That didn’t happen, sadly. They made fun of her dress.

“You can’t come with us!” Anna sneered. “First, I have to be the only witch in our group, and second, yuck! We would never hang out with you! Go away!”

The other kids agreed and laughed, and they all left to start collecting candy for the night while Madison was left alone, embarrassed in the middle of the street.

At first, the little girl thought about asking her father to take her because he had been so happy to have bought her costume for her, but she didn’t want him to know that other kids didn’t like it, so she decided to go trick-or-treating by herself.

After all, she knew most of the neighbors. She often helped around, carrying their groceries and helping them with their gardens. People around there knew her. She didn’t need to hang out with Anna and her friends.

“They don’t matter,” the little girl said to herself, raising her chin a little in defiance, and she started walking.

She saw the group of kids receiving candy at Mrs. Vaughan’s house, and when they returned to the sidewalk, Madison walked up and rang the doorbell.

“Trick or treat!” she sing-sang to the older woman, who smiled.

“Oh, hey, dear! I’m so happy to see you! I loooove your costume!” Mrs. Vaughan said. “You’re the prettiest witch I’ve seen tonight!”

The older woman gave her tons of candy, and Madison smiled delightfully.

She went to the next house, and the next, making sure the bullies were gone first before ringing the doorbell, and received compliments from the adults. Her spirits soared as she received so many candies. She thought Anna’s group had not noticed, but they did.

When Madison reached Mr. Ferguson’s house, the group ambushed them.

“Mr. Ferguson! Why are you giving her more candy than you gave all of us? That’s not fair! We deserve more too!” Anna demanded, her high-pitch whine making Mr. Ferguson’s nose wrinkle in displeasure.

“Why? Because Madison is the nicest kid on the block. She’s helpful. She’s friendly. She says good morning to everyone, and unlike you, little Anna, she doesn’t demand anything. Also, her family has been dealing with a lot. Her mother is sick at the hospital, and her father is keeping the roof over their heads. Your little group could use a friend like her to teach you about real life,” Mr. Ferguson scolded the greedy kids. He said a friendly goodbye to Madison and closed the door.

Madison turned, shrugged at the kids, and started walking away.

“Is your mommy really sick?” Anna stopped her, looking worried.

Madison nodded. “Yeah.”

“Is she going to be ok?” another kid asked.

“I don’t know,” Madison replied, shaking her head.

“Do you want to continue walking with us?” Anna offered, lifting one side of her mouth. Madison wasn’t sure for a second. The kids might be doing this to get more candy from their neighbors, but their faces looked sincere.

She nodded. She would later learn that Anna had lost her grandmother. Therefore, realizing that Madison’s mom was ill was a shock. They all asked her to walk with them to make up for their earlier attitude.

Despite acting like bullies, they weren’t bad kids – just a little more spoiled than Madison. They didn’t know why she didn’t have cool costumes like them. But once they did, they changed.

And after that day, they treated Madison like a friend, and they also started to become friendlier to the rest of the neighborhood, following Madison’s lead.

In time, Madison’s mother’s health improved, and financial matters in their home settled so she could work again. However, the little girl demanded to wear the same cheap witch costume until it no longer fit her. She set it aside and kept it, intending to pass it down to her daughter many years later. In Madison’s eyes, it was the best costume ever made.

What can we learn from this story?

• Teach your children not to judge others for the clothes or things they have. Not every family has the same financial situation, and kids should learn not to mock those who are less fortunate.
• Friendliness and helpfulness are always rewarded. Madison was the best kid in the neighborhood, and everyone rewarded her with their respect, and more Halloween candy.