Sometimes we learn things from the least expected person and just when we least expect it. When a woman visits a foreign country for the first time and heads out to the bazaar to purchase a gift for her host family, the host's son joins her to act as interpreter. The boy teaches her enough common phrases to allow her to communicate with the vendors, and not get swindled, but it isn't until she trips over an old crone selling wishes, that she learns the most valuable lesson of all.Alms of Freedom explores the notion of freedom and what it means to be free. It is the second workbook in the Read Write Ponder series, a collection of short stories constructed to engage readers, writers, and educators. Each novelette-sized book is comprised of a single short story, writing prompts to encourage creative writing, discussion questions for thoughtful analysis of characters and theme, and a letter from the author about her inspiration for the story and the techniques she used to write it.