the two noticed a man toiling in the fields of his farm, his good
clothes stacked neatly off to the side. The boy looked at his older
friend and said, "Let's hide his shoes so when he comes from the
field, he won't be able to find them. His expression will be
priceless!" The boy laughed.
The older of the two boys thought for a moment and said, "The man
looks poor. See his clothes? Let's do this instead: Let's hide a
silver dollar in each shoe and then we'll hide in these bushes and see
how he reacts to that, instead."
The younger companion agreed to the plan and they placed a silver
dollar in each shoe and hid behind the bushes. It wasn't long before
the farmer came in from the field, tired and worn. He reached down and
pulled on a shoe, immediately feeling the money under his foot.
With the coin now between his fingers, he looked around to see who
could have put it in his shoe. But no one was there. He held the
dollar in his hand and stared at it in disbelief. Confused, he slid
his other foot into his other shoe and felt the second coin. This
time, the man was overwhelmed when he removed the second silver dollar
from his shoe.
Thinking he was alone, he dropped to his knees and offered a verbal
prayer that the boys could easily hear from their hiding place. They
heard the poor farmer cry tears of relief and gratitude. He spoke of
his sick wife and his boys in need of food. He expressed gratitude for
this unexpected bounty from unknown hands.
After a time, the boys came out from their hiding place and slowly
started their long walk home. They felt good inside, warm, changed
somehow knowing the good they had done to a poor farmer in dire
straits. A smile crept across their souls.
