What do you think of this story?

[kidd]

I got this from an email and I want to see what you guys think about this story?

The Necklace

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself.. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite."

"That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."

And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style.

As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy; this is for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.

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I googled for the story afterwards and found each ended with a different closing words. Here are some of them.

1) So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures. (from the email)
2) So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give up beautiful treasure. Isn't God good? Are you holding onto things which God wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary habits, activities, partners or relationships which you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing....... God will never take away
something without giving you something better in its place.
3) Question- what imitations are we holding onto that stops us from receiving God's genuine treasures?

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Btw, before I read the conclusion and what message the story was trying to put across, this was my exact sentiment when it comes to the action of the dad.

http://www.zimbio.com/Interfaith+Min...eautiful+Story

[kidd]

post deleted

[Candide]

Terrible parenting.

What's the bet that little girl grows up to be an irresponsible woman who lives from paycheque to paycheque because she has poor impulse control and spends all her money on lame a$$ shoes & sh!t? That she becomes an overly emotional woman who clings on to every piece of sh1tty possession and makes a huge deal out of it whenever she has to throw it away or give it away to someone?

[Trien Chieu]

Is it really true that you have to give up something really precious to get something better? Does the world really work this way? Will you always get that gift at the end if you give up with is precious to you now. Why looking for different version of this story, I read one blog where the writer said this has always been true in her life. When she give up one thing, something better will come.

This is absolutely false. When you give up something really precious to you that mean something precious of you is lost. That's it. Something better will come to you or not is independent of whether you gave away something precious. As for me myself, I believe in save up for the rainy days. Give away something may make you feel good for the moment, but when the rain comes you will be wet and cold.

[ByTmE]

I am basing my opinion and response solely from the story and not the conclusions under the dotted line. I don't like it when people test my character. In fact, I hate it when people test my character. I feel like the father is testing his child. I would be very unhappy if I was that little girl and my father asked me to give up something that I loved because he was testing me. I'd still give up my precious item, but I would not take his in return. I will feel really REALLY upset in the end [because I did not accept the genuine pearls], but the other person will know never to test me again.

[Guo Xiang]

I am basing my opinion and response solely from the story and not the conclusions under the dotted line. I don't like it when people test my character. In fact, I hate it when people test my character. I feel like the father is testing his child. I would be very unhappy if I was that little girl and my father asked me to give up something that I loved because he was testing me. I'd still give up my precious item, but I would not take his in return. I will feel really REALLY upset in the end [because I did not accept the genuine pearls], but the other person will know never to test me again.

I agree. In the story, the child’s feelings were entirely ignored because the father believed a particular way was better for her. Also, it stinks of emotional blackmailing.

“If you love me, give me that pearl necklace.”

The child was extorted into proving her love for her father.

If someone is content with current situation of her life, which is by no means harmful to anyone, why should she be expected to give it up for something better? Is this the start of teaching someone to be ungrateful and unappreciative?

[kidd]

Yes, that's what I feel. All the while I feel the dad's action is like guilt-tripping the daughter.

[HuangYushi]

Sorry to interrupt with a completely different viewpoint, but this story is actually meant to be told by one Christian to another Christian within the context of Christian faith and trust. It is not simply a nice heartwarming tear-jerking story (as viewed by some), or an example of poor parenting, guilt-tripping, character-testing or emotional blackmailing (as viewed by others). A Christian can tell this story as a simplified analogy to another Christian within the context of the Christian faith, to demonstrate the greater possibilities of trusting in God and listening to Him rather than holding on to ideas/thoughts that once seemed good. Therefore, due to the fact that this is a simplified analogy relating a specific faith/belief/religion, individuals who do not believe or have not experienced the said specific faith/belief/religion would somehow interpret the story in a different way.

[kidd]

The protagonist is a young girl. So, I assume the story is for children. If that's the case, it better have a PG13 warning (read with parental guidance). As can be seen, this story can be interpreted many ways. The child might learn the following
- Cheap = unworthy, expensive = worthy
- Dad's love is conditional. If you don't give him what he wants, he won't be happy and will feel that you don't love him.

[odbayarb2000]

The protagonist is a young girl. So, I assume the story is for children. If that's the case, it better have a PG13 warning (read with parental guidance). As can be seen, this story can be interpreted many ways. The child might learn the following
- Cheap = unworthy, expensive = worthy
- Dad's love is conditional. If you don't give him what he wants, he won't be happy and will feel that you don't love him.

hilarious

[Candide]

The Dad has to be some SWPL yuppie herb mangina. What kind of Dad has to ask THREE bloody times for the kid to give him something? A Dad that has his balls stored in Mummy's purse, that's who.

