Directions : Determine what the theme is for each story and explain your answer. Remember, a theme is a lesson or message in the story. Write in complete sentences. 1 . Nicole was hesitant to lend Lia her tea set. Though the tea set was not worth much money, it had been in the family for a long time and was pretty much irreplaceable. But Lia was persistent and since she was a dear friend , Nicole relented and agreed to lend her the tea set . As Nicole had feared Lia did not handle the tea set with the same care that Nicole would have and consequently Lia broke or damaged several of the pieces. When Nicole asked for her tea set, Lia stalled, "Uh... I forgot it at my cousin's house. I'll get it later this week. I'm so sorry." Lia figured that she could run out and replace the missing pieces. When she got around to doing so, Lia was disappointed to find that no stores carried the antique tea set. So Lia purchased a brand new tea set, much more expensive than the old set . She then threw out the rest of Nicole's old tea set to hide the evidence of her irresponsibility. When Lia presented Nicole with the new tea set, Nicole was extremely disappointed and Lia did not understand why . "Look , Nicole , my cousin lost your tea set. I mean , he's still looking for it but it's probably gone, but this tea set is much nicer." When Nicole did not accept the new tea set , Lia shook her head in disgust and told herself , "Some people don't appreciate anything What is the theme of the story ? What happens in the story that leads you to believe this ? 2. Justin was jealous when his cousin Cassie was named valedictorian of her class . "Some people are just born smart," he told himself later as he watched TV on the couch. He had not been with Cassie all of those times when she studied late into the night. Justin was also jealous when his cousin Victor was elected class president. "Some people are just more popular than others." Justin told himself while playing video games on the couch. He had not been with Victor while he tirelessly campaigned, listened sympathetically to the problems of others, and treated everyone he knew with kindness and respect. When Justin's cousin Matthew became the quarterback for the varsity squad. Justin was envious. "Some people are just more athletic than others," he told himself as he played around on his computer. Justin had not been with Matthew while Matthew trained relentlessly to develop his athletic abilities. "One day something lucky will happen to me too," Justin told himself as he snacked on junk food. What is the theme of the story ? What happens in the story that leads you to believe this