69- Bike Contest

The library’s BRIBE contest is in full swing. Students are competing to win a brand new Schwinn Road Bike. There is a pink girl’s bicycle for a female winner and a blue boy’s bicycle for a male winner. The bikes are on display in the middle of the library, for all children to see. The winners are to be announced the Friday before the Holiday vacation.
My students have been frantically reading BRIBE books. They want to accumulate as many BRIBE points as possible before Christmas. Most of the gifted readers are ahead in the contest, but my neighbor, Mattie is in the lead. Her only competition is a smart girl from Caroline’s class named Sara. Caroline and I have agreed to rig the contest so that my Mattie will win.
Since the beginning of the year, Mattie has been reading as much as she can, not because she wants to win that bike, but because she loves reading. The little girl is not a naturally gifted reader, but her effort has helped her to become very successful. I have seen Mattie playing on our neighborhood street and I know she does not have a bicycle. The girl’s face lights up with desire at the mention of that pink Schwinn.
Sara, on the other hand, comes from a fortunate family. Reading has always been easy for Sara, and her parents are intelligent people with lots of money. I’m sure Sara already has three bicycles of her own sitting at home in her garage.
Maybe it’s unethical, but Caroline and I have decided that Mattie should win that BRIBE contest. That little girl deserves a pink bicycle and we’re going to make sure she gets it.