~~BOOK CHALLENGE ON PAGE 123~~

A couple years ago, my sweet friend Karen from A Scrapbook of Inspirations had a book challenge.
The idea was to find a book you enjoyed or were currently reading at the time, with at least 123 pages. We were to turn to page 123 and read the first 5 sentences, then post the next 3 sentences on your blog.
I joined in the fun and this is the book I shared.

Before my Mother passed away she gave me a beautiful book called " The Book of Virtues" which is a treasury of great moral stories by William J. Bennett. Collectively, it is a book of many short stories perfect to read when you have a moment, waiting for an appointment, last thing before falling asleep or on the back porch relaxing. I love this book and whenever I start on a story, one leads to another and I find it very hard to put down.

When turning to page 123 I came to one of my favorites called "The Legend of the Dipper" This sweet story is retold by J. Berg Esenwein and Marietta Stockard. They wrote, that "The story suggests to the child that a kind an compassionate act is often its own reward."

Page 123 reads after the first 5 sentences~~

"She waited and waited a long, long time until the cup was full of water. Then she started down the mountain holding the cup very carefully, for she didn't want to spill a single drop. On the way she passed a poor little dog."

Do you know the story? Have you ever heard this one? Well, it is about a time long ago in a land where there had been no rain for a long long time. Everything was dry and the flowers were withered. All the people and animals were very thirsty. Nearly everyone was sick and very uncomfortable. One little girl in the town had a mother who was very sick. She decided to set out to find water for her mother to help her get well. She set out to find water with a tin cup dipper. After a long journey in search of water she found a little spring up in the mountains. It was nearly dry, but she did fill the cup drop by drop and set on her way back home to give it to her sick mother.

The story goes on to tell how she passed a poor little dog on her way back home, he was very dry and she gave him some of the water from the tin cup dipper. The sweet dog was so happy and ran around in thanksgiving to the little girl. She did not notice, but her little tin cup dipper had turned into a silver dipper and as full of water as before she shared with the little dog.

She hurries home and goes right to her mother's room. An elderly servant who often helped the family was in the room with her mother and very tired and dry from caring for her all day. The girl's mother told her to give the old woman some water first. The little girl did give the servant some water and then her tin cup dipper changed to gold and was once again as full as before. She goes on to give her mother the water and is over joyed to see her mother get so much better. She begins to take a little drink herself when there came a knock on the door. Shes opens to find a stranger who was very dry, dusty and thirsty. He said he was very tired and asks for some water. The little girl being so very kind, gave him the rest of the water saying he needed it more then she did. Suddenly the gold dipper turned to a diamond dipper.

The stranger turned the cup upside down and all the water spilled to the floor. Where the water spills, a fountain begins to bubble over and cool water flows freely for all the people and animals. Being taken by this great event and watching the water, they forgot about the stranger, but they all thought they saw him vanish into the sky. Up in the sky clear and bright shown the Diamond Dipper. The story ends by saying, the dipper shines bright to this day and reminds everyone about the little girl who was kind and unselfish. It is called the Big Dipper!!

I love this story for the unselfish way the sweet little girl shares from what little she has with everyone she meets. It reminds us, it is better to give then to receive. I am so thankful that my dear Mother gave me this book. It is one of my loved treasures.

And, I am so happy to share this story once again in thanksgiving for the many blessings that I have been given.

I hope you are enjoying the warm Summer Days and till I see you again.
Blessings be yours,
Celestina Marie