The Lie

          Once there was a little boy named Tommy.   (Show picture of happy Tommy).  One day Tommy’s parents were away.  Tommy was baby-sitting his little brother, Jimmy, who was two years old.  All of a sudden Tommy began to feel hungry.  He looked around for something to eat.  Mother kept nuts and chocolate chips on a shelf in the cupboard.  She had told Tommy that he must never get into things that were on her “baking shelf.”
 

        When mother returned, she noticed that her chocolate chips were half gone!
 

        “Tommy, did you get into my cookie ingredients?” she asked.
 

        Tommy felt uncomfortable.  He knew if he told the truth, he would be punished.  Tommy needed a way out of this mess.
 

        Tommy said, “No, mother, it was Jimmy.  I am sorry I didn’t watch him more closely.”   (Illustrate by placing the face of the Lie near Tommy’s feet)
 

        Tommy’s mother said, “There will be no cookies for either of you this week.  I am sorry this happened.”
 

        Tommy ran outside to play.  He felt relieved.  He needed a way out, and he had found one.  The lie had saved him from being punished.
 

        In the next few weeks Tommy used the lie often, and usually it helped him avoid trouble, but he never felt right.  (Place a tentacle on the Lie)
 

        One day Tommy broke a rule by going to the store during recess.  He was late getting back to class.  “Where have you been?” asked Tommy’s teacher.  “Nowhere,” said Tommy.  (Place a tentacle on the Lie.)
 

        Susan giggled, “I bet you went to the store.”  “I did not,” said Tommy.  “I was playing marbles, and one fell into the gutter and rolled away.  I was trying to find it!”  (Place a tentacle on the Lie.)
 

        Tommy glanced down at the Lie.  He was surprised to see that it was bigger and very black!  Tommy had told a lie to hide a lie.
 

        In the days that followed, Susan began to tell on Tommy when he did things wrong.  He lied more and more often.  (Place a tentacle on the Lie.)
 

        One day he said, “All of my troubles are Susan’s fault.  I wish she would keep her mouth shut!”  (Place another tentacle on the lie.)  Now Tommy was lying to himself.
 

        Tommy was always in trouble.  “Everyone picks on me,” he thought.  (Place a tentacle on the lie.  Begin to wrap them around Tommy.)  He felt sorry for himself.
 

        Tommy’s self-pity justified many things.  (Add tentacles for each thing.) He teased Susan and called her ugly names.  He stole some money from the pocket of a first-grader’s coat.  He copied Nancy’s paper during a test at school.  Tommy felt more and more unhappy  (Show the unhappy Tommy).  

Why?

Can you help Tommy to discover what his problem is?  How does he get rid the Lie?  Discuss.  Make sure they understand it ISN’T easy to get rid of the monster.  Once all the lies and dishonest things are discussed, and the monster is gone, put the happy Tommy back up.