Week 10 Story: The Girl Who Was Not Afraid to Speak Her Mind

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Rosalie was a spirited girl with fire-red hair to match her personality. She was not good at holding still and frequently got into trouble at school for this and for her quick temper. The other children were friends with Rosalie and admired her eccentric personality, but none of them dared behave as she did in the classroom. She was not afraid to speak her mind and often pestered the teachers with many questions that they found extremely annoying. There was one teacher, though, who did not mind the girl’s questions, and this was Rosalie’s favorite teacher.

Ms. Simmons taught science and regularly took her students outside to observe the stream that ran next to the playground. Not only did her pupils like going outside during class, they also loved learning from Ms. Simmons who cared about each one of them. This included Rosalie, who found it easiest to concentrate in Ms. Simmons’ fun lectures. The teacher knew that any of her students would do what she asked of them, and she decided to test them one day.

Ms. Simmons sat the children around in a circle and asked each one to say a kind word to their neighbor, whether or not they usually got along. Each child did as they were asked, so the teacher continued. “Now, children, since you are so loyal to me, I have another favor to ask. I am needing some money for a school project, and I need you to help me get it.” The students asked how they could be of help. “I need you to go home and when no one is watching, take a few dollars from your mother and father’s wallets. This way we can do our project.”

The children seemed not to question Ms. Simmons’ favor, and they began talking to one another about how they could get to their parents’ money. Rosalie, however, was looking quite concerned. Ms. Simmons noticed this and asked her what was wrong. “Well,” said Rosalie, “I cannot take money from my parents when no one is watching, because I am always watching myself. Also, stealing is wrong, Ms. Simmons.”

Ms. Simmons was rather pleased with Rosalie’s answer and used her as an example for the class, something that had never happened for Rosalie before. The other children were ashamed of their actions and decided that it was not wrong to question instructions when they do not seem quite right.

Author’s Note: The inspiration for this story comes from Twenty Jataka Tales. The particular tale is The Master’s Test in which the Master (Buddha in one of his many lives) asks his pupils to go out and steal money for him. The Master gives a compelling reason for doing so and tells them to take the money when nobody is watching. All but one student readily agrees, and this student tells the Master that he cannot steal the money because he is always watching himself, and that is the moral of the story. In my tale, I used a free-spirited little girl as my protagonist because I think that girls should not be afraid to speak their minds, especially when something is wrong. I gave Ms. Simmons a kind character so that the children would want to listen to her, thus making Rosalie’s rejection of doing so an important event.

If you would like to read these Jataka tales, click here: link.

Inayat, Noor. Twenty Jataka Tales. 1939.