Polly stood on the box to see in the mirror to put on her hat.  However . . . she put it on backwards.  Haman entered to room, took one look at his little sister and could not resist saying “Ha! Ha!  Your hat is on backwards!”

Polly responded with “You are teasing me again!”  And she got ready to cry.

Sometimes it seems that people say things to each other that just make things worse instead of making things better.

Haman realized that if Polly cried, his father would come in and scold him so, to save himself, he said in a quick, flip kind of way “I’m sorry” without meaning it at all.

Polly gets so angry at her brother sometimes.  And then, when she is so angry, she becomes careless.  So when she went to step off the box . . . she fell. 

Now she really did cry!   “Waaaaaaaaaa!”  And Mr. Potato Head came into the room and took one accusing look at Haman and ran to Polly.  She was really crying loud!

“Oh!” said Mr. Potato Head as he picked her up.  “Your arm has come off!”  And he set her up on the box and wiped her tears with a big handkerchief.  He picked up her arm and carefully and lovingly put it back in place.

Then he turned to his son and said “Haman Potato, what has happened here?”

“I didn’t push her, honest!” wailed Haman.  “It’s just that she had her hat on backwards and when I politely told her, she got mad and then she fell, but I was way over here.  Honest, I did not push her.”

And the truth is . . . Haman did NOT push her did he?              Or did he?

He didn’t actually put his hands against Polly and push her off the box, but he kind of pushed her with his words, do you know what I mean?  He pushed her with his words.  Even when Haman said he was sorry, he didn’t really mean it. 

God has said “I desire steadfast love, not sacrifice.”  That means not just saying the words like “I’m sorry”, but meaning them in your heart.  God wants us to show love, persistently and steadfastly.  Not just when it is easy, but all the time. 

Haman and Polly took a long look at each other.  Polly said “I’m sorry that I am such a cry baby.”

“I’m sorry that I tease you so much.” said Haman.  And he DID mean it this time.  “But your hat really IS on backwards.”  And THIS time he DID say it politely.

Polly decided NOT to be a crybaby.  Instead she looked at Haman and guess what she realized?  He ALWAYS wears HIS hat backwards!

She changed her frown to a smile and started to giggle.  When she pointed at HAMAN’s head he figured out why she was laughing.  And then they traded hats and started to jump around and be silly. 

“Well, well, well!” said Mr. Potato Head smiling at his little Tater Tots.  “Well . . . well . . . well!  And HE started to jump around and be silly too!     That’s because sometimes, families show love by being goofy together.    THE END

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