Голицынский, 6-е издание – Артикль – Упражнение 80

My husband picks up the local newspaper every morning from a vending machine on our way to work. The other morning, a girl who appeared to be about six was in front of him in line, buying the paper for her mother, who was sitting in the car. The child put the money for one paper in the slot and took two newspapers!
My husband said to her, “Oh, is this two-for-one day?” The child did not reply. She just took the two newspapers to her mother.
This is stealing, pure and simple. I wonder what this mother is going to think when her daughter becomes a teen and gets arrested for shoplifting at the mall? I suppose she’ll wonder where her daughter got the idea that it is OK to take something without paying for it.
The mother missed an opportunity to teach her child right from wrong. If the child took the extra newspaper in error, the mother should have instructed her to put it back. However, if she put the child up to it — shame on her.