It was not a pleasant sight.
Everywhere people were arguing and fighting.
Some were even crying.
Aunt Martha and Mrs. Jenkins would not look at each other.
"Don't you have anything nice to say to each other?" Panther asked.
Both women stubbornly shook their heads.
Bobby and Cy got into another argument.
"You act like a baby," Cy said.
"You're too bossy," Bobby said in return.
Meanwhile Jane was speaking with Mr. Keefer.
"My favorite candy is red cherry," she said.
"I think you eat too many sweets," the shop owner said.
"I don't eat as much as Bobby," she loudly replied.
"That's why he's so fat."
Panther could not take it anymore!
"Doesn't anyone have a nice word to say?" she shouted.
For a second, people stopped talking.
They all stared at Panther.
"My, your voice certainly is loud," Mrs. Jenkins said nastily.
"You're very rude," said a man, frowning.
Panther wanted to crawl under a rock.
Everything was her fault.
"Pan-ter," Lamb cooed.
He reached out his chubby arms.
Panther took him from Aunt Martha.
Lamb giggled and smiled.
Panther looked into his eyes for a long time.
"There's nothing bad about you, Lamb," she said softly.
Looking around, she added, "I wish we could all be like you."
Panther thought about what she had just said.
"You only think good things about people," she said to Lamb.
That gave her an idea.
"Aunt Martha," she said suddenly.
"What is it, child?" Aunt Martha asked sharply.
"Thank you for being so kind to us," Panther said.
She thought about how she really felt.
"We know it's not easy to look after us," she continued.
"So we really appreciate it."
"Well, you children can be annoying," Aunt Martha said truthfully.
"But at least you have good manners."
Panther went over to Cy and Bobby.
"Don't you have anything nice to say?" she asked her brothers.
Bobby crossed his arms stubbornly and shook his head.
Cy turned his head and ignored him.
"Look into your hearts," she said to her siblings.
"I'm sure you'll find good things, not just bad."
The children looked at each other.
Bobby stuck his tongue out at Cy.
Panther sighed loudly and said:
"People should say what they think.
But what if we thought only nice things?"
Some of the townspeople stopped to listen to Panther.
"Being honest doesn't mean being nasty," she continued.
Bobby glanced at Cy.
Cy gave him a quick smile.
"And sometimes, words may not even be necessary," Panther said.
"But if you have to say something, then try to say something kind."
"Well, Cy is a big bully," said Bobby.
"But sometimes he's cool."
"Even though Bobby is fat," giggled Jane, "he's funny."
Bobby's face turned red.
"I'm not fat!" he yelled.
Cy quickly interrupted his siblings.
"Panther is right," he said.
"We can be truthful in a nice way. Right, Jane?"
Jane was still giggling but she nodded.
Lamb gave Panther a big hug.
She held him tightly.
Then Aunt Martha took Lamb from Panther.
"All right, children," she said, "let's get home."
As she passed Mrs. Jenkins, she paused and smiled.
Mrs. Jenkins smiled back.
Other people also stopped arguing.
Some even started to laugh again.
When they got home, the children sat outside on the porch.
The sun was still shining brightly.
"How do you think this wish will end?" asked Bobby.
"Just as Panther wished," said Cy.
"We'll speak what's on our mind."
"But we'll be thinking only nice thoughts," said Jane.
"At least we'll try to," said Bobby.
He was still upset that Jane had called him fat.
The Barth children sat close together.
"I'm so lucky to have you," Panther said to her siblings.
"And that's truly from my heart."