Wendell was a bully. He was big. He was strong. He took
what he wanted.
Susie was playing with the toy fire truck, making the
ladder go up and down. Wendell pushed Susie, and grabbed the truck.
Susie fell and skinned her knee.
"You’re going to be in trouble," said Susie.
"I’m telling." She went to Miss Clew, their teacher.
Miss Clew let Susie sit in the special soft chair beside
her desk. She gave Susie a tissue to wipe her tears. And she let Susie
pick her favorite band-aid to put on her knee. Susie picked a red one with
stars.
Then Miss Clew asked, "Susie, how did you feel when
Wendell took the fire truck away from you?" Susie said, "He took
away my fun. And he hurt me." She pointed at her knee.
Then Miss Clew asked, "Would you like to be friends
with Wendell? Friends don’t take toys from friends."
Susie stared at Miss Clew. "Wendell is big. He is
strong. He takes what he wants. You should punish him."
Miss Clew asked, "Have you ever been
punished?"
"Yes," said Susie.
"How did you feel when you were punished?"
asked Miss. Clew.
"I was angry," said Susie.
"We don’t want to make Wendell angry," said
Miss Clew. "We want to make him nice."
"He’s big. He’s strong. He takes what he
wants," said Susie.
"We’ll see," said Miss Clew. "You may
go play now. I’ll talk to Wendell."
"Can I play with the fire truck?" asked Susie.
"Of course," said Miss Clew.
Miss Clew led Wendell to the special soft chair beside
her desk.
Susie went to play with the fire truck. She made the
ladder go up and down.
Miss Clew asked Wendell, "Do you know how Susie
felt when you took the truck?"
Wendell said, "She’s just a girl. Trucks are for
boys."
Miss Clew said, "Susie doesn’t feel that way. She
said you took away her fun. And you hurt her. Her knee was bleeding."
"That’s not my fault," said Wendell.
"She shouldn’t have been playing with the truck."
"I don’t care whose fault it is," said Miss
Clew. "I want you and Susie to be friends."
"I can’t be friends with a girl," said
Wendell.
"I think you can," said Miss Clew. "What
do you think friends do?"
"Friends give each other stuff. And help each
other."
"Can you think of something you can give Susie?
Something that would let both of you play with the truck?"
"No," said Wendell. "I don’t want to
play with Susie. I want to play with the truck."
"What do fire trucks do?" asked Miss Clew.
"They rescue people from burning buildings."
"I don’t see any buildings with people to
rescue," said Miss Clew. "Could you build one?"
"Susie has the truck. Let her build it."
"You could make a building for Susie today. She
could make one for you tomorrow."
"What if I don’t?" said Wendell.
"I can’t let you take the truck from Susie,"
said Miss Clew. "Do you have any other ideas?"
Wendell looked at the truck. He looked at Susie.
"If I build the building, do you promise I can have the truck
tomorrow?"
"Yes," said Miss Clew. "Let’s tell
Susie right now, together."
And they did. Susie said, "I don’t want to play
with Wendell." Miss Clew said, "What fun is a fire truck with no
people to rescue?"
So, Wendell built the building. And Susie rescued the
people.
And the next day, Susie built the building and Wendell
rescued the people.
Wendell was big and Wendell was strong. He was no longer
a bully.
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