Indian Giving

I went to get Zoe from school the other day.  While I was in her classroom getting her stuff together (she was on the roof with her class), I noticed there was a gift in her cubby that was obviously wrapped by a child.  I could see through the paper that it was a book of nursery rhymes (one we already have) and on the front of the wrapping paper was a piece of construction paper.  It was obvious that a child had drawn pictures all over it and had written "Zoe Can" across the front.  At the top in what was apparently adult handwriting was the word "Borrow."  I also saw in her cubby that there were several other pieces of little paper and I finally caught the name "Lydia" written on it.  I realized that the gift was from her friend Lydia in the older preschool room.  I packed it up and proceeded to go to the roof to get Zoe and when I rounded the corner, Ms. Gina stopped me and asked, "Girl, did you see that present in Zoe's cubby?"  I said, "Yes and I don't get it."  She said, "Lydia came into school this morning and she stopped at our classroom and said she had a birthday present for Zoe."  I put it in her cubby and a few minutes later, Lydia's mother came into the room and told me that I needed to explain to you that the book was only to borrow and that Zoe would need to return it."  I said, "What?"  She said, "Girl, it's the craziest thing I've heard in a while."  Um, yeah.  Me, too!  Do you know how hard it was for me to explain to Zoe that she had to give a birthday present back that she was getting to open up?  She just didn't get it.  Of course, there was no hiding it from her either because she had seen the gift and knew it was in there, plus Lydia had told her all about it.  I had to convince her the entire car ride home that she had to give the gift back and that we weren't even taking it into the house.  I get that it was sweet and all, but I wouldn't do that to another child.  Seriously?  Give the gift back?  I was telling my buddy Julie about it and she said, "So, Zoe just got her first lesson in Indian giving, didn't she?"  I started laughing and she said, "Let me clarify that it was definitely Woo Woo and not Red Dot."  For those of you who don't know, Julie is Indian (red dot).  That at least got me to laugh (a lot I might add) about the whole ordeal.  I won't tell you what my buddy Shelley wanted to do to her!  Geez....