“Cindy and the Treasure Chest,” Friend, July 1991, 2
Cindy and the Treasure Chest
Choose the right when a choice is placed before you (Hymns, 1985, no. 239).
Cindy giggled in delight as the Mr. Thirsty gadget drained the last of the water from her mouth, tickling her tongue.
Dr. Winters smiled back and picked up a tiny, long-handled silver mirror. “Your teeth look great, Cindy. You’re doing a fine job of brushing them. One last peek, and you’ll be ready for the treasure chest.”
Cindy closed her eyes, opened her mouth real wide, and wriggled her toes happily. She couldn’t wait to see what surprise was in the treasure chest today. Last time there had been dinosaur stickers with goggly eyes, and once there had been tiny books.
“OK, Cindy, I’m all done,” said Dr. Winters, unclipping the napkin from Cindy’s neck. Grasping Cindy’s hand, he pulled her up and out of the chair. “Why, Cindy, what a pretty ring you’re wearing! But ‘CTR’ aren’t your initials, are they?”
“Oh, no, Dr. Winters,” said Cindy, smiling. “‘CTR’ means ‘choose the right.’ My teacher at church gave it to me as a reminder to always do the right thing.”
“That’s a really nice idea,” said Dr. Winters. “Now, you run along to the treasure chest and pick out your surprise.”
Skipping down the hallway and into the middle room, Cindy stopped in front of a small pirate chest, took a deep breath, then raised the lid.
“Ooooh! Wow!”
Nestled on trays of rich, purple velvet were sparkling rings in all the colors of the rainbow.
“Aren’t they pretty, Cindy?” asked Dr. Winters, pausing in the doorway on his way down the hall. “Please pick only one—I’m expecting a lot of children this week.”
Nodding her head, Cindy studied the rings one by one. Rosy pink, sky blue, ruby red, grassy green—the colors seemed to go on forever.
How am I ever going to choose just one? she wondered. What I’d really like is one of each! There are so many rings, surely it wouldn’t hurt if I took one of each color, just this once.
With a frown on her face and a funny knot beginning to grow in her stomach, Cindy reached her hand slowly towards the glittering display of rings.
Overhead, the bright lights in the room picked up and reflected a twinkling object on her hand. Cindy’s eyes were drawn to the familiar green and silver ring.
The CTR ring! She’d almost forgotten she was wearing it. She remembered what her teacher at Primary had said as she handed them out: “When you’re baptized, boys and girls, you’ll be expected to do what’s right. It won’t be up to your family or anyone else. It will be up to you and your conscience to do what Jesus would like you to do. This ring will help remind you to choose the right.”
Cindy smiled, remembering how happy and proud she had been to get her CTR ring. Her teacher was right—a little reminder once in a while was just what a person needed.
Closing her eyes tight, Cindy reached into the chest and pulled out a ring. Hot pink! Her favorite color. Now she had a ring for each hand.
I must show Mama, she thought. After carefully closing the treasure chest lid, Cindy skipped happily down the hall toward the waiting room.
Illustrated by Taia Morley