MIKNIA'S DOLL

As usual, Miknia stopped at the toy store on her way home to admire the toys. But today something new caught her attention. Hanging near the front of the store was a beautiful doll that she had never seen before.

"You're so cute," Miknia exclaimed. "I'm going to buy you and give you a beautiful name."

Miknia went inside the store to ask the price.

"5,000 riel," the seller replied.

Miknia came back outside and said to the doll. "You're too expensive. I only have 500 riel in my piggy bank. But don't worry. During this school vacation, I'm going to earn money to buy you and rescue you from that plastic bag."

As Miknia walked home, she tried to think of a way to earn money.

When she arrived, she heard her sister calling, "Miknia, would you please go to buy a dessert for me?"

"Of course," Miknia said, "but would you please pay me a little money for my work?"

"Why do you want to be paid?" her sister asked.

"I just saw something in the market that I want to buy," Miknia replied.

"Oh…well, OK," said her sister. "I'll give you 500 riel."

After returning from the market, Miknia put the 500 riel into her piggy bank. Now she had 1,000 riel saved.

The next morning, instead of cooking breakfast, Miknia's mother gave each child 1,000 riel to eat in the market. Miknia thought… if I don't use this money to eat, I'll have more to save. So Miknia put the money into her piggy bank.

Although Miknia now had 2,000 riel saved, her tummy was grumbling from hunger. Searching in the kitchen, Miknia found some left-over rice and grilled fish to eat. Then she hurried to the toy store to visit her doll.

The next day, Miknia went to play with the children who lived around her auntie's house.

Suddenly she heard her auntie calling, "Miknia, would you please take care of my baby while I go to the market?"

"Of course," Miknia answered, "but would you please pay me a little money for my work?"

"You've never asked me to pay you before," exclaimed her auntie.

"I saw something in the market that I want to buy," Miknia replied.

"OK," her auntie said. "I'll give you 2,000 riel."

That day, taking care of her auntie's baby was more fun than ever.

"You're so cute," Miknia said to the baby, "but soon I'm going to have a baby of my very own."

As Miknia put her auntie's 2,000 riel into her piggy bank, she thought… now I have 4,000 riel in all. I only need 1,000 more!

Then Miknia ran to the toy store to report to her doll about the progress of the fundraising.

The next day, Miknia didn't leave home at all. She just waited for someone to ask for her help. But the minutes passed slowly and then became hours, and no one asked her to do anything.

As Miknia's eyes wandered around the room, they came to rest on her father's trousers hanging near the door. She knew that her father always kept money in the pocket of his trousers. Maybe he wouldn't miss 1,000 riel.

Although Miknia knew that stealing was wrong, she tried to think of a reason why it would be alright to steal, just this once. One reason was because, if she didn't hurry and buy the doll, someone else might buy her first. Besides, she had promised herself that she would never steal again as long as she lived.

Once her mind was made up, Miknia hurried to take the 1,000 riel out of her father's pocket. Then she broke her piggy bank to get the rest of the money---5,000 in all.

When Miknia reached the store, she stood in the same spot she always did to look at her doll, but this time she couldn't see her.

The seller was not there, so Miknia asked the seller's son, "Where is that beautiful doll that used to hang right there?"

"I don't know for sure," he answered, "but I think my mother sold it already."

Those words pierced Miknia's heart like sharp arrows. It was as if she were the mother of a real baby who had been sold. Very slowly, she walked home, her eyes stinging from tears and her heart pounding in her throat.

When Miknia reached her house, she heard her father telling everyone that 1,000 riel was missing from his pocket. Now she knew that she must tell the truth.

"Pa," Miknia said with trembling voice, "I'm the one who took your money."

Her father came close to her. "You, Miknia?" He looked puzzled. "You've never stolen from me before. Why did you do this?"

"Because I loved a beautiful doll in the store and I didn't have enough money to buy her," Miknia said. Then she began to cry. "Oh, Pa, I'm so sorry I stole your money."

A gentle expression came over her father's face. He reached out and stroked Miknia's hair. "Next time, don't steal," he said. "Just ask me to help. But since I can see that you are truly sorry, I'll allow you to keep the 1,000 riel so that you can go to buy your doll."

"Oh, thank you, Pa," Miknia exclaimed, "but it's already too late. Someone else bought the doll before me."

"So now I see," her father responded. "Can you see it too, Miknia? God must have taken the doll away from you because you stole the money."

"You are right," Miknia said. "I know that I don't deserve to have her."

Then Miknia prayed to God, asking Him to forgive her for being so selfish and greedy. That Sunday at church, Miknia put the 5,000 riel that she had saved into the offering bag to thank God for His forgiveness.

About a week later, Miknia's father went shopping in the market to find another beautiful doll to buy for his daughter's birthday gift. But no matter where he looked, he could not find one. Finally, he happened to visit the same store where Miknia had found her special doll. The seller knew Miknia's family well.

"Do you have any beautiful dolls?" the father asked.

"Oh, do you want to buy one for your daughter Miknia?" the seller responded.

"Yes, it's almost her birthday," the father explained.

"Well, I know exactly which doll she loved the most," the seller said.

"How do you know?" asked the father.

"Because she used to come every day to visit her," said the seller.

"So where is this doll?" the father asked excitedly.

"Right here!" the seller said, as she pulled Miknia's doll out of a box under the table. "It became so dusty and hot in front of my store that I brought the doll inside to protect her."

The father flashed his biggest smile. "Please wrap her in bright paper with a pretty bow," he said.

When Miknia woke up on her birthday, she saw her father's gift beside her sleeping mat. The card said, For Miknia…From Pa…Happy Birthday.

Miknia tore the paper off and saw her special doll inside. The beautiful sight almost took her breath away! After getting dressed, she removed her doll from the plastic bag. Hugging her tightly, she ran to find her father.

"Thank you, Pa," she exclaimed. "How did you find her?"

"God must have led me," her father said. "Actually, she was never sold. The seller had put her away, because it was too dusty and hot where she was hanging. Now I believe that God has given the doll back to you, since He has forgiven you and disciplined you for your sin."

"Praise God," Miknia said reverently, as she hugged her doll tighter.

"So what are you going to name her?" Pa asked.

Miknia thought for a moment and then said to her doll, "I name you Meta, to remind me of God's mercy. Even though I don't deserve you, God forgave my sin and used Pa to find you and buy you as a gift for my birthday."

5,000 riel = $1.25 USD

Meta = "mercy"