Once there was a boy who
always looked on the bright side and always expected the best. 
He expected to like brussels
sprouts before he had ever tasted them, for instance, and to like his
teacher on the first day of school.
Because he had such a sunny
outlook on things, he was rarely disappointed.
One Christmas morning the boy and
his brother awoke to find many presents.
All but one small one were
for the boy's brother.
The brother opened his gifts with
glee -- a train set, a toy robot, a cowboy outfit, even his own TV.
Through all this, the boy smiled
expectantly, confident the contents of his small box would equal the
splendor of his brother's gifts.
When it was his turn he ripped
the box open to find only a pile of hay.
The boy clapped his hands with
joy and ran immediately to the backyard. "Yippee!" he cried. "I got a
pony!"
