Let's Share with Others (1950)

On this bright summer day, an express truck is stopping in front side the truck, there's a big box which the express man is delivering to Jimmy's family. As we watch what happens to the box, we're going to find out many things about sharing with others. Do you know what we mean by sharing? Do you know what kinds of things we share? Do you know why we share and how we share? Let's find out. Here's Jimmy to answer the doorbell. Isn't he surprised to see such a big box? It's from his grandfather who lives in a city hundreds of miles away. Now what do you suppose is in it? Here's Jimmy's mother. Jimmy will get a hammer to open the box while mother signs the receipt for it. Just think, this express man is but one of many people who have shared in the work of bringing the box here from the far away city where grandfather lives. That's one kind of sharing, isn't it? Mother certainly is happy to receive the box. Jimmy's happy too. Now he shares in the work of opening the box. Let's see what's in it. Oh, new books. Jimmy and his mother and father will share these books. They'll read and enjoy them together. So it's only fair that Jimmy should share in the work of unpacking them. It's like this with everything in Jimmy's family. He shares in its pleasures and he shares in the work. Before long the box is empty. Doesn't work go quickly when you share it and it's fun working together. Jimmy thinks the box would make a fine lemonade stand. Mother thinks so too. Jimmy could set it up in front of the house. Mother helps Jimmy take it out. This is another way to share work, isn't it? The lemonade stand will be fun but there's another thing Jimmy must think about. He promised his father he'd weed the flower garden today. Jimmy decides there'll be plenty of time to pull the weeds after he has set up the lemonade stand. Mother offers to make some lemonade while Jimmy fixes up the stand. Lemonade, three cents. Well, it didn't take long for Jimmy to set himself up in business with his mother's help. Now, all he needs is some customers. Here comes some of Jimmy's friends. Betty wants to be the first to try out Jimmy's lemonade. And there seem to be two more customers. Oh, Jimmy will sell lots of lemonade. But, uh-oh, there's only one more glass. Jimmy has two glasses and three customers. Should he ask them to share the glasses? No, that wouldn't be healthy. You see, there are some things we do not share. Betty has an idea. Wouldn't it be fun if they all shared in the business? Betty could bring some more glasses from her house. Tom could bring a dish pan for washing the glasses. And maybe Ann could get more lemons from her house. If they made this a partnership, then they could all share in the work and the fun of a business. They could make the stand bigger and better, too. But Jimmy doesn't like that idea. He wants to run the lemonade stand alone and have all the fun. Well, if Tom can't have any lemonade, Betty doesn't want any either. Neither does Ann. Of course, it's Jimmy's business. He has a right to decide not to share it. But now there's nothing for him to do but pour the lemonade out and wait for another customer. That isn't much fun, is it? Here's the postman. He and Jimmy are good friends. He'd like to buy some lemonade. But which was the glass Betty used? Jimmy will have to wash the glasses. Will the postman wait? No. He thinks Jimmy needs a partner, someone to share the work. Then his customers wouldn't have to wait. Well, Jimmy did have an offer of help. But Jimmy doesn't want to share his fun and his business. It wouldn't be his anymore. The postman knows that when we share things, there is often more for everybody. Just think of the things we share. We share the sidewalks with others. Automobile drivers share the streets with others. We share schools and churches, parks and playgrounds. Now, how do we share the slide? By taking turns, of course. Here's a top. How could four children share it? Why, they could take turns. Then each one would have a chance to spin the top. And they'd all have fun. There are many things we share by taking turns. Some things we share in other ways. How would you share this pie among four people? Why, you'd cut it into four pieces, one for each person. You divide a pie among four people. Many things we share by dividing. And there are other ways to share. Every day as we talk to each other, we share knowledge. We share experiences. We share ideas. We share these things by telling others about them. And certainly the postman is sharing by helping people send messages to each other. Yes, there are many, many ways in which sharing with others makes more for everybody. So it's important for Jimmy to think about when to share and how to share. He's also thinking about his lemonade stand and how he hasn't made one sale. Here's another thing for Jimmy to think about. He promised to weed the garden. Well, might as well do it now since he can't seem to sell any lemonade and he isn't even having any fun. Perhaps Jimmy should have shared the lemonade stand after all. Then he wouldn't be alone while his friends are having fun. Now Jimmy has an idea. An idea about how he can still share with his friends so they'll all have more fun. Jimmy wants to know if Betty and Anne and Tom would like to run the lemonade stand while he finishes weeding the garden. That's a good idea. But Betty thinks they should all share in the fun and share in the work. They can divide up two and two and then take turns running the stand and pulling weeds. Of course, Jimmy agrees to that. Now that others have shared in fixing up the lemonade stand, it's bigger and better than before. More lemonade, more glasses, and a pan for washing the glasses. What's more, there are customers. Anyone can see that this stand is well run, so it must be a good place to buy lemonade. While Betty and Tom have their turn running the stand, Jimmy and Anne weed the garden. Now the work goes faster and it's more fun than working alone. Jimmy and Anne pull just about half the weeds. Then, because Betty and Tom want to share a like in the work as well as the fun, they all change places. Now Jimmy and Anne have their turn running the lemonade stand and everyone is having fun. Sharing with others certainly is a good idea, isn't it? Now the lemonade is nearly gone and Betty is counting the money the group has earned. What do you suppose they'll do with the money? Don't you think they'll divide it among them? That's the fair thing to do. And that will be sharing again, won't it? Here's Mother, pleased that all the weeds have been pulled, pleased that the lemonade stand has been such a big success. Yes, when Jimmy shared the stand with his friends and they all shared in the work, then there was more fun for every member of the group. So you learn to share with others. You'll like it. Your friends will like you too.