Mary knew better. She was prepared to give a long story about how she had lost the money. she had also invented a story about a big dog chasing her, causing her to lose it. Her mind was racing as she opened the door to her house. "Please put the change on the table," her mom requested. "Mom," Mary stated, "I....I..." She could not bring herself to lie. "I spent it on candy," Mary admitted. Mary's mom looked at her in disbelief. Then she smiled slightly. "Thank you for being honest," she stated. "Honesty is evidence of good character." What is the theme?

Finally, the state fair was here. We sprinted toward the entrance, but the length of the line stopped us in our tracks. "This is ridiculous," one lady said to the ticket attendant. "Where's your supervisor?" another man asked. I could see the attendant getting flustered. I stepped to the side and addressed the crowd. "I'm sure it won't take long to get in. Let's be a good example for the children and be patient," I said. I could feel the ticket attendant's sense of relief. What is the theme?

Now that Jorge was a teenager, he thought about his childhood often. He had often fought with his little brother over silly things, and he felt very guilty about it. Once, he even started a fight over a toy on his little brother's birthday for no reason. To this day, Jorge still felt bad about it. When he told his friend about this, she explained that was all in the past. She reminded him that they have a great relationship now. Jorge listened carefully as she continued. "Sometimes we make mistakes, but the mistakes are not what is important," she said. "It is when you realize your mistakes, learn from them, and move on. Just like you did with your brother." What is the theme?

My relationship with my sister would be so much better if she would appreciate me and not tease me so much. I've tried to explain this to her numerous times, but it has never helped. She would just tease me more or ignore me. However, just this morning something changed. When I gave her a hand-written card for her birthday, she just absentmindedly tossed it on her bed as I expected. But, later that night she came into my room and sat on my bed. She told me that she really appreciated the card and my kind words. She said she was sorry that she had been treating me so terribly this past year. She went on to explain how she was taking difficult classes this school year and it was stressing her out. After we talked, we hugged and made plans to watch a movie together the next day. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of our new relationship. I am thankful that I was nice and patient even she was not. It paid off! What is the theme?

Everyone wanted to know about Carmen's bag of candy. There was a rumor that Katie had stolen it, but Katie denied it. Katie approached Carmen during recess. She looked her straight in the eyes and said, "I did not take your candy, Carmen. Here, you can search my book bag." "No need," Carmen said. "I believe you." Some of the other students still thought Katie had taken it. Because of the rumor, other students thought that Katie was a thief. Together with Carmen, Katie worked hard to set everyone straight and let them know the truth. What is the theme?