The smallest gift

Isaiah Higgins was a very wealthy man who had a very generous heart. He loved to buy gifts and give them away to the poor. One day there was a famine in the land and Isaiah was very troubled for the little children. They were getting very hungry and had very little to eat. 

Isaiah had heard that the famine was coming, so he was able with his wealth to store up bags of wheat. One day he had this creative idea, "Why don't I make loaves of bread  with all the wheat that I have stored". I will allow each family to have one loaf each day until the famine is over.

This was a very generous idea, but when the children came to collect their loaf of bread fights would break out.  They fought over, who had the largest loaf.  The children were very rude and ungrateful.  I think that they were just too hungry.

Every day, Isaiah noticed a little girl, Frances, who stood by and waited for all the older children to stop grabbing. After they left, then she would modestly go up to the basket and take the only remaining loaf, which was always the smallest. She would thank the kind gentleman and go home. The next day the children were just as rude. It broke Isaiah's heart to see the children so ungrateful, but Frances was a sweet little girl.

Faithfully every morning, Frances arrived and waited for the smallest loaf to take home. One night at dinner, when her mother cut into the loaf of bread, several silver coins dropped out. Her mother was frightened and said, "Frances,you have to take these coins back immediately.  It must be a mistake." Frances wrapped up the bread and headed back to see Isaiah and told him what had happened.  Isaiah was NOT surprised.  He explained to her, " I have been observing how patient and content you have been with the smallest loaf, so I decided to make a special loaf  just for you.  I put the silver coins in it  to help your family through the famine."  Frances didn't know what to say.  She graciously thank Isaiah and hurried home to tell her mother.

• Her mother was very grateful.  The coins made it possible not only to feed her own family , but she was able to share some food with her neighbors.  Frances experienced for herself that "The biggest is not always the best".

Shimo

An Iditarod

 In the state of Alaska, teams of husky dogs are trained to race 1,000 miles across frozen ice and snow. It is called  the Iditarod, a very serious competition in the middle of the winter.  The lead dog is the most important dog on the team.  His leadership and obedience to his master will determine whether they win or lose.

Shimo was a champion Eskimo lead dog.  He loved to lead and had led his team of sixteen huskies to strong finishes in the last  three Iditiarods.  Ever since he was a young husky, Shimo had the heart to win and the drive to work hard. His trainer, Skilley and Shimo were inseparable.  Day and night they worked hard to be ready for the next run. Shimo's greatest problem was his pride.  He only wanted to be the lead dog, but he was getting older and his legs were crippling.with arthritis.

Jaco and Shimo

Shimo was having trouble working out with younger dogs. Skilley had no alternative then to start training another lead dog. He choose Jaco.  A young Husky, who was strong and was outrunning Shimo in practice.

In the Spring, when Skilly started training his dogs, he had to make a decision, if he should put Jaco in the lead and try Shimo in the pack. Shimo wanted nothing to do with it.  He did not like running with the other dogs and was very jealousy of Jaco taking his place.  Shimo would start fights with Jaco and refused to obey.


The day of the Iditarod was only a week away, Skilley, in order to save the team, had to take Shimo out of the pack.  It broke his heart, but he had no other choice.Shimo had been his very best lead dog for the last five years He had led his team to the finish line many times. If only Shimo wasn't so proud and would accept. his place on the team,, but he didn't.  He just wanted to be first and it cost him the very thing he loved the most, to run in the Iditarod.  Besides, people were financially supporting Skilley's team and expecting him to win this year.  

Shimo wrapped in his blanket

On the day of the Iditarod, Skilley had no alternative than to leave Shimo home.  He wrapped him in  a blanket and tried to settle him down. Shimo knew something wasn't right.  He heard all the others dogs barking excitedly, it had to be the run.  Shimo started to bark  and whine, but Skilley tried not to pay any attention.  It was very hard for him to hear Shimo crying.  Skilley was going to miss Shimo.  He knew how much he wanted  to run.   After hitching up his dogs and packing, Skilley went back for one last hug. "Shimo," said Skilley, 'I know that you don't understand, but it has to be this way.  Maybe you will learn to let Jaco lead and than you can go next year."


Skilley's heart was heavy leaving Shimo at home. About six hours later, Shimo couldn't stand it any more.  He pulled his stake out of the ground and jumped over the fence and headed for the trial.  The only problem was,, it was snowing and all of the tracks were covered.  Shimo thought he knew his way anyway and kept going.

Skilley and the team had finished their first,day, when they got a text from home. "Shimo was missing.  Beiieved to be out looking for you." Skilley's heart sank.  He couldn't  finish the race.  He had to find Shimo  He turned his team around and headed for home. Shimo was more important than winning the iditiarod

The snow was  heavy and Skilley was getting more and more  concerned .  Shimo had now been out in the cold already for a day without any food or water. As they were heading back to home, Shelly noticed somthing that looked like a rock in the middle of the trail..  Could it be Shimo? Skilley hurried , "Mush you Huskies" he shouted..  Quickly, Skilley brushed the snow off the object and there frozen in the snow lay Skimo. Skilley cried and cried as he picked up Shimo, tears streaming down his face. In Shimo's desperate effort to find his master.  Shilley, was caught in the storm and froze to death. He put his champion lead dog on his sled saying, "Oh Shimo, Shimo how much I loved you. Why wouldn't you trust me? You were getting older and I wanted to save your strength so I could enjoy you .  I miss you, I miss you so much.

When Skilley arrived back home everyone was so surprised to hear about Shimo's death. The whole town grieved and mourned his passing.. Shimo had won three Iditiarods and had become a hero.  Skilley didn't finish the Iditiarod that year, instead he created a huge snow statue of the great Shimo for the towns people to celebrate his life..

This is the snow sculpture that Skilley created to honor Skimo