Teacher Ambushes Stranger Who Attracts Kids with Free Candy Before School – Story of the Day

A teacher decides to take things into his hands when he sees a stranger offering candy to children outside school. When he finally catches the man red-handed and plans to call the cops, the man reveals a shocking truth.

It was a typical day for Mr. Jones when he was preparing lessons in his office. Right next to his desk was a window that allowed him to see outside the school building.

Mr. Jones had joined the school as an elementary teacher ten years ago and enjoyed every moment he spent teaching his students new things. His never-ending thirst for knowledge and his love of sharing had made him a remarkable teacher.

On this particular day, Mr. Jones looked outside the window and paused briefly when he saw a stranger in front of the school gate. He was talking to a swarm of students and offering them candy.

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"Who's that?" he wondered, looking at the unknown man from head to toe with a furrowed brow.

When Mr. Jones couldn't recognize the man, his heart skipped a beat. The scene he was looking at reminded him of the news segment he had watched on TV earlier that morning.

"The local authorities have received multiple reports of children being rushed to hospitals after eating poisonous lollipops. The police are still unsure who is behind this cruel act," the news reporter's voice echoed in Mr. Jones' mind.

"What if...? Oh no! I must save the students before it's too late!" he said as he stood up and rushed outside.

However, it was too late when he reached the school's main gate because the stranger had disappeared. Mr. Jones looked behind the bushes and walked towards the end of the street, but he couldn't find the man anywhere.

"Don't eat the candy!" Mr. Jones warned the students. "You shouldn't accept anything from strangers! Hand them over to me right now."

The scared students immediately gave all the candies to Mr. Jones and watched him throw all of them in the trashcan. After seeing the concern in his eyes, the kids felt worried and promised not to take anything from strangers.

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Instead of returning to his office, Mr. Jones rushed to the principal's office to report the incident.

"Mr. Albert, I need to talk to you about something important," Mr. Jones told the principal.

"Sure," Mr. Albert smiled. "Please have a seat."

"I just saw a man give out candies to our students outside the school premises. I immediately went there hoping to catch him, but he ran away," Mr. Jones recounted. "The school should do something about it. That man is a threat to our students."

"I understand your concern, but the school cannot control what happens outside its premises," the principal replied. "The best I can do is inform the police and let them handle it."

"But I don't think the police would do much, because the man was only seen giving children lollipops. We don't have any proof against him," Mr. Jones argued.

"Let the police deal with it, Mr. Jones," the principal said. "I'd suggest you focus on your lesson plans instead of the stranger."

The worried teacher left the principal's office but still believed the students were in danger. He was sure the police wouldn't do anything, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.

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The following day, Mr. Jones arrived at the school early and hid near the gate, hoping the stranger would visit again. He waited for a few minutes and was on the verge of giving up when he saw the man walk towards the gate with a bag of candy.

As soon as the stranger opened his bag to look inside, Mr. Jones jumped forward and ambushed him, grabbing his hand tight so he wouldn't escape.

"I know what you are up to!" Mr. Jones yelled at the man.

"Let me go, please!" the stranger begged. "I was just―"

"I know you have been distributing poisonous candy to our students. I don't know what malicious intentions you've been hiding. I'm calling the police right away and handing you over to them!"

"Please listen to me!" the stranger cried. "I'm not here to harm these students. I just wanted to spend time with them."

"Stop making up stories!" Mr. Jones said while he slid his phone out of his pocket.

"Please don't call the cops," the man pleaded. "I had always dreamt of becoming a teacher like you, but things didn't work out. I'm ready to share my story with you. Please trust me."

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After hearing the stranger's words, Mr. Jones kept his phone in his pocket because he realized the man wasn't lying. He could see the honesty in the man's eyes.

"What's your story?" Mr. Jones asked, leaving the stranger's hand.

"Thank you," the man said as he pressed his hand together. "My name is Walter, and I come here because I love spending time with students. I was ten when I had to leave school because my family wanted me to earn money.

"Despite dropping out of school, I kept educating myself by visiting the library. I would spend hours there, reading books and educating myself through online resources," Walter continued. "I even volunteered at a few local schools on weekends but could never fulfill my dream of becoming a teacher."

"I'm so sorry for what you went through, Walter," Mr. Jones said.

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"Well, I don't give them out for free," Walter smiled. "I prepare a few questions before coming here and reward the kids who answer my questions correctly."

Walter pulled out a sheet of paper from his bag and showed it to Mr. Jones. "I prepared these last night," Walter said.

After reading the questions and learning about Walter's tragic story, Mr. Jones regretted doubting his intentions. It was evident that Walter was passionate about teaching and wanted to instill a love for learning in the students.

"I have an idea!" Mr. Jones smiled. "I can help you live your dream, Walter."

"It's too late now," Walter laughed. "It's too late to be a teacher."

"Come on, Walter," Mr. Jones cheered. "It's never too late to start!"

