TELL Me A StOrY

The
Wondrous
Gift

Elizabeth Applebaum
AppleTree Editor

Editor's Note

Here is a project that bolsters a child's imagination
and creativity — and it's a lot of fun. A parent or
caregiver should read the following story, which the
child will complete at the end. Children also should
be encouraged to draw their answer in the white
space inside the picture's box.

nce upon a time, a long,
long time ago in a place
far, far from here there
lived a rabbi, his wife and their
only child, a girl named Shira.
Shira was much like her name, for
she moved gently and elegantly,
like a song, through life. She was
lovely, wise and kind.
When Shira was 21, she decid-
ed to marry. Her father urged her to
consider Shlomo, who was smart
/ I and wealthy.
"I agree that Shlomo is a good
choice — for someone else," Shira
said. "He doesn't touch my heart."
For many months afterward, the
rabbi offered numerous possibilities.
Shira always said no. Then one
day Shira met David and she fell in
I love.
He was a gentle man who had

dark hair and eyes the color of the
ocean. David, too, fell in love with
Shira and wanted very much to
marry her. At last the day came
when he approached her father.
"I am requesting your blessing,"
David said. "I would like to wed
your daughter. I love her now and
will love her forever."
"Well," said the rabbi, "my one
concern is that I really know little of
you. You have a good Jewish edu-
cation, I know; and I can see that
you love my daughter. But what can
you tell me about yourself? Before
you marry my daughter, I wish you
would convince me that you are of
outstanding character. Then I will be
happy to see you marry my Shira."
David thought for many days,
then he began building. He worked
day and night, night and day, to

construct a beautiful home in which
he and Shira would live. "This
way," he told the rabbi, "you will
know that I am the kind of man
who will always provide for your
daughter."
The rabbi agreed that the house,
with its rainbow-like roof and ele-
gant violet door, was impressive.
"And I am glad to see that you will
provide for my daughter. But what
does this house tell me about you,
David?"
So David thought again, and this
time he went to see the cantor. For
weeks David practiced singing,
until at last his voice was more
melodious that any ever heard. He
approached the rabbi and began
to sing of his love for Shira. "I will
sing like this each day for the rest
of my life," he told the rabbi.

"Nice," said the rabbi. "But what
does this song tell me about you,
David? I need to know about you."
"Ah," David replied, sitting down
to think. "About me ..."
At last he jumped up and ran to
the rabbi. "I have the answer!" he
cried. "Please come tomorrow
morning to the house I have built.
There, you will find a package of
silver and green. Look within and
you will at last have your answer."
The next day the rabbi woke
early (for he was quite eager to see
what David had come up with),
davened and ate a breakfast of
eggs, bread and tea. When he
was done, he went to the house
and there sat a package on the
front door, just as David had said.
i The rabbi stepped forward, opened
the box and saw.

