When Mrs. Johnson came home and saw the piles of mulch, her shock quickly turned to anger. She confronted Ethan’s mother, who calmly reminded her of how she had dismissed Ethan’s hard work. With a huff, Mrs. Johnson reluctantly pulled out a crumpled twenty-dollar bill, which Ethan accepted with encouragement from his mother.
From that day forward, Mrs. Johnson didn’t ask Ethan for help again. The incident became a neighborhood story, a “cautionary tale” on the value of honesty and the consequences of taking advantage of others. The mulch eventually disappeared, but the message of fairness and respect stayed fresh in everyone’s mind.
