Little Timmy trudged home from school with a heavy heart, his backpack slung over his shoulder like a burden weighing him down. His usually cheerful demeanor was replaced with a crestfallen expression as he kicked a pebble along the sidewalk, lost in his thoughts.
Upon reaching home, Timmy’s mother, ever attentive to her son’s moods, greeted him with a warm smile. But her smile faded when she saw the disappointment etched on Timmy’s face.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” she asked, concern lacing her voice.
Timmy sighed deeply, plopping down at the kitchen table with a defeated slump. “Mom,” he began, his voice tinged with frustration, “I got a big fat zero on my geography exam today.”
His mother’s brow furrowed in confusion. “A zero? But you’ve been studying so hard! What happened?”
Timmy’s eyes filled with indignation as he recounted the unfortunate turn of events. “The teacher gave me a zero because I couldn’t answer a question about Portugal,” he explained with a mixture of exasperation and disbelief.
His mother’s eyes widened in surprise. “Portugal? That’s not so difficult. What was the question?”