Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Timmy who was a skeptic. He never believed in anything without proof. One day, while playing in the desert, he stumbled upon a Gila monster. The Gila monster was willingly washing himself in a nearby stream, when Timmy noticed something odd. The Gila monster was using a tiny piece of wood to whittle away at his claws.

Timmy couldn't believe what he was seeing and he started to develop a theory. He thought that maybe the Gila monster was preparing for a special occasion and needed to look his best. Timmy decided to follow the Gila monster to see if his theory was correct.

As they walked, the Gila monster would veer off the path and stop to stash something in the sand. Timmy was getting more and more exasperated because he was not able to see what the Gila monster was hiding. Finally, the Gila monster stopped and showed Timmy his stash. It was a pile of tattered old toys!

The Gila monster explained that he was fixing up the toys for the local children and that he was getting ready for a big toy giveaway! Timmy was amazed and realized that sometimes you have to believe in things even if you can't see it with your own eyes. From that day on, Timmy was no longer a skeptic and learned to believe in the goodness of others.

Reflections

1. Why was Timmy skeptical?
2. What did the Gila monster use to whittle his claws?
3. Was Timmy's theory about the Gila monster correct?
4. What was in the Gila monster's stash?
5. What did Timmy learn from following the Gila monster?