It was Saturday evening, and Scott's father and mother had left him with his grandmother while they made a call. Grandmother always enjoyed Scott's visits because it gave them an opportunity to talk about the week's happenings and to share with each other the spiritual unfoldment that each was having. For, you see, Scott and his grandmother were both students of Christian Science, and both went to the Christian Science Sunday School. Grandmother taught a class, and Scott was a pupil in another class.

Scott's class was now learning the importance of Moses' rule (Deut. 5:1), "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them." So that was what Scott had to do: learn the Commandments, keep the Commandments, and do the Commandments.

Tomorrow he would go to Sunday School, and his teacher had asked him to bring to the class a story showing how the sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not kill" (Ex. 20:13), could be put into practice. How glad Scott was that he could prepare his Sunday School lesson with Grandmother to help him!

"Grandmother," asked Scott, "could you tell me a story about the sixth commandment?"

Grandmother thought a moment and then said, "I shall tell you a story about something that really happened in our garden."

"Oh, that would be fun," exclaimed Scott, who enjoyed his visits with his grandmother quite as much as she enjoyed hers with him. So these two good friends settled down for a happy story hour.

And this is the true story that Grandmother told Scott to show him how the sixth commandment can be lived.

One bright morning in May, Grandmother's beautiful garden looked even more beautiful than usual with its many trees, shrubs, and flowers all abloom. There were also many orange trees, and in front of the orange trees there was a big strawberry patch. Nestling under the sheltering green leaves and lying on a bed of pine needles, many big red strawberries were poking out their noses.

Grandmother had a gardener named Imre, who loved every growing thing under the soil and above the soil, and who had a talent for bringing things into bloom and fruitage. Imre was happy in his work, but on this particular morning he was quite put out because some bird had been taking nips from the noses of the very fattest and sweetest berries. So Imre called Grandmother's attention to the plight of the berry patch and begged permission to get his slingshot and make a quick end of the robber birds who were destroying the crop.

Grandmother replied that disobeying the sixth commandment would not be handling the problem rightly and would be unseemly in a Christian Scientist. Now Imre loved God, so naturally he did not wish to disobey Him. And after Imre and Grandmother had talked about God's love and provision for "all the varied expressions of God," which our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, tells us "reflect health, holiness, immortality—infinite Life, Truth, and Love" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 518), Imre agreed with Grandmother that one idea could not steal from another in God's universe, where there is always abundant supply of good things for all God's precious ones.

The next day the gardener came to Grandmother, his eyes shining with love. "What do you think!" he said. "The bird that has been eating the strawberries has a broken wing and cannot fly away. How good it is that our Father-Mother God led it here to be healed, as well as to be fed!"

And that is just what happened. Imre realized this healing truth in Science and Health (p. 514): "All of God's creatures, moving in the harmony of Science, are harmless, useful, indestructible." Every time he came upon his bird friend in the garden, he declared aloud to it God's protection of His idea from accident, pain, fear, and separation, as well as its safety and provision in the heavenly Father's presence. The bird and the gardener became close friends. All that season the bird remained in the garden, hopping about by day, feeding on the green shoots and fruits and berries, and perching on the low branches of the orange trees at night. And all the while God's healing truth was operating to help the bird.

Summer passed and fall came; and one day the bird was gone. Imre could not find it anywhere. Winter came, and sometimes the winds blew cold, but Imre still worked in the garden, making it beautiful for all to see. And then it was spring again, and all the world looked fresh and new.

One fine spring day Grandmother and her family heard Imre calling them to come into the garden quickly. When they went out, Imre's eyes were shining with happiness. And what do you think they saw? Imre's bird had come back home to say "Thank you" for a beautiful healing. How happy they all were! And Imre was grateful that he had obeyed the sixth commandment.

Scott's eyes were shining with happiness too as Grandmother finished her story. He thought it would be a good story to share with his Sunday School class. He was silent for a while, and then he asked, "How did you know it was Imre's bird, Grandmother?"

"We knew it was the same bird because of the way she held her wing," Grandmother replied. "The wing that had been healed seemed even more beautiful than the other; but how strong it was now! And how fast and powerfully the bird could fly!"

Scott smiled. "I suppose her way of saying 'Thank you' was to sing you a song," he said.

"More than that," replied Grandmother. "Her way of saying thank you was to return with her mate and build a nest in the camellia shrub on our terrace!"

Scott smiled again. He was so glad about the little bird. He was glad, too, to learn more about the sixth commandment.