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- Emily Dickinson

You know that Portrait in the Moon --

So tell me who 'tis like --

The very Brow -- the stooping eyes --

A fog for -- Say -- Whose Sake?

...

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noun

A decorated cloth hung at the back of a stage.

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362 words~2 min read

The Badge I Had to Return

I still remember the day I found the badge. It was lying on the grass near the oval after lunch, glinting in the sun. I picked it up and saw it was a school sports badge, the kind you earn for representing your house in a carnival. It had a name engraved on the back: "Liam Chen." I knew Liam from my class; he was a quiet kid who always tried his best at everything. For a moment, I thought about keeping it. It looked so shiny and important, and nobody was watching. But something inside me said, "This isn't yours."

I slipped the badge into my pocket and walked toward the classroom. My fingers kept touching the metal edge, feeling its weight. I imagined how Liam must have felt when he realised it was missing. Maybe he was proud of earning it, and now it was gone. I thought about my own special things at home, like the medal I won in the swimming carnival last year. If I lost that, I would be really upset. The more I thought, the more I knew I had to give it back, even if it was hard.

At the end of the day, I found Liam packing his bag. My heart was thumping as I walked up to him. "Hey, Liam, I think this is yours," I said, holding out the badge. His eyes went wide, and a big smile spread across his face. "I thought I'd lost it forever!" he said. He told me his grandmother had given it to him as a reward for winning the relay. I felt a warm glow inside, knowing I had done the right thing. It was better than keeping a secret.

I thought about my own special things at home, like the medal I won in the swimming carnival last year.

Looking back, that small moment taught me a big lesson. Doing the right thing isn't always easy, but it makes you feel good inside. I learned that honesty is more valuable than any badge or medal. Now, whenever I find something that belongs to someone else, I remember Liam's smile and I know what to do. That badge wasn't mine to keep, but the memory of returning it is something I will always treasure.