The Job He Chose Too Quickly

Chapter 1One Hand Up

"I need help labeling the new folders," Rebbi said. "They need to be ready before the younger class arrives tomorrow."

Binyomin raised his hand before the sentence had properly landed.

"I can do all of them."

Rebbi smiled. "Come see the folders at lunch, and we will work out the job."

Binyomin pictured a little stack, his neat letters, and a finished job before anyone else had opened a sandwich.

At lunch, Rebbi opened the supply cupboard.

There were three boxes.

Chapter 2The Second Box

The first box held twenty folders. So did the second. The third was not empty, either.

Each folder needed a name on a white label and a matching name inside.

Rebbi showed Binyomin the class list and the sample.

"Please check the spelling before you stick anything down. I will be at the front desk."

Binyomin carried one box to the table. He made the first label very neatly. The second took nearly as long.

After five folders, he had hardly touched the pile. Lunch was nearly over.

His own unfinished practice page lay under his bag.

Chapter 3Very Small Writing

He tried writing faster. The letters got smaller, then squeezed together.

One label said DOVD.

Binyomin stared at it. The list said DOVID.

He pulled out a fresh label and wrote the name again.

Zalman came past. "Are you doing every box?"

"I said I would."

"That is a lot."

Binyomin nodded without looking up. He did not want Rebbi to think his raised hand had meant nothing.

Yet pretending the pile was small would not make tomorrow's folders ready.

Chapter 4Before the Bell

Binyomin went to the desk with five finished folders and the spoiled label.

"I said all of them before I knew how many there were," he told Rebbi. "I cannot finish all three boxes in the time I have."

Rebbi looked at the folders. "Thank you for telling me now."

"Can I still do part of it?"

"Yes. How many can you do carefully after your practice page?"

Binyomin looked at the clock and the five folders. "Five more, if I check each one."

"Then those five will be yours. I will arrange the rest."

Binyomin's ears were hot. The job was smaller now, but the promise had become something he could actually finish.

Chapter 5A Shared Table

Rebbi asked two boys who had free time whether they wanted to help. He kept another box at his desk.

Zalman joined Binyomin at the table later.

"Which names are yours?"

Binyomin pointed to the marked lines. They kept their lists separate so nobody made two folders for the same child.

Zalman wrote a name. Binyomin checked his own against the list before sticking it down.

They talked about the younger boys whose names they recognized. One was Zalman's brother.

"He will like having a folder that isn't mine first," Zalman said.

Chapter 6Ten, Carefully

Binyomin placed his ten finished folders in Rebbi's checked pile. His practice page was finished too.

"All ten," he said.

Rebbi checked the last name. "Ready."

The next afternoon, Rebbi asked for help sorting a delivery of books.

Binyomin's hand began to go up.

He lowered it halfway.

"How many books, and when do they need to be ready?"

Rebbi opened the carton before anyone promised to take the whole job.