Mrs. Potato Head was happy to have her two Tater Tots, Polly and Haman Potato, visiting her in her room at the Retirement Home.  Polly and Haman’s Daddy were taking their mommy to the eye doctor because of some unusual growths on her body that needed to be removed.

“Can I use your computer?  Can I?  Please?  Can I play Lode Runner?” asked Haman.

“I want to play too!  Can I play too?” chimed in Polly.

“I’ll set it up for the two player game,” said Mrs. Potato Head.  She got them both all set up at the computer. 

“Move over.  You’re in my way.  I can’t play with you bumping me,” fussed Haman.

“That’s because you are always moving around so much,” replied Polly.  “Just sit still when you play.”

But Haman kept flinging around as he played.  And he wasn’t being very careful about it either

And so it was that he knocked the vase off the computer table. And it broke into a hundred thousand pieces! (We’ll just pretend this vase broke)

Mrs. Potato Head gasped and put her hands over her mouth!  Then she just said “Oh . . . dear! . . .”  And she looked sadly at the broken pieces.

Haman could see that his grandmother was very upset.  He said “Oh Gramma, I am SO SORRY!  I promise I did not mean to break that old vase.  Please don’t spank me.  Please!  Please!  I’ll get my daddy to buy you a new vase.  And I’ll be careful not to break anything else.  Please Gramma.  I’m sorry!”

Mrs. Potato Head looked at her little Tater Tot as he sincerely pleaded with her and apologized to her.  And she knew how much she loves her grandchildren, so she forgave him.  She said “I can see that you are sincerely sorry.”

Haman helped his grandmother pick up the pieces and throw them into the garbage can.  In the meantime, Polly was drawing on a piece of paper while she waited for Haman to return.  She dropped the pencil on the floor and when she stepped down to pick the pencil up, she accidentally stepped on the end of the pencil and broke off the point.

Haman was furious!  “You _______!  (He called her a bad name.) You broke my pencil!  You broke the point of my favorite pencil!  How could you be so careless.  You probably did it on purpose!”  Haman really screamed at his little sister.  He called her a rude name, even though he knows he is not allowed to say mean nasty things like that.  Haman was really screaming at Polly when he looked up and saw Grandmother standing before him.

He knew he was in trouble.  Mrs. Potato Head said “Haman Potato, apologize to your sister for that awful behavior!”        “I’m sorry,” Haman said in a rude angry voice.

“Young man, you go stand in the corner until you can say “I’m sorry” to your sister and really mean it from the heart.”  Haman went to the corner and prepared himself for a long stand, because his heart was very angry . . . . about a broken pencil.  Now isn’t that silly.

And Mrs. Potato Head and Polly had a great time playing two player Lode Runner.

Haman was punished, not because he broke the vase, but because he was unforgiving to his sister.  Jesus tells us to be forgiving.  That means even to our brothers and sisters!

THE END

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