Beren was crying.
Selenga found her in the park by the swings, hugging her knees.
"What's wrong?" Selenga asked.
“Someone stole my song.”
The Stolen Song
Beren had written the song herself. It took weeks. She'd added notes every morning and new words every evening. She was planning to sing it at the class talent show.
But when she arrived at school that day, another child named Tuna was singing it. He was telling everyone, “I wrote this.”
“Did you tell your teacher?” Selenga asked.
"I did. But Tuna denied it. He said he wrote it. I couldn't prove it."
Selenga thought for a moment. “Do you have the song written down?”
“Yes. But I left my notebook at home.”
“Could you bring it tomorrow?”
“What good would that do? Tuna will just deny it again. And everyone will believe him anyway because he sings so beautifully.”
Justice or Forgiveness?
Selenga sat down beside her.
“I want to ask you something,” she said. "You don't have to answer. But think about it."
“Okay.”
“Why do you think Tuna took your song?”
Beren paused. "I don't know. Maybe... maybe he really liked it."
"He liked it. But instead of saying 'this is beautiful,' he took it."
"That's not fair."
"No, it's not. And you have every right to feel hurt.“ Selenga paused. ”But there's something else."
“What?”
"Why couldn't Tuna just say 'your song is amazing'?"
Beren looked at Selenga. “Was he scared?”
"Maybe. Maybe he wanted to be liked but didn't believe in himself. That doesn't make what he did right. But it helps explain it."
The Notebook
The next day, Beren brought her notebook.
She showed it to her teacher. The dates were clear. You could see how the song developed, page by page.
The teacher called Tuna over.
Tuna looked at the notebook. His face turned red.
“I...” he started. He stopped.
Silence.
"I'm sorry,“ he finally said quietly. ”I loved your song. I really did. But... I couldn't tell you that. I thought if I did, nobody would notice me."
Beren looked at Tuna.
Selenga watched them both.
Singing Together
At the talent show, Beren sang her song.
But when she finished, she turned to Tuna.
“Will you sing it with me?” she asked.
Tuna was shocked. “But I... I stole it from you.”
“I know. But the song is beautiful. And it sounds even better when we sing it together.”
Tuna stared at her for a moment. Then he walked over and stood beside her.
They sang together.
The song really did sound more beautiful.
Selenga watched from the audience.
Beren had been right. But she chose forgiveness instead. It was stronger than being right.
Questions to Think About
**What should we do if someone takes something from us?** First, try talking about it. Then show proof if you can. But also think about why they might have done it.
**Is forgiveness hard?** Very hard. But forgiveness isn't really for the other person—it's for you. It lifts the weight from your own heart.
**Was Tuna a bad person?** No. He did something wrong. But he apologized and meant it. Everyone makes mistakes. What matters is what comes after.
A Note for Parents
Themes of fairness and forgiveness are powerful for children. After reading this story, asking “What would you have done?” can spark meaningful conversations about justice, empathy, and emotional growth.