Question

knew. it was against the rules to eat something before you bought it, but everyone wanted to. one day, a man came to the stand with a bushel of corn and told the man how much it cost. the man weighed the ears of corn and told the man how much it cost. the man looked confused. \but i was here yesterday, and you told someone that for every five ears you buy, you get one free,\ he said. cody remembered. he had indeed offered that deal to his neighbors. now he regretted it. he saw mrs. mitchell baling hay close by. how was cody going to explain that he had given a deal to those he knew while he made everyone else pay full price? the man saw that cody was looking at mrs. mitchell. \is that the owner? may i speak to her?\ he asked. cody thought about offering the man the same discount, but there were people in line behind him, and they were carrying corn, too. cody hung his head and walked over to see mrs. mitchell. which of the following best describes the main theme or lesson of the story? you should appreciate the people you work for. rules should be applied fairly. people should mind their own business.

Explanation:

The story involves Cody offering a discount to neighbors (Thomases) but not others, leading to a situation where fairness in applying rules is questioned. The option "Rules should be applied fairly" aligns with the lesson about equal application of rules (Cody’s deal was for neighbors, but the man expects consistent rule - like the “one free with five bought” deal, and Cody later addresses fairness by considering the man’s case). Other options: “Appreciate people you work for” is not supported (no work - for relationship focus), “Mind own business” is irrelevant (the man is addressing a fairness issue, not minding business).

Answer:

Rules should be applied fairly.