"Thank you for considering me, but I can't live with more false hope," Walter lowered his gaze. "I shall leave now."

"Wait!" Mr. Jones stopped Walter. "Give me your number before you leave."

Walter gave his number to Mr. Jones, thanked him, and walked away. He felt glad after meeting Mr. Jones, but he was sure his dream could never become a reality. Little did he know that the kind teacher would stick to his words and soon call him with an exciting opportunity.

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Later that day, Mr. Jones told the principal about Walter, describing his passion for teaching. "I have rarely met people as passionate as Walter!" Mr. Jones exclaimed. "I could see a spark in his eyes while he was talking about his love for teaching. I think he could be a great addition to our school."

"Are you serious?" Mr. Albert laughed.

"Well, I think we can give him a chance," Mr. Jones said. "I would like to mentor him and see if he is a good fit for the school. Maybe we let him volunteer. What do you think?"

"That sounds reasonable," Mr. Albert nodded slowly. "Okay, you can invite him for a...five-week mentorship program. It will help us assess his skills."

"Thank you, Mr. Albert!" Mr. Jones exclaimed. "I will call him right away."

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The following morning, Walter arrived at the school after receiving a call from Mr. Jones. He smiled from ear to ear when he stepped inside a classroom full of students.

"I want you to sit here and observe me while I teach, okay?" Mr. Jones instructed Walter politely.

Walter was delighted to have Mr. Jones as his mentor, and he took this as an opportunity to learn as much as possible. Over the next five weeks, Walter assisted Mr. Jones with classroom activities, lesson planning, and assignment grading.

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During the last week of the mentorship program, Mr. Jones asked Walter to teach the students. "I know you can do it!" Mr. Jones cheered for him.

After Walter taught an elementary school history lesson, he felt he had achieved everything in life. He sat on a chair after the class ended and cried out of happiness.

"Hey! What's wrong?" Mr. Jones asked.

"I can't believe my dream finally came true!" Walter cried. "Thank you so much, Mr. Jones. I'm eternally grateful to you for providing me with this opportunity."

"Come on, Walter," Mr. Jones patted his back. "You have got a long road ahead of you."

Then, he took Walter to another class where he had to prepare the students for a science competition. Walter sat beside Mr. Jones and observed what he did.

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A few minutes later, Walter realized Mr. Jones lacked resources and needed more books to prepare the kids. The school library did not have the required books, but Walter knew he had those books at home. However, he only told Mr. Jones about the books the following day.

"I brought these books so the kids could prepare for the science competition," Walter said while handing the books to Mr. Jones.

"Oh, wow!" Mr. Jones smiled while taking the books. He read all of them and thanked Walter for his generous effort.

"I just used this as an opportunity to thank you for everything you did for me, Mr. Jones," Walter said.

"You don't have to thank me for anything, Walter," the teacher replied. "You are here because you deserve to be."

Mr. Jones spent the entire day preparing his students for the science competition using Walter's resources. As a result, the students won the competition, and Mr. Jones thanked Walter for his help.

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"They won because of you, Walter!" Mr. Jones smiled. "Your actions proved how passionate you are to help children gain knowledge. You are meant to be a teacher!"

Soon, Mr. Albert called Walter into his office and praised him for his efforts.

"Your performance during the mentorship program was outstanding, Walter!" Mr. Albert said. "Mr. Jones updated me about your progress and even told me about the books you brought from your home library. Thank you for your sincere efforts!"

Walter couldn't stop smiling when the principal praised him. He had never imagined witnessing this day in his life. At that point, Walter thought Mr. Albert would ask him to leave, but what happened next changed Walter's life forever.

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"I would like to offer you a full-time teaching position at our school, Walter," Mr. Albert said as he placed his hands on his desk.

"What?" Walter gasped in disbelief. "A full-time teaching position?"

"Yes," Mr. Albert nodded. "But I want you to complete a teaching certificate program before you start working. It will help improve your skills."

"I can't believe this!" Walter covered his face with his hands.

A few weeks later, Walter stepped inside the school building as a full-time elementary school teacher―a dream that had become a reality. He could feel his heart race with excitement as he entered the classroom for the first lesson of his new career.

As years passed, Walter helped the students win multiple awards in various inter-school competitions. Meanwhile, his friendship with Mr. Jones deepened, and he always felt grateful to him for changing his life.

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What can we learn from this story?

• Never judge people by their appearance. Mr. Jones thought Walter intended to harm students, but the truth was otherwise. The teacher immediately regretted judging Walter upon learning the truth.
• There's always light at the end of the tunnel. Walter thought he could never become a teacher until he received a call from Mr. Jones. He had never imagined living his dream of working as an elementary school teacher.

Share this story with your friends and family. It might inspire them and brighten their day.

Click here to read another story about a teacher who kicked out a student with a foreign accent and met the girl's parents later that day.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.