A Good Reputation

MACGILLICUDDY! WHERE ARE YOU?" Mackintosh Monster, MacGillicuddy's father roared. MacGillicuddy poked his head around the corner. Sometimes, when his father was REALLY angry, he would start shaking so hard the ground itself would shake. Then lumps of dirt would start falling from between the roots that held the up the ceiling. (Monsters live under trees you know). One time a big dirt clod with a rock in it hit MacGillicuddy right on the head and he was knocked out for two days! So he was always very careful to watch where he was going when his father was mad.

"Yes, Pops?" MacGillicuddy asked.

"Are you responsible for that mess out there under the tree? What is that junk piled up?"

MacGillicuddy thought for a moment. He had gone to the garbage dump and collected a huge pile of really neat trash. He figured he could build a fort with it. There was a couch with the springs poking up. That would make a great wall, because if anyone threw something at it, the springs would make it bounce right back. There was a tricycle with no back wheels. MacGillicuddy figured that he could use it to launch rockets or something by cranking the front wheel by its pedals. There was an old sauce pan to use as a helmet. There was a lot of other junk that he wasn't sure what to use it for, but it looked useful.

"Oh, that! Well Pops, I grabbed that from the dump so I can build a fort." MacGillicuddy explained.

Mr. Monster started shaking. To try to stop the shaking he began stomping around the room. "I can't believe my ears!" he said. "You grabbed them from the dump? I was upset because all that stuff was piled up and everyone would think that we're just a bunch of messy monsters! Now I find out that you took them! Did you ask for permission before you just took them?"

"No, I figured that since folks threw them away, anyone could have them."

"Oh really? Did you stop to wonder why there is a locked gate and a fence around the dump?" Mr. Monster asked.

MacGillicuddy thought about it. "Maybe to keep the big mean dog from getting away?"

"No, Mac. That dog is there just like the fence and the lock. They are there to keep people from stealing things from the dump. You see, Mr. Oswald, owns the dump. He earns his living by recycling things that others threw away."

"Stealing! I didn't know that I was stealing!" MacGillicuddy started to cry. He realized that he might be in a lot of trouble. Besides, he didn't want people to think that he stole things.

"That's good, Mac. I didn't think that you stole on purpose. But, you know, others might. Then you would have a bad reputation." MacGillicuddy's father didn't seem as mad anymore.

"Re-pu-ta-tion. What's that?" MacGillicuddy asked.

"Your reputation is what other people think you will do." MacGillicuddy's father explained. It is important that people know that you don't do bad things like stealing. A good reputation is more valuable than just about anything. That way, people will know that they can trust you."

Later, MacGillicuddy told his father, "I called Mr. Oswald and apologized. I didn't want him to think that I would steal things. And guess what, he said I could keep everything!"

Mr. Monster laughed. "Great, now you have a good reputation. Now you need to do one more thing."

"What's that, Pops?"

"Get out there and clean up that mess!" Mr. Monster roared.

MEMORY VERSE Proverbs 20:10 Even children make themselves known by their deeds; by whether what they do is pure and right. Proverbs 20:10 Some parts of the Bible tell us about God, other parts tell us about ourselves and each other. What people think about us, even kids, depends a lot on what we do. MacGillicuddy learned that people won't trust others who do bad things. Memorize this verse so it can remind you to do good things.