Mike's Lemonade Money

 School was out, and it was a hot summer morning. Mike sat under a little tree in his front yard. He was hot and sweating. People who passed by walked very slowly, and wiped their faces a lot. Mike thought to himself, "I wish I had a glass of cold lemonade." Next he thought, "I know how to make lemonade." And before he got to the house, he thought, "Maybe some of the people walking by would like lemonade too."

 He burst in to say, "Mom, I think I want to pretend to be in business. I could sell lemonade."

 Mom said, "Will you be making real lemonade for real people, and selling it for real money?"

 "Yes," Mike said.

 Mom replied, "Then it wouldn't be pretend, it would be real. But if you want to start a business, you need some money. I'll be the bank, and loan you money for lemons and sugar and cups."

 "Thanks," Mike said.

 Soon he and his mother were back from the store, and Mike began squeezing lemons. He got ice from the refrigerator, and started more to freezing. He put a card table in the front yard under his tree. He made a big sign that read, "Lemonade in the Shade." Finally he put the cups and a big pitcher of lemonade on the table.  

Mike had guessed right. People began to stop under his tree and buy his lemonade. When he saw a car coming, Mike would wave his sign. Several cars stopped. Sometimes he had to duck back into the house to make more lemonade.

 At the end of the day he put away the table, and cleaned up his things. He counted the money in his pocket: $15.

 "Mom," Mike said, how much do I owe the bank for my supplies?"

 "About $5," his mother said.

 Mike counted out $5 for his mother. He still had $10 left. "I'm rich," Mike said.

 Mom said, "What are you going to do with your $10?"

 Mike said, "Mom, first I need a tithe envelope, so I can give one tenth back to God, to remind me that it's really all his."

 So at the top of the envelope, where it says "Tithe," Mike wrote $1, and put a dollar bill in the envelope.

 Then Mike said, "I want to set aside another dollar to give on Sabbath, to thank Jesus for giving me the power to make lemonade."

 When Mike counted his dollars, he had $8 left. With $2 he bought a Hot Wheels® toy, the model of a beautiful old fire engine. It had yellow seats and black ladders, and on the front, a big silver pump.

 "What else will you do with your money?" Mom asked.

 Mike said, "I think I want to carry one dollar in my pocket, just because it feels good to carry money."

 Mom replied, "That's fine, Mike. You're a wealthy man, and you can do what you please with your money. Now what will you do with the rest?"

 Mike had been thinking about that. "Mom," he said, "Since you're the bank, would you please save the last $5 for me?"

 "Of course," Mom said. She got an envelope and wrote in big letters, "Mike's Savings."

 Then his mother asked, "Mike, what made you decide to save some of your money?"

 Mike answered, "Because I don't want to live with the pigs!"

 His mother laughed. "What do you mean, Mike? There aren't any pigs around here!"

 Mike explained, "You remember the story we read in the Bible, about the boy who spent all his money, then had to go live with the pigs?"

 "Of course I remember," Mom said. "I'm glad you remembered too. And if you're always as careful with your money as you have been today, I'm sure you'll never have to live with the pigs."

 © 2003 R. Wresch, M.D., adapted from Mike, by Paul B. Ricchiuti, © 1978, Pacific Press Publishing Association.