9 The Cost of an Ice Cream

The Cost of an Ice Cream

A young boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

“How much is an ice cream sundae?”

“Two shillings,” replied the waitress.

The young boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it.

“How much is a dish of plain ice cream?” he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient.

“One shilling and sixpence,” she said brusquely.

The young boy again counted the coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed.

When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw.

There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, was six pence – her tip.

I will do the math for those who do not know the old money. He could have purchased his preferred choice but had done the calculations taking account of leaving a tip. 

This is not about tipping, this is a tale about a young man who did not think only about himself, but of others. 

Love shared is never lost. I am sure that the waitress learned that lesson that day.