Paddy was extremely untidy. Her room always looked a mess. She never bothered to put away her books or toys or clothes. Mummy was fed up of telling her to clean up her room and her cupboard. Paddy always had an excuse ready for her laziness!
It was her birthday. She got several gifts. But Papa and Mummy had given her the best gift: a doll-house! She was so thrilled that she spent hours playing with it. It had a drawing room and a dining room, two bedrooms, a nursery and a kitchen. And there were bathrooms too! And a study! Everything was beautifully furnished.
Every day, she cleaned it carefully and arranged the furniture and the decorations neatly in it. Mummy watched her enjoying the doll-house and was very happy. As she watched her, an idea occurred to her. Perhaps the doll-house could help her teach Paddy about cleaning up her room.
The next morning. Paddy found a lot of strange pieces of cloth in one of the bedrooms. Then one day, there were matchsticks in the nursery. Another day saw coffee beans in the drawing room. Every day, there was something or the other messing up her beautiful doll-house.
One day, Mummy found sitting in front of the doll-house, with tears of rage and frustration running down her face.
“What happened; Paddy?” asked Mummy.
“Mummy, look!” wept Paddy, “I do up my doll-house every day and somebody makes it messy and untidy.”
“Is that so? Let’s clean it up,” suggested Mummy.
That day, Paddy and Mummy cleaned up the doll- house. But the next day, it was the same mess as earlier!
“It doesn’t matter,” said Mummy, “It’s like your room, Paddy.” “My room? How?” asked Paddy.
“Paddy, for me you are my doll, aren’t you? And this house is my doll-house. I have to take care of it like you look after your doll-house. So I have to clean it and dust it, fold clothes, put away toys and books and shoes and all those things.”
Paddy looked thoughtful as she cleaned up her doll- house. Then she went up to her room and saw the mess it was in. She folded her clothes, put away her toys and books, and made her bed.
She went to the kitchen and found Mummy baking a raisin cake.
“Mum, is there something I can do?” asked Paddy.
Mummy smiled. The doll-house had worked!
Moral: Behave as you wish others to behave with you.
