THE BLACK PLATE
“ Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom”.
Thomas Jefferson 
 
 
– When we say the truth, we are being honest.
 
– We are being honest when we think and act the same way. 
 
– Honesty is not to make promises that we are not planning to keep. 
 
– An honest person is somebody whom we trust because he or she doesn´t lie.
 
– We are being honest when we comply with rules. 
 
– We are honest when we pay what is fair and don´t steal somebody elses´s money.
 
– We need courage to be honest.
 
– We are honest when we tell the truth, even if other people don´t agree.
 
– Being honest is to keep our promises to our friends, our parents, and ourselves.
 
– We are honest when we help our friends to change what they did wrong even if they don´t feel good.
 
– We are honest when we do our own job. When we copy in a test we are being dishonest.
 
– We are honest when we do our teamwork.
 
– We are honest when we promise a friend to play with him or her during recess and we keep that promise. 
 
– We are honest when we return things that a friend borrowed us.
 
– We shouldn´t feel bad if people think that being honest is foolish.
 
– We should always be honest even if people don´t recognize it.
 
– To be honest we should report people who did something wrong.
 
– We should always tell the truth and not tell stories that could harm other people.
 
– We should accept our mistakes and correct them.
 
– We shouldn´t take anything that doesn´t belong to us. 
 
Honesty is a principle of human beings. If we learn to be honest since we are kids, we can be upright citizens, able to transform the world so that everybody can have a better life.
 
Live everyday with honesty, you will be happier and you will make happy everybody around you.
 
“ Honesty prospers in every condition of life” 
Friedrich  Schiller
 
“ Each time you are honest and conduct yourself with honesty, a success force will drive you toward greater success. Each time you lie, even with a little white lie, there are strong forces pushing you toward failure”.
Joseph Sugarman
 
“Honesty is the best image”.
Tom Wilson
THE BLACK PLATE
 
 
CHARACTERS:
NARRATOR
MERCHANT 1
MERCHANT 2
 GIRL
 GRANDMA
 
 SCRIPT:
 
NARRATOR: Once upon a time in India, there were two merchants who sold plates, pots, pans, brooms, mops, soap, jewelry, and clothes.  Each day, they took turns to sell.
 
MERCHANT 1:  Everybody come here!.  Come see our jewelry for sale, pots, pans.  We have everything you need!.
 
GIRL: Grandma, look at that beautiful bracelet!.
 
GRANDMA: How much is it?.
 
MERCHANT 1: More than what you can pay, old lady.
 
GRANDMA: At home we have an old black metal plate.  Do you want it for the bracelet?.
 
MERCHANT 1: I have to see it first.
 
GRANDMA: Let´s go home so you can see it.
 
MERCHANT 1: Fine, you lead the way, old lady.
 
NARRATOR: When they arrived to the old lady´s house, she showed the plate to the merchant.
 
GRANDMA: Take a look at the plate.
 
MERCHANT 1: Mmmm, let´s see.
 
NARRATOR: When the merchant saw the plate, it was truly black, but when he scratched it a little, he could see that it was a silver plate.
 
MERCHANT 1: This plate is worthless, old lady.  If you want to, I can take the plate with me and give you a broom.
 
GRANDMA: Thank you, but we prefer to keep our plate.
 
MERCHANT 1: It´s your decision.  I have wasted my time.
 
NARRATOR: But the merchant was thinking about going back the next day to try to convince her to give him the plate.  Next day, merchant 2 was selling in the street.
 
MERCHANT 2: Pot, pans, brooms, clothes, I have everything you need!.  Just come and get it!.
 
GIRL: Grandma, look, I still want that beautiful bracelet!.
 
GRANDMA: How much is it?.
 
MERCHANT 2: More than what you can pay, old lady.
 
GRANDMA: At home we have an old black metal plate.  Do you want it for the bracelet?.
 
MERCHANT 2: I have to see it first.
 
GRANDMA: Let´s go home so you can see it.
 
MERCHANT 2: I will follow you.
 
NARRATOR: When they arrived to her house,  she showed him the plate.
 
GRANDMA: Take a look at the plate.
 
MERCHANT 2: Mmmm, this is a silver plate.  It´s all black because it is dirty.  The things I have to sell are not enough to pay you.
 
GRANDMA: Oh, we didn´t know.  But we don´t have anything in this house!.  We don´t have any furniture, we are very poor.  Can you give us the bracelet and something else?.
 
MERCHANT 2: I will give you everything I have.
 
GRANDMA: Oh thank you, you’re so kind.
 
NARRATOR: When the merchant left the home, he went to see his friend.
 
MERCHANT 2: Take a look at this.  It´s a silver plate I got it from an old woman.  I gave her everything I had for this plate.  What do you think?.
 
MERCHANT 1: What?.  I saw that plate yesterday!  I lost an opportunity to have it without giving her anything in return.
 
NARRATOR: Then he stopped to think for a while.
 
MERCHANT 1: I have thought about it. If we join your honesty and the beautiful things that I still have, we can do  great businesses.  Can we work together from now on?.
 
MERCHANT 2: Sure!.
 
NARRATOR: Both men cleaned the silver plate until it was sparkling.  And both became very successful merchants.
 
 
THE END
 
 Author:  Buddhist Legend
 
Moral Value:  Honesty
 
 
 
–  When we say the truth, we are being honest.
 
–  We are being honest when we think and act the same way.
 
–  Honesty is not to make promises that we are not planning to keep.
 
–  An honest person is somebody whom we trust because he or she doesn´t lie.
 
–  Honesty means not to take what we didn´t achieve or that belongs to others.
 

 
 
 
 



 
 
 
 

 

 
 
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