It was finally Saturday, Frederick’s day off. He ran down the streets, as if racing the wind to see who could get to Lady Liberty skeleton first. Suddenly, he stopped still, for in a shop window sat the loveliest carved figure of Lady Liberty herself! His eyebrows slid up. He ran into the shop. “Excuse me, sir, how much money is that figure of Lady Liberty?” Frederick asked. “Well laddie, it’s worth 15 cents but I’m lowering the price to 10 cents.” “Ten cents,” Frederick’s head rang out as he ran home, “Where can I get such a fortune?”
The next Monday, Frederick had almost forgotten the figurine. “Mr. Ezra, sir, may I please have my wages?” “All right, lad, but only because you haven’t been sassin’ me.” He opened the cash register and dropped a nickle into Frederick’s outstretched palm. Halfway there! Frederick’s head seemed to yell out with joy. Now he thought about how pretty that figure would look on Mama’s mantle. “ I’ll give it to her for her next birthday,” he said aloud. “What was that, boy?” Mr. Ezra said. “Nothing,” Frederick said quickly, blushing bright red.
The next morning after his chores were done, Frederick ran to the shop where the figure of Lady Liberty sat, to see if she was still there. Phew! There it was, looking as gorgeous as ever. The next week, Frederick got his wages. Another nickle! He finally had 10 cents. But as he walked down the roads he thought, “What if they need just 10 more cents to finish the Statue of Liberty?” And so silently he headed for the donation box. He listened to the cling as the coins dropped into the box.
As the months flew by, Frederick’s birthday was drawing nearer. One day, as he was running down the streets to see the Statue of Liberty, a shopkeeper (actually the very one that carried the figurine of Lady Liberty) called out from his shop. “Frederick! Wait! I’ve got a birthday present for you!” So Frederick stopped and went inside the shop. The shopkeeper handed him a small box. “Open it,” he urged. As Frederick did so, his eyebrows slid up as his mouth went down. For there, beautifully arranged in a pile of white tissue paper, sat the figurine of Lady Liberty! Frederick felt dizzy with happiness as he left the shop.
Mama’s birthday came just as quickly as Frederick’s had. Frederick re-wrapped Mama’s birthday present. When the time came for her to open it, her mouth dropped in surprise. “Why Frederick, where did you get this?” she asked in bewilderment, “It’s beautiful! I absolutely love it! I’ll put it on the mantle.” Frederick had to tell her the entire story, which was similar to the one I have just finished telling you now.
