It was the hottest day of summer. Poppy and Jack set up a lemonade stand on the sidewalk. They worked hard all morning.
They made a big sign. They filled a pitcher with cold lemonade. They stacked the cups up high. Just a quarter a cup!
The Lemonade Stand
So they waited. And waited. But nobody came. The sidewalk was quiet and empty.
The hot sun beat down. The ice melted away. The lemonade turned warm. Poppy and Jack felt glum.
At last, a tired old man came down the street. He wiped his brow. He looked so hot and thirsty.
But when they poured him a cup, he had no money at all. “That's okay,” said Poppy. “This one is on us.”
The old man drank it all down. He smiled a big, happy smile. “Thank you, kind friends!” he said.
He told everyone he met about the two kids and their lemonade. Soon a whole line formed down the block!
Poppy and Jack poured and poured. They added fresh ice. They squeezed more lemons.
Cup after cup, their coin jar filled up. Clink, clink, clink! The stand was a big hit.
At the end of the day, they counted all their coins. But the best part was not the money at all.
The best part was the old man's happy smile. One small kindness had come right back to them.