Mrs. Johnson, a newcomer to the neighborhood, had a reputation for being polished and distant. She would often step out of her house in a sharp business suit, heels clicking on the driveway as she rushed off to work. The neighbors would watch her, but she kept to herself.
One day, Mrs. Johnson approached 12-year-old Ethan, asking him to mow her lawn. She promised to pay him $20, which would help him buy a gift for his grandmother’s birthday. Ethan worked hard for two days, mowing the entire lawn. However, when he asked Mrs. Johnson for his payment, she refused, telling him that the experience was the real reward.
Ethan’s mother was furious when she found out about Mrs. Johnson’s behavior. She decided to take matters into her own hands and teach Mrs. Johnson a lesson. With the help of a friend who owned a landscaping business, they trimmed Mrs. Johnson’s hedges into unusual shapes. Additionally, they ordered three truckloads of mulch to be delivered to her driveway, blocking her car.
As Mrs. Johnson returned home, she was shocked to see the state of her yard and driveway. She stormed over to Ethan’s mother, demanding to know who was responsible. Ethan’s mother calmly replied that she knew nothing about it. Mrs. Johnson’s anger grew, but Ethan’s mother pointed out that stiffing a 12-year-old out of $20 wasn’t a nice thing to do.
Eventually, Mrs. Johnson paid Ethan the $20, and the neighborhood buzzed with the story of how she had learned a lesson about honesty and hard work. From then on, Mrs. Johnson never asked Ethan for help again, and the neighbors would whisper about the incident whenever she passed by.
