No More Peanut Butter in the Jelly Jar

By Pat St. Pierre

Peter John didn’t do things the way his brother Marc did. Peter John did things just the opposite from Marc.

When Marc made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, he would spread peanut butter on one slice of bread and jelly on the other slice of bread. He never got any peanut butter in the jelly jar.

Peter John tried very hard but every time he made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich the peanut butter stuck to the knife and went into the jelly jar.

“The jelly jar gets messy when you get peanut butter in it. Let me show you how to scrape the knife off before you put it in the jelly jar,” said Marc.

“Gee thanks,” said Peter John.

Marc took his jacket from the closet and put first one arm in one sleeve and then the other arm in the other sleeve. Peter John had to place his jacket on the floor, put his arms in the sleeves and toss the jacket over his head. Peter John saw Marc look at him and he knew he did it wrong.

“Here watch me” said Marc. “With a little practice you’ll be able to put your jacket on like I do.”

When mom asked both boys to get dressed in the morning, Marc came downstairs looking nice and neat, but Peter John had his shirt on backwards and his shoes were on the wrong feet.

“You’ll have to switch your shoes,” said Marc, “because they’re on the wrong feet.”

I thought I put them on the right feet,” said Peter John.

“If the tops of the shoes point outward then you’ll know they’re on the wrong feet,” replied Marc.

“Thank you for explaining that to him, Marc,” said Mom. “I’m sure he’ll remember next time.”

Marc and his friends came in the house after playing outside in the yard. Peter John looked up. Sure enough there was mud all over the living room floor.

“How come you don’t bring in mud?” asked Peter John.

“Because I remember to clean my sneakers before coming into the house,” said Marc.

“I guess I forget,” said Peter John.

“Let me help you clean up the mud,” Marc said.

At night when Marc brushed his teeth he said, “Peter John I put the cap back on the toothpaste. I guess you forgot and I also cleaned the sink.”

“Oh, thanks” was all Peter John could say.

Marc tossed his used tissue into the bathroom basket. He never missed.

Peter John did the same thing but his tissue didn’t reach the wastebasket. So before Marc could say something to him, Peter John picked up the tissue.

Peter John felt sad. I don’t like being messy he thought to himself. I’m really going to try and be more like Marc.

Then one morning, Peter John brushed his teeth and he put the cap back on the toothpaste.

“Hmm,” said Mom when she went to clean the bathroom. “No toothpaste in the bathroom sink.”

Peter John smiled.

In the afternoon, Dad said, “Put your jacket on, we’re going to the store.”

Peter John got his jacket. He put one arm in one sleeve and then put the other arm in the other sleeve just like Marc did.

“I’m proud of you,” said Dad. Then he looked down at Peter John’s shoes. They were on the right feet. “Peter John you should be very proud of yourself,” said Dad. Peter John grinned from ear to ear.

But the best thing of all is when Peter John heard his brother say, “You made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and didn’t get peanut butter in the jelly jar. Wow, you made a better sandwich than I can make!”

And that’s when Peter John knew that he had changed.  Now he and his big brother Marc were no longer opposite.

 

- Total nr. of readings: 3,009 Copyright © The author [2020] All Rights Reserved. This story may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the author except for personal use.