“Mum,” Betty wailed as she came into the kitchen, “Bobby’s calling me names!”

“Oh, come now,” said Mum, “He doesn’t mean what he is saying!”

“He does too!” said Betty, “He told me I was an old meanie-bum!”

“Well, what did you do to him?” Mum asked. She knew very well that Bobby wouldn’t call names if he hadn’t been provoked in some way.

“Well,” said Betty looking at the ground, “I did hide his phone, and I won’t tell him  where until he says he is sorry!”

Mum was used to this sort of thing, and she said mildly, “Don’t you think you should say sorry too and go and get his phone back for him?”

“I don’t think it was a nice thing for him to say I was a meanie-bum,” Betty said sulkily.

“Well, you remember the old saying that ‘sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me!’ ” said Mum, “And in this case don’t you think you deserved it when you took his phone?”

   Uncle Jeff came in just then with Bobby following close behind. “Well, well,,” he said in his big cheerful voice, “What’s been going on here?” as he noticed Betty’s aggrieved face.

“Bobby’s been calling me horrid names, Uncle Jeff”, she said.

“And Betty’s gone and hidden my phone!” Bobby said, “She deserves it!”

“Now, now,” said Uncle Jeff, “I think you should both say sorry and you go and give his phone back, Betty. Two wrongs don’t make a right you know!! You know, saying things like this is like ripples on calm water….they go for a very long way. Even some jokes hurt other people. I remember once when I was going to school, a boy called me ‘Bandy’. He only meant it as a joke, but I didn’t like it and I’ve never forgotten it!”

“Yes,” said Mum, “And I remember once I told a girl in my class that I liked what she was wearing and she took it the wrong way, and acted as if I’d slapped her in the face!”

“Ooh,” said Sarah who came in then and heard this last bit, “What happened then?”

“Nothing,” Mum said, “But I’ve never forgotten it. It just shows that what we say can go much further than we ever intend it to.”

“Yes,” said Uncle Jeff, “We should always say things that will build other people up and make them feel good. People will always remember you by what you say!”

    Betty had gone out of the room, and now she came back with her hands behind her back. “Here’s your phone, Bobby,” she said, pulling it out… “I shouldn’t have annoyed you by hiding it”.

“Oh, thank you Betty,” Bobby said, “And I shouldn’t have called you names either, but you did make me mad!”

“That’s great,” said Uncle Jeff, “Now what about that cup of tea? I’m awfully thirsty after all that!”