Once there was an earthquake and many people lost their home and food, they had nothing to eat. A rich and kind cook sent for twenty of the poorest children in the town and said to them. "In this basket there is a piece of bread for each of you, take it and come back to me every day at this time for more." In a hurry, the hungry children got together around the basket, fought over the bread because each wanted to get the largest piece. At last they went away without even saying thanks to the good cook. Mary, a girl with bad clothes did not fight with the other children, but stood still far away from them.
When the badly-behaved children had left, Mary took the smallest piece, which was only left in the basket. She kissed the cook's hand and went home. The next day the children were as badly-behaved as before. Mary got a piece of bread almost half the size of the one she got the first day. When she came home, her mother cut the bread open. Many new shining pieces of silver fell out of it.
Her mother was very worried, and said, "Take the money back to the cook at once. The silver must have fallen into the bread by accident. Hurry up, Mary." When the little girl gave the rich man her mother's words, he said, "Don't worry about that, the reason why I had the silver put into the smallest bread is that you are polite and considerate. I just hope that you can be always as satisfied and thankful as you now are. Go home now and tell your mother that the money is yours."
