The Disappointing Art Project: A Story About Lying to Spare Someone’s Feelings

 

 

Meher and Isha had been best friends since kindergarten. They did everything together—whether it was playing sports, doing school projects, or drawing in art class. Meher loved art and was really good at it, while Isha enjoyed it but wasn’t quite as skilled. But one thing was for sure—no matter what they did, they always supported each other.

 

One day in art class, Mrs. Rao assigned everyone to make a painting about their favorite place. Meher immediately knew what she wanted to paint—a beautiful sunset by the beach from her last vacation. Isha, however, wasn’t sure what to paint, but she decided to give it her best shot.

 

As the class went on, Meher noticed Isha struggling with her painting. Isha had painted a park with trees and flowers, but the colors didn’t blend well, and the trees looked more like scribbles. Meher could see that Isha was having a hard time and getting frustrated.

 

“Hey, how’s it going?” Meher asked, trying to encourage her friend.

 

Isha frowned. “Not great. I know it doesn’t look good. Do you think Mrs. Rao will like it?”

 

Meher looked at the painting. She didn’t want to hurt Isha’s feelings, so she smiled and said, “I think it looks fine! Mrs. Rao will definitely like it.”

 

Isha’s face brightened. “Really? Thanks, Meher! I feel better now.”

 

Question: Why do you think Meher told Isha that the painting looked fine, even though she didn’t think so?

 

The next day, it was time to present their paintings to the class. Meher went first and received a lot of praise for her sunset painting. Then it was Isha’s turn. Nervously, she held up her painting, looking to Meher for reassurance. Meher smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.

 

Mrs. Rao looked at Isha’s painting for a moment and said gently, “Isha, I can see you worked hard on this, but I think there’s room for improvement. You could have used more colors to show the park’s beauty, and the trees need a little more detail.”

 

Isha’s face fell. After class, she turned to Meher, upset. “You said it was good! Why didn’t you tell me it needed more work?”

 

Meher felt guilty. “I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. I thought if I told you it was fine, you’d feel better.”

 

Isha sighed. “I know you were trying to help, but I would have worked harder if you had told me the truth. I didn’t realize it needed fixing, and now I’m embarrassed.”

 

Question: How do you think Meher felt after realizing that her lie had actually hurt Isha more?

 

That evening, Meher thought about what had happened. She didn’t want to make Isha feel bad, but by not telling the truth, she had accidentally made things worse. The next day, she decided to talk to Isha.

 

“Isha, I’m really sorry for not being honest with you. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, but I should have told you that the painting needed more work. From now on, I’ll be honest, even if it’s hard.”

 

Isha smiled. “Thanks, Meher. I know you didn’t mean any harm, and I appreciate that. But yeah, it’s better to tell the truth. That way, we can help each other get better.”

 

Moral: Sometimes, we lie to spare someone’s feelings, but honesty—delivered kindly—is the best way to help someone grow and improve.