Seller Sees Children Mock Poor Boy who Can`t Afford Ice Cream, Next Day Invites Boy to Store – Story of the Day

An ice cream seller feels horrible for a young boy who is mocked by other children because he cannot afford ice cream. He invites him to his store the next day, but the boy is completely unaware of the surprise the seller has in store for him.

Peter Wilkinson stood on the pavement for a long time, clutching a couple of dollar bills in his hand. In front of him was an ice cream shop, and Peter was eager to get some ice cream, but he was worried if he could afford it.

Nevertheless, the young boy approached the seller and slid the dollar bills through the glass window toward him. "Can I please have something for this? Any flavor of ice cream would do," he said.

The seller frowned. "Is that all you got on you, boy? $2?"

Peter nodded and the seller sighed. "I'm sorry, but you can't get anything for that price. Besides, it's about closing time, so come back tomorrow with enough money, alright?"

"Please, no," Peter pleaded. "I - I NEED it. Can you please get me something?"

"Look, kid, it won't be possible! Now, move," he said and shooed Peter away.

Just then, a group of boys eating ice cream began mocking Peter because he couldn't afford it. "Hey, would you like to have my ice cream? I just licked it twice. It's a great deal for just $2!"

He laughed and another boy joined in. "I don't understand why guttersnipes like him are allowed to shop in the same stores as the rest of us. Why don't you go back to your poor neighborhood and buy ice cream from a poor vendor?"

The ice-cream seller, John, noticed the boys taunting Peter, but he couldn't do anything to help him. His boss would not let him off the hook if he offered free ice cream to anyone and would scold him for it too. So he closed the store quietly and left for home.

Meanwhile, Peter's eyes welled up with tears as the kids mocked him, but he didn't retaliate. Instead, he just wiped his tears with his sleeves and ran away.

On his way home that day, John passed by an alley and coincidentally saw Peter again. But Peter wasn't alone this time. John noticed Peter with a small girl and overheard him apologize to her.

"Just come tomorrow. There's a small surprise for your little sister," he whispered.

"I'm sorry, Lincy," he said. "The money mom gave us wasn't enough for ice cream, but I promise I will get you some the next time. Your next birthday will be very grand!"

But Lincy wouldn't buy Peter's explanation. "But I really wanted the ice cream, Peter," she said, teary-eyed. "You promised me you would get it for me...."

"I'm sorry…." Peter hung his head, embarrassed. "Let's go home. Mom must be waiting for us."

As John overheard their conversation, his past flashed in front of his eyes. He remembered being in Peter's shoes as a child.

When John was a kid, his family lived hand to mouth and could barely afford one meal a day. When John told his older brother, Dylan, how hungry he was after eating that one meal, Dylan took up a part-time job at a diner to ensure John never slept hungry.

Dylan's boss back then was a nasty man who would scold and even hit him if he made a mistake, but Dylan didn't quit the job since he had promised John he would never go hungry again.

When John saw those two kids and realized how similar their circumstances were to his, he couldn't fight back the tears. He had to help them! So he wiped his tears, took a deep breath, and approached the children.

"Oh, it's you!" he exclaimed as he approached them, pretending he had met them by chance. "Aren't you the same boy who came to my store a while ago?" he asked Peter.

Peter nodded. "Yes, and you said you wouldn't be able to give me anything, so why are you wasting your time now? We're leaving—"

"Oh, boy," John laughed. "Didn't I tell you to come tomorrow? Wait, I guess you got me wrong! I meant, you can come to my store tomorrow, and I will treat you to ice cream! That's what I meant!"

Peter was confused. He remembered the seller had clearly told him to come to his store only if he had enough money. However, little Lincy was excited. "Yes! We can have ice cream tomorrow, Peter! Yay!" She began jumping in delight.

John pulled Peter to the side. "Just come tomorrow. There's a small surprise for your little sister," he whispered.

The next day, when the kids came to John's store, they couldn't believe their eyes. The store was decked with big balloons and looked beautiful. John gave them a store tour, taught them how to make ice cream, and treated them to different flavors for free!

The children were delighted and thanked John, who had tears in his eyes seeing the happiness on the kids' faces. "You are doing an incredible job as a big brother," he told Peter while Lincy was busy devouring a strawberry ice cream. "You should be proud of yourself…."

As the kids finished their ice cream and were leaving, John gave them an ice cream tub. "Enjoy some with your family too and come back for more!" he said.

Just then, the kids who had mocked Peter returned to the store. They were shocked when they saw Peter holding a big tub of ice cream.

"Did you beg him for it?" One of the boys smirked at Peter. "We know you can never afford it, loser!"

At that point, John came out of the store, his hands on his waist. "And what makes you say that? HE IS A SPECIAL VISITOR. He deserved it, so he got it, and you boys clearly don't deserve to get treated to something nice after mocking someone, so get lost. I AM NOT GIVING ANYTHING TO YOU BRATS!

"Go home, Peter. Your mom must be waiting for you," John said, turning to Peter, who waved goodbye and went home happily with Lincy.

Deep down, John knew his supervisor would reprimand him for providing free ice cream to Peter and Lincy, but he already had a plan to avoid it. He decided to pay for the free ice cream out of his own pocket. After all, there's nothing like the happiness of helping someone in need and brightening their day! John knew it well and he felt incredibly delighted after helping Peter and Lincy.

What can we learn from this story?

• Helping someone feels awesome, doesn't it? Let's try to do it often. John was a kind man whose heart went out to the poor children who couldn't afford ice cream. He decided to help them, and he knew how amazing doing so felt.
• You shall reap what you sow. Karma won't let your wrongdoings slide. The boys who mocked Peter for not being able to afford the ice cream got what they deserved. They had the money to buy ice cream, but John refused to sell it to them.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about first-class passengers who mock an old lady on a cruise ship until the captain addresses her.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers 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.