Rich Girl vs Poor Girl: The Birthday Gift That Changed Everything

Rich Girl vs Poor Girl: The Birthday Gift Two girls. Same school. Same birthday party. But one of them had a secret that money couldn't buy. This is Lily. She wakes up in a bed the size of a boat. Three maids bring her breakfast, and her closet has more dresses than a store. This is Rosie. She wakes up on a mattress by the window, makes tea for Grandma, and walks two miles to school in shoes with holes. On Monday, Lily handed out shiny golden invitations to the whole class. ROSIE: She invited me too? But Grandma, I can't buy her a present. Grandma smiled and opened her old sewing box. So Rosie stayed up all night. She braided a bracelet from seven colors of thread. She cut a crown from golden paper. And she drew a card with every color she had. Saturday. The party was enormous. A ten-layer cake, a magician, a pony, and a mountain of presents taller than the door. One by one, the kids gave their gifts. A tablet. A designer bag. A gold watch. Then it was Rosie's turn. She held out a small paper package tied with yarn. KID: Is that made of paper? Did you make it yourself? Ha ha! Rosie's face burned. She put her gift on the pile and ran home before anyone could see her cry. That night, the party was over. The guests were gone. Lily's parents were on another business trip. Lily had a hundred presents. And no one to share them with. Then she noticed the little paper package. She opened it. A golden paper crown. A bracelet in seven colors. And a card. ROSIE: Happy birthday, Lily. I made you a crown because you are kind to everyone. Just like a real princess. Your friend, Rosie. Lily put on the paper crown. And for the first time all day, she smiled for real. On Monday, everyone stared. Lily walked into class wearing a paper crown. And she sat down right next to Rosie. LILY: This is the best present I've ever had. Can I come to your house after school? That afternoon, in a tiny wooden house, Lily ate Grandma's vegetable soup and laughed more than she had at her whole party. Then they planted tomatoes in the garden, got mud everywhere, and made matching bracelets for each other. Lily had everything money could buy. Rosie gave her the one thing it couldn't. A true friend. Which gift would you choose? The tablet, or the paper crown? Tell us in the comments, and subscribe for more stories.