✦An original story about telling the truth
Honesty is the Best Policy
When Arun finds a purse at the market, one honest choice helps a whole village find something more valuable than coins.
A story to read together
Honesty is the Best Policy
Take your time. Let the story unfold.
Arun carried a cloth bag to the village market. His mother had asked him to buy tomatoes and lentils, and he had counted the coins twice. Near the fruit stall, he noticed a brown purse beneath a bench. It was heavy enough to make a soft clink when he lifted it.
A purse under the bench
Inside were several coins and a folded shopping list. For a moment, Arun imagined the bright blue kite hanging at the toy stall. He had wanted it for weeks. Then he thought of the person who might be searching for the purse. Perhaps those coins were meant for someone’s dinner. He closed it carefully and looked around. An old fruit seller was lifting baskets, patting her pockets, and looking increasingly worried. Arun walked towards him, but stopped himself from making a guess.
Finding the owner
“Has anyone lost something?” Arun asked the market keeper, who knew the stallholders. Together they asked the worried seller what was missing. “A brown purse with a shopping list inside,” she replied. “My sister wrote the list. She always draws a tiny flower beside her name.” The market keeper unfolded the paper. There was the flower. Arun handed over the purse. The seller counted the coins with trembling fingers, then let out a long, relieved breath. “These are for the medicine shop and our food,” she said.
The whole truth
The seller thanked Arun and offered him a coin. Arun shook his head. “You need it for your shopping.” Then he spoke a little more quietly. “I did think about buying a kite before I brought it back.” The seller smiled. “A thought can visit us without choosing our path. You chose what to do next.” Arun felt lighter after telling the whole truth. He bought the tomatoes and lentils, checked his change, and went home with the cloth bag swinging against his knee.
Something worth keeping
That evening, Arun told his mother what had happened. “Was it easy?” she asked. “Not at first,” he admitted. “But keeping the purse would have made someone else’s day much harder.” The next market day, the seller greeted him by name. Soon Arun was trusted to help neighbours check shopping lists and carry small parcels. He still saved for the blue kite, one coin at a time. When he finally flew it, he knew he had bought it with his own money—and that was a good feeling to carry home.
The end
After the final page
There is no single right answer. Invite young readers to notice, wonder and imagine.
How did Arun and the market keeper find the purse’s owner?
Why did Arun feel better after admitting his first thought?
How could you help return a lost item safely?
Make something: Draw a three-part comic: finding something, asking a trusted adult for help, and returning it.
