It happened yesterday afternoon.  Cornelia told Mother that she was gonna meet up with her best friend Amy and go to her house (and maybe to the park) all afternoon; she then said that she would be back by suppertime.

No problems there.  We watched her go happily away on her bike; we knew she was going to have a fun-filled afternoon.  Then Daddy said he wanted some ice cream. Turns out that we were low on ice cream, so Mother decided to go to the local Dairy Queen to pick up some soft vanilla ice cream for dessert tonight.  

On the way to Dairy Queen, Mother happened to pass a carnival that was going on.  There were quite a few people riding the rickety-looking rides, obviously having a good time.  Among the crowd was a little girl wearing a bright orange shirt and green flower-print shorts as well as pink flip flops and a matching band in her strawberry-blonde hair.  It was Corneila.  Turns out that she was not at her friend's house:  she was at the carnival!

Mother gew angry, but she didn't dare say a word as she went to Dairy Queen to get our dessert.  She went back home and decided to wait until Cornelia got back from her friend's house.  After arriving home, she called Amy's mother.  Amy's mother said that her daughter wasn't home: she was at sleep-away camp for two weeks!

BUSTED.  Stone-cold busted!  We knew that my little sister was in a heap of trouble for lying; she would face Mother's wrath once she got home.

Around five, as promised, Cornelia came home.  She looked all hot and sweaty but wore a smile of smug satisfaction upon her little face.  When Mother asked her if she had fun with Amy, Cornelia said she did.  She then proceeded to tell Mother a whole litany of just what she did with her best friend.  

Then Mother lowered the boom on her when Cornelia was least expecting it.  She asked her youngest daughter why she'd gone to the carnival; she then stated that she'd seen her waiting in line to ride the Sky Diver ferris wheel.  Cornelia's smile immediately faded and her brown face turned ashen as she realized that she was now in trouble for lying.

As a result of this incident, Cornelia is now grounded for the rest of the summer.  She is not allowed to go out to play; she is to stay in her room and think about what she did and what she can do to earn Mother's trust again.  In addition, Mother took away all computer privileges and forbade her to watch her favorite shows ("High School Musical" and "Glee!") on television.  About all Cornelia can do is read or write, then go to bed at her appointed bedtime, which is eight o'clock.  Mother is not very happy with Cornelia at the moment.

I don't blame her.  I did something similar when I was Cornelia's age, but I claimed that there was a dinosaur on the way home from bringing milk home from the store.  Boy, did I ever get chewed out for that one!  If we've learned anything from this, it is not smart to lie.  A lie, no matter how small, will only end up growing bigger and bigger, until it is out of control, and there is nothing, absolutely nothing, you can do to get yourself out of this mess.

 It is always wise to tell the truth to your parents, no matter how difficult it may be.  They may get mad sometimes, but it is better than lying and having to face dire consequences in the end!