A Mystery Character

The Household of Character is a very busy place today. Out in the yard several children are riding bikes while the littlest ones hold kittens. Yummy smells fill the kitchen and the dining room table is being set for dinner. The happy notes of a flute and the noisy hammering of a nail float down the stairs. But something has gone wrong and one of the daughters is crying.

“Mama,” she says, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Justice is being mean again.”

“What has happened?” Mama asks kindly.

“Well, we were racing our bikes when Confidence ran over a nail and his tire went flat. Reason said that it would need to be patched, because it was such a big hole that you could hear the air coming out. But Justice said it was Confidence’s fault for not picking up the nails when Dear Papa told him to. I said that we should try to help him fix his bike, but Justice and Reason just rode off down the lane and ignored us! I think Justice is mad at me. He said that Dear Papa lets me sit in his lap the most, and that it wasn’t fair that he liked my love poem more than anyone else’s. Now Justice says I am a sissy and spoiled rotten! Do you think it is true?”

Mama smiled. “You are a dear girl with a tender, giving heart. Sometimes Confidence does need to learn things the hard way, though. Why don’t you leave them alone for a bit and see if you can help in the kitchen?”

“Okay,” said the kind sister, and headed down the hall.

Just then the door slammed and Justice came in with bruises and cuts. Reason was right behind him. “He spun out at the end of the driveway and smashed the big clay pot to smithereens!”

“The one I planted with geraniums by the mail box?” asked big-sister Prudence, turning from the sink.

“That is terrible!” said the younger sister, and hurried to get a wet wash cloth and bandages for Justice.

“Thank you,” Justice said, after his gentle nurse had patched him up. “I guess I deserved it after riding off like that. I’m sorry.”

A bright smile came to the girl’s face. “I forgive you. I’m just glad you didn’t get hurt worse!”

Suddenly there were loud yowls outside. She quickly opened the door to find the littlest sister holding a kitten by its tail. “Stop that right now!” she yelled. “You are hurting it!”

“But it scratch me!” complained the little one, as she watched the frightened kitten run away. “It not nice!”

“But it will only scratch more if you hurt it,” Sister patiently pointed out. “You have to be gentle if you want to be friends with it.” She took the little hand in her own and kissed the scratches. “Let’s go in and see if it is time to eat.”

“We are hungry, Prudence,” she told the biggest sister in the kitchen. “Can we have a slice of cheese or some of the nuts, please?”

“No, it will spoil your appetite,” Prudence replied.

“How about an apple?” the girl asked, hopefully.

“Well… if it is a small one,” her big sister agreed.

As the apple was cut into pieces, the brothers gathered around. “Can we have some?” Reason asked.

And the kind sister shared cheerfully, even though only the smallest slice was left for her.

What do you think her name was?

Clues:

It makes her sad when _____________________________________
She likes to ______________________________________________
She doesn’t like __________________________________________
Traits she has: __________, __________, __________, __________

A few more hints from the Bible (unscramble the words in parentheses and put them on the lines):

She makes God stop being (grany) ________ with people (Micah 7:18).
She helped a Samaritan be a good (hengorib) ________ to a robbed and wounded man. (Luke 10:37)
She is at God’s (tenhor) ________ and is ready to help everyone in need (Hebrews 4:16).