When 12-year-old Ben’s wealthy neighbor, Mr. Dickinson, refused to pay him for weeks of snow shoveling, calling it a “lesson about contracts,” Ben was devastated. But his mother had a creative plan to teach the man a lesson in fairness.
Ben had eagerly agreed to shovel Dickinson’s driveway for $10 a day, hoping to buy gifts and a telescope. However, after weeks of hard work, Dickinson refused to pay, smugly declaring, “No contract, no payment.” Undeterred, Ben’s mom took action. She organized the family to shovel snow from the entire neighborhood onto Dickinson’s driveway as a symbolic act of “quantum meruit,” a legal principle demanding fair compensation for services rendered.
Embarrassed by the public spectacle, Dickinson gave in, paying Ben the $80 he owed along with an apology. Ben’s triumphant smile was a testament to the importance of standing up for justice and perseverance.
