I don't have any money.....

While at the Heritage Festival on Saturday, S2 had a ton of fun. After we visited the free activities and he had played at the playground, S2 came back to my booth for a drink. There was a booth across from mine that had prepackaged cotton candy and other treats they were selling. S2 grabbed a bag and brought it over asking if he could have it. I told him no because I hadn't brought any money with me. He put it back and came back over. Soon he wanted to go play and explore again. When he got up to leave again I explained to him that we had done the free activities and that he couldn't just take stuff from vendors tables. If he wanted something he had to ask the person how much it cost or if it was free. If it was free he could have it, otherwise he would have to put it back.

Well, the booth next to mine was selling honey they made and hand made soaps. As S2 walked by he picked up a soap, smelled it, and then asked the man,"Excuse me mister, how much does this soap costs?"

"A dollar-fifty."

"Oh, thank you, but I don't have any money," S2 replied as he hung his head, put the soap back, and started to walk away. The man had been watching S2 and thought he was sweet so he called S2 back to him and gave him a different soap, but the same scent, and said he could have that one for free (it said $1.25 on the tag). S2 came running back to me as quick as lightning saying, "Mom, Mom, look what the man gave me!" I asked him if he had said thank you and he ran back and did so.

On my table I had several jars of jam that I had canned to use as decorations. I told S2 to ask the man if he preferred blackberry or raspberry jam. S2 asked and reported that the man said he liked both. I told S2 that it was very nice of the man to give him the soap but that the man was trying to sell it to make money. I said that since we didn't have any money, that we should at least trade him something. So, since we had the jam I told S2 that he should take the jar of blackberry jam over to the man. This he happily did. Although it wasn't the fairest trade in the world, my jam's worth at least $3 a jar =}, I felt the man should be repaid plus some for his kindness and S2 needed to learn about being fair.