Finnegan

“Hi Chester!” said Finnegan Ferret to his friend. “Do you want to come outside and play?”

“Sure,” said Chester Chipmunk. “But, first I have to do my chores.”

“What chores do you have to do?” asked Finnegan.

“I have to clean up my room,” said Chester.

“That shouldn’t take long,” said Finnegan.

“Then, I have to brush my teeth and brush my fur,” said Chester.

“That should only take a couple of minutes,” said Finnegan. “Why don’t I come back later?”

“Okay,” said Chester. “By that time I should be ready.”

Finnegan started to walk back to his house. Just outside, at the end of Chester’s laneway, Finnegan saw Suzie Chipmunk.

“Oh hi Suzie,” said Finnegan, with his head hung low.

“What’s wrong?” asked Suzie.

“Well, I was just at your brother Chester’s house,” said Finnegan. “He can’t come out and play right now. He has to do his chores first.”

“There is nothing wrong with that,” said Suzie. “You know, Finnegan, you could take a lesson from Chester. If you were to do your chores before you came out to play, your life would be so much easier.”

“You are a fine one to talk,” said Finnegan, noticing the baseball and baseball glove in Suzie’s hand.

“I have done all my chores already,” said Suzie. “I get up really early in the morning, get all my chores done and then I have the rest of the day to play and do what I want to do.”

“You do,” said Finnegan.

“Yes,” said Suzie. “If you get into the habit of doing your chores before doing anything else, you will find it so much easier.”

“That makes sense,” said Finnegan.

Finnegan turned up the laneway and walked home. He went straight into the house and did his chores. He cleaned his room, brushed his teeth and even brushed his hair.

Soon, Finnegan noticed it was lunch time and he went back to Chester’s house.

“Hi Finnegan!” said Chester, answering his door. “Let’s go play!”

“Yes, let’s,” said Finnegan.

Finnegan felt very good about himself that day and for once, he felt organized. From that day on, Finnegan always did all his chores first thing in the morning. He even began to notice that he had more time to play.