A real Dad would only have to gesture with his hand once to get that necklace. Actually, a real Dad would marry a woman with good taste, who would never allow their daughter to buy cheap arse sh1t from the 2 dollar Chinese shop.



Ssshhhh Yushi, we're having way too much fun with this.

[kidd]

This remind me of another 'heart-warming' story I read that I found something wrong it. It turns out I'm not the only one.

http://www.snopes.com/glurge/rose.asp

[Candide]

This remind me of another 'heart-warming' story I read that I found something wrong it. It turns out I'm not the only one.

http://www.snopes.com/glurge/rose.asp

Yet another feminist attempt to shame men's biological nature of preferring visual attraction over all others in women.

[ByTmE]

This remind me of another 'heart-warming' story I read that I found something wrong it. It turns out I'm not the only one.

http://www.snopes.com/glurge/rose.asp

This story is just a little bit different from the other story but still involves some kind of deception and testing. I wonder if the young lady has had so many negative experiences with the men in her life that she has to test the one that she's already gotten to know emotionally through letters. Or perhaps she thinks too highly [and being uncomfortable of beauty in the same capacity] of her own attractiveness that she feels compelled to do what she did. Anyway, we already know from the story about the young man's decision and initial desires. He didn't want the frumpy older one, he wanted the younger one. He still got the younger one according the story.

The rewrite is better.

[remember_Cedric]

Sorry to interrupt with a completely different viewpoint, but this story is actually meant to be told by one Christian to another Christian within the context of Christian faith and trust. It is not simply a nice heartwarming tear-jerking story (as viewed by some), or an example of poor parenting, guilt-tripping, character-testing or emotional blackmailing (as viewed by others). A Christian can tell this story as a simplified analogy to another Christian within the context of the Christian faith, to demonstrate the greater possibilities of trusting in God and listening to Him rather than holding on to ideas/thoughts that once seemed good. Therefore, due to the fact that this is a simplified analogy relating a specific faith/belief/religion, individuals who do not believe or have not experienced the said specific faith/belief/religion would somehow interpret the story in a different way.

Hi Yushi, I think your post is completely relevant, IMO. Good post.

It appears that this particular thread has also aline the reactions of non-Christians from Christians to this story. Interesting.

[kidd]

Anyway, we already know from the story about the young man's decision and initial desires. He didn't want the frumpy older one, he wanted the younger one. He still got the younger one according the story.

Yeah, he wanted the younger one. So, he changed the love feeling he has for his penpal into 'something even better than love'. I was quite young when I read this story and I remember feeling very disappointed with the guy when I read this part.

The rewrite is better.

Yeap, the rewrite is better and tell exactly what is the problem with the story.

I don't really get what moral the story want to convey. Treat frumpy middle age lady kindly and you will be rewarded with a drop dead gorgeous woman?

[Candide]

Hi Yushi, I think your post is completely relevant, IMO. Good post.

It appears that this particular thread has also aline the reactions of non-Christians from Christians to this story. Interesting.

You Christians need better stories.

Do you think the parents in that story behaved like God-fearing Christians should?

[remember_Cedric]

You Christians need better stories.

I have been told of a few good ones, though I can't and do not have time to dictate any one at the moment. They're like footprints left in my impression who I don't know whom the footprints belonged to.

Do you think the parents in that story behaved like God-fearing Christians should?

No, it never crossed my mind that the parents in the story = how God-fearing Christians should behaved like. What if the Dad in this story represents the Heavenly father aka God? That's what deduced from the story. Share with me your point of view of the story from a Christian POV, I'm all eyes.

[Lucre]

i dont find the story heartwarming actually...but put it this way...
this little girl is too obsessed with a cheap string of pearls. the fact that she could offer anything BUT that pearl, and not to mention isn't she a tat too obsessed with it?

it's about time that she should be rid of the pearls before she gets any sillier with having it. surely the daddy won't wanna take it away if the pearls didn't make the little girl so silly with it.

but at least he didn't confiscate the pearls...he should have. for the silly little girl's sake.

[remember_Cedric]

i dont find the story heartwarming actually...but put it this way...
this little girl is too obsessed with a cheap string of pearls. the fact that she could offer anything BUT that pearl, and not to mention isn't she a tat too obsessed with it?

it's about time that she should be rid of the pearls before she gets any sillier with having it. surely the daddy won't wanna take it away if the pearls didn't make the little girl so silly with it.

but at least he didn't confiscate the pearls...he should have. for the silly little girl's sake.

Dammm..... but that's a very interesting point made.

I'd definitely confiscate those cheap ball pearls so that the kid would quit that unneeded obsession.