20p for my troubles?

I was baking small cakes for a wedding reception one Saturday morning when I realized I needed some white chocolate buttons for the perfect finishing touch. Matt was away - practicing archery with the Fenland Archery Guild - and Emily was not likely to budge from her viewing of Disney's: "The Sword in the Stone." I contemplated my options and proposed to Amy that she run to the village shop and pick up the chocolate buttons for me. I was nervous about sending her alone but she was very pleased that I considered her mature enough to handle a trip to the shop on her own. She asked if she could take her scooter and I agreed. I wrote down what I needed on a list (it's so cool when kids can read!) and sent her off with a few pounds in her purse.

Time seemed to stand still. Almost as soon as she was out of sight I felt guilty for sending such a small child out alone... I waited by the front door for the entire 8 minutes she was gone -watching and listening for her return.

Finally, I heard her scooter and saw her pop up at our front gate but before I could breathe a sigh of relief I noticed that she was CRYING! Worried, I immediately ran out to her and saw her wounded little face:

While I nursed her wounds, she told me her sad tale:

It turns out that everything went well with her trip to the shop: she found the chocolate buttons and the lady who works there (who knows our family) helped her get the correct amount of money out, etc.

But on the trip home, Amy hit the curb of the sidewalk with her scooter and had a tumble - onto her face. (Why does she always fall on her face?!) Her little hand got scraped up a bit too. She told me she was very sad that she got hurt and was all alone... and that the chocolate buttons had fallen out on the road, but that she was careful to check for cars before collecting the packages. She said "I just picked myself up and rode home as fast as I could." Then, after recounting her sad tale she asked in her little English accent: "Mum, could I just have 20p for my troubles?"

I gave the kid a whole pound for her troubles...