All is well that ends well

Billy’s exams were approaching. He was very nervous. He had spent hours studying and he thought that he will be able to attempt the papers fairly well. Just to be sure, he asked his mother to help him revise. Every evening, she sat with him and quizzed him on a particular lesson that he’d studied that day.

When she noticed how nervous Billy was, his mother smiled, “Why are you so nervous, Billy?” and asked, “I want to do well” he answered, “And these are very important exams.” His mother patted on his head, “You have studied well and hard. Just do your best, that’s all. Now go out and play. You deserve it.”

On the day his exams started, Billy prayed to God for help. “I want to make my mother happy,” he whispered. “She believes that I can do well. Please help me, God.” He went off to school, butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He was a well-organised child so he spent the time before the exam drawing his margins and setting out the pens and pencils that he would need for writing the paper.

When his question paper was handed to him, Billy’s nerves died. He knew every question. Happily, he wrote his paper and came out of the exam hall, “How did the exam go?” his mother asked him when he came home. He smiled at her and said, “It was good.” And every paper from that day was good. Billy never grew complacent — he kept his head down and studied diligently. His mother, watching him, knew that he would do very well indeed but kept her own counsel.

When Billy came back smiling happily on the day of his last paper, his mother smiled too as she served him lunch, “Good boy, Billy,” she said, “Now go and play after lunch. Your exams are over and you were happy with each and every paper — all’s well that ends well.”