My 12-year-old son Ben had been shoveling snow for our wealthy neighbor, Mr. Dickinson, for weeks. He was excited to earn $10 a day to buy gifts for our family. But when Mr. Dickinson refused to pay him, citing a “lesson about contracts,” Ben was heartbroken. That’s when I decided to teach Mr. Dickinson a lesson he’d never forget.
Ben had worked hard, shoveling snow every morning before school. He kept track of his earnings in a dog-eared notebook, eager to buy a scarf for me, a dollhouse for his sister Annie, and a telescope for himself. But when Mr. Dickinson cheated him out of his pay, Ben was devastated.
I was furious. What kind of person cheats a child as a “business lesson”? I decided to take matters into my own hands. The next morning, I rallied my family, and we set out to clear not only our driveway but also the sidewalk and Mr. Dickinson’s pristine driveway. We piled all the snow onto his property, creating a massive fortress.
It wasn’t long before Mr. Dickinson noticed. He stormed over, his face red with rage, and demanded to know what we had done to his driveway. I explained that we had simply “undone” Ben’s work, citing the legal concept of quantum meruit. Since Mr. Dickinson had refused to pay Ben, he had lost the right to enjoy the benefit of his labor.
Mr. Dickinson was stunned. He realized he had lost and that we had the support of our neighbors, who had gathered to watch. He eventually apologized and paid Ben the $80 he owed him.
As I watched Ben smile, holding the envelope with his hard-earned cash, I felt a sense of pride and satisfaction. We had taught Mr. Dickinson a lesson in fairness, and Ben had learned the value of standing up for himself.
