The Pencil She Kept Replacing

Chapter 1The First Spare

Shifra kept two sharpened spare pencils in her classroom case.

When her seatmate Dina's point broke, Shifra offered one.

"Thanks," Dina said.

She used it to finish the morning practice page and returned it before lunch.

Shifra sharpened it at the teacher's approved time. She liked being able to help.

The next morning, Dina reached across.

"Your spare again?"

Shifra handed it over without saying anything. Her own pencil still had a good point.

Chapter 2The Empty Place

By the end of that week, Dina had borrowed a pencil on three more mornings.

One was returned dull. Another was left at the art table and found by Mrs. Levy.

On Friday Shifra's own point broke. She opened her case.

Her spare was at Dina's desk. The second was waiting to be sharpened.

Shifra put down her unfinished sentence.

Dina was still writing with the borrowed pencil. Shifra felt cross, though she had never said the repeated borrowing was becoming a problem.

Chapter 3Before Another Reach

Shifra asked Mrs. Levy for help getting a usable pencil for the current work.

The teacher supplied one from the classroom tray. She also arranged the return of Shifra's pencil.

At the next allowed break, Shifra spoke quietly to Dina.

"I can lend one sometimes, but I need my spare available for my own work."

Dina looked at the open pencil case.

"I thought you didn't mind."

"I didn't mind the first time. I hadn't explained what changed."

Chapter 4Dina's Own Case

Dina opened her own case. Two short pencils lay beneath a folded ruler.

She had forgotten they were there after putting loose papers on top.

Mrs. Levy helped her check which pencils could be used and when they could be sharpened.

Shifra did not empty Dina's case or take over packing it for her.

Dina placed a usable pencil at the top herself.

"I'll try checking here first," she said.

Shifra returned her own spare to its usual place.

Chapter 5A Different Request

The following week, Dina's pencil broke during a supervised drawing task.

She checked her case before asking.

"My other one is too dull. May I use your spare until the sharpening time?"

Shifra looked at her own pencils and the teacher's task.

This short loan would leave another ready pencil in her case.

"Yes, until then," she said.

Mrs. Levy gave the class the normal sharpening instructions later. Dina returned Shifra's pencil at that time.

Chapter 6Ready for Her Sentence

Shifra began the next writing page with her spare back in place.

Dina used her own checked pencil beside her.

The first helpful loan had not meant that Shifra's case became an extra case for someone else. Saying what she needed had not meant refusing every future request either.

She finished her sentence and closed the case until the next task. This time both girls knew which pencil belonged where.