There once was a little boy; his mother called him “Pepito”. He had hazel eyes and a full, thick head of hair; and he was first son in the family. Pepito was not his real name, but it was the name his mother called him when she loved him the most.

One day his mother had to go to the store and Pepito was left at his house alone. But not all alone; there was also a bowl of grapes. They were big, beautiful, juicy red grapes. Pepito didn’t often have such a great treat in his home.

Before his mother left, she called to him, “Pepito?”

“Yes, Mama?”

“Do not eat the grapes while I am gone. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Mama.”

“I’ll be back soon. Be a good boy.”

“Yes, Mama.”

His mother left, did her shopping and was soon home again. She looked at Pepito; she looked at the bowl of grapes.

“Pepito, come here.”

“Yes, Mama.”

“Did you eat the grapes Mama told you not to eat?”

Mama was looking hard at Pepito. Pepito squirmed a little and answered, “No, Mama.”

“Are you sure you didn’t eat any grapes?” she was looking closely at Pepito’s face. Pepito looked at his feet.  “No, Mama,” he replied. “Pepito, you are not telling me the truth. But your face is telling me the truth.

“I will have to spank you. But before I do, go to the bathroom and look in the mirror. Let your face tell you the truth, just as it has told the truth to me.”

“Yes, Mama.”

He went slowly down the hall to the bathroom. Pepito wasn’t very happy. He climbed the sink and looked in the mirror. He had disobeyed his mother, but how did she know?

Pepito looked in the mirror and studied his face; then he saw his nose. There, on the end of Pepito’s nose, was a small grape seed, firmly stuck to the tip and clearly proclaiming the truth.

Pepito got his spanking. And he grew up to be a good man. The lesson of the grape seed never left him.

Author’s note: His mother’s pet name for him was actually “Pitoto”. She was my grandmother. And “Pitoto” was my father. The story of the grape seed was one my father told me when I was a girl. I tell it again as I remember it.