Mina and the Missing Sticker

Story

Mina loved helping everyone in her class. So, when her teacher announced the “Helpers’ Week,” she was super excited. Every child got a job for the whole week. Mina was given the task of cleaning the art shelf.

It wasn’t a fancy job. There were leaky glue bottles, broken crayons, and glitter stuck to everything. But Mina didn’t mind. She cleaned the shelf every day, carefully wiping jars, arranging brushes, and picking up leftover scraps.

Mina had her eyes on the golden “Best Helper” sticker. It sparkled on the noticeboard, and she really wanted to earn it!

Her friend Ria said, “You’ll definitely get it. You’ve worked so hard!”

Mina smiled and felt proud.

But when Friday came, the sticker was awarded to Sid for helping in the library.

Mina blinked. Sid had only started helping on Wednesday! She felt a storm of feelings inside her tummy. She tried not to show it, but she was upset.

That evening, Mina didn’t even enjoy her favourite mango slices.

She told her mom, “I cleaned every single day, and I didn’t even get the sticker.”

Her mom gently asked, “Did you clean the shelf because you wanted the sticker? Or because you liked helping?”

Mina thought for a moment.

She remembered how good it felt to see the shelf neat. How her classmates said, “Thanks, Mina!” when they found their markers in the right place.

“Maybe… both,” Mina replied honestly.

The next week, Mina went back to school. She wasn’t in charge of the shelf anymore, but when she saw a crayon box on the floor, she picked it up. She still helped where she could. She didn’t stop, even though there was no sticker involved.

Her teacher noticed and smiled. She said, “Good job, Mina.”

Sometimes, the best reward is knowing in your heart that you did the right thing, not for a prize.

Krishna says that we should do our duty with full sincerity, without always thinking about what we will get in return.

Mina learned this valuable lesson in her own small way—and that’s what makes her a real hero.