One day as I was walking to school, I saw a man, and he asked me if he could have some money.  I said, “Okay.”  I gave him 57 cents.  He said, “Thank you” and he played a song for me on his guitar.

When I went to school, a D.A.R.E. police officer came to my class.  I told him what had happened.  He told me that guy was bad news.  So that same day when I was walking home from school, he asked if I had any leftover money.  I just started running. I ran away.

When I went to school the next day, I saw the same man.  It looked as if he were dead.  I ran home and called the police right away.  They came and the man had no pulse.  They took him to the hospital and tried to help him.  He had not eaten any food or had any water for five days.

Everybody was sad when he died, but only seven people went to the funeral.  That day I cried.  I went to sleep with tears in my eyes.

By Brianda, 4th grade