What is the theme of this passage? Mabel always did her work with dedication. Her brother, John, never did his work and always b
ullied Mabel into helping him. One day, their mother got tired of John’s behavior and decided it was time for him to learn a lesson. So she told them that she would be going to Aunt Meg’s place to bake a pie. She told them that they must each finish their homework if they wanted a piece of pie. Now, John loved pie more than any other food in the world. Little Mabel sat at her desk doing her homework. In the meantime, John went out to play instead of doing his homework. John thought, “Mother won’t be home until later. I have enough time to play.” But John lost track of time. He spent all day chasing their neighbor's cat until he saw his mother returning. John ran inside and pretended to be busy at work. Mother saw that Mabel had finished her work, while John was sweaty from playing. Mother told John that he had been naughty and that he would get a piece of pie only after he had finished his homework. John had to stay up late to finish his homework and got only a small piece of pie. A. Children should study regularly. B. It doesn’t pay to put things off. C. The future cannot be trusted. D. All work and no play makes us dull.
