orphanages.

Adam rented a small workshop for Patrick nearby and gave him money for tools and equipment. He lived in the workshop until he managed to earn enough money to rent a small room.

Parents from all over town would visit his workshop to have their children's toys fixed. He would also sell dolls he'd repair, and little girls loved them. In the end, he was able to rent the workshop himself and live a more comfortable life.

Patrick was very grateful to Patricia, Adam, and Tina. They remained close to one another through the years, and the family would invite him over on special occasions.

Tina also taught her friends not to be quick to judge, as Patrick turned out to be a kind and generous man. In the end, they would all visit Patrick's shop and speak to him about toys and his passion for designing and repairing.

What can we learn from this story?

• We should not be quick to judge. The children in town quickly judged the homeless man because of what they heard about him. But he turned out to be a kind and generous man who liked to spread happiness to people in orphanages.
• Your kindness will always come back to you in ways you'd never expect. After Patricia realized that Patrick was the one who gave her the doll she treasured, she wanted to give back to him, and her husband helped her make that happen.

Share this story with your loved ones. It might inspire them and make their day.

If you liked this story, you might like this one about a young man who handed his poor widowed mom a box, claiming his father gave it to him before he died.

This account is inspired by our reader's story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.