Betty's Balloon

After walking a little while in silence Betty's father said, “So what have you been up to lately?”
    In a quiet sort of tone Betty said, “I joined a choir. It's so fun!”
    “Thats great.  Which choir is it?” her dad asked as they passed a little boy in a brown trench coat and a hat way to big for his head.
    The little boy was sitting under a big oak tree eying the balloon stand. He was a poor little nine year old orphan boy named Sammy. Sammy had never seen a balloon before and he wanted one so bad but he just didn't have enough money.
    Betty's father Mr. Strill was a rich man so ever since the divorce he bought little Betty everything
she wanted.  Today Betty saw a big red balloon with a smiley face on it. She asked her father "Can i have that big red Balloon daddy?" and of course he bought it for her.
    After she bought the balloon she noticed Sammy, the little orphan boy, following her and her dad.                                        She thought, “Maybe he wants my balloon?” but that thought was gone when her father offered to buy them both a double scoop of ice cream.
    Her dad gave her instructions just to wait on the park bench with her big red balloon while he ran over to get ice cream from the ice cream shack.
    Betty said, “Okay,” as her dad ran off to the ice cream shack.
    Sammy started slowly walking over toward her. When he reached the park bench, on which her and her balloon were waiting, he was silent...just standing there. Then he said in a quiet voice, “Give me the balloon. We can do this the easy way or the hard way” as he smacked his fist against the palm of his other open hand. Betty was so scared she gave it to him right away without thinking.
    Next he warned, “And you better not tell your dad” as he did the same sort of motion with his hands, then walked away.
    When her dad came back he asked, “Where is your balloon?”
    Betty was about to tell him all about what happened while he was at the ice cream shack when she remembered what Sammy had said. So instead she said, “I don't know.Will you buy me a new one?”
    Mr. Strill replied, “Of course I will,” as they walked back over to the balloon stand hand in hand.