Frankie Fortune: The Sunbather and the Food Bank

I recently finished reading the classic novel Don Quixote. For those who haven’t come across it, the story follows a man who becomes so obsessed with tales of noble knights that he convinces himself he is one. With his loyal sidekick, Sancho Panza, he sets out on a series of hilarious misadventures. Most famously, the moment he mistakes a windmill for a giant warrior, charges at it, and ends up flat on his back.

That book inspired me to create a modern twist of my own.

Instead of believing he’s a knight, my main character, Frankie Fortune, is convinced he can become rich by copying the people he watches online. In his mind, becoming rich will solve all his problems, including impressing the girl he likes, Mia. And just like Don Quixote, Frankie has a loyal friend by his side: Chad, who spends most of the time trying (and failing) to keep Frankie grounded.

Much like Don Quixote’s adventures, things rarely go as Frankie expects. But along the way, he ends up learning some important money lessons.

I’ve been sharing a few of these mini-stories with my daughters. Below is the one they really enjoyed (and that I enjoyed writing). It’s all about Charity, which is a very important topic, especially at this time of year.

Frankie Fortune: The Sunbather and the Food Bank

The Sunbather

It was a perfect sunny afternoon when Frankie said, “Chad, grab my phone. We’re making a video.”

Chad sighed. That sentence had never once led to a calm day.

“What kind of video this time?” he asked.

“A wholesome one!” declared Frankie. “We’re going to give money to a homeless person and film their reaction. These videos get millions of views … and views mean money!”

Chad didn’t love this idea at all … but before he could object, Frankie was already pointing.

“There! Someone is sleeping on the grass. Start recording!”

As Frankie marched toward the “homeless” man, Chad noticed something crucial about the man: brand-new trainers. A shiny metal watch. Sunglasses resting neatly on his forehead.

“Frankie, WAIT!” Chad whispered urgently.

Too late.

Frankie placed a twenty-dollar note on the man’s chest like he was leaving a tip at a restaurant… and sprinted back.

“Did you get it?” he asked breathlessly. “We need to film his reaction when he wakes up and sees the money. He might cry!”

“Frankie,” Chad said, “he’s not homeless. He’s sunbathing. He probably paid extra for that fancy sunscreen.”

Frankie squinted. “Nope. Definitely homeless. Did you record me giving the money?”

“No.”

“What?! I need to get the money back so you can film me giving it to him properly!”

Before Chad could protest, Frankie began tiptoeing back like a badly trained ninja. He crouched, reached for the note, pinched the corner…

“HEY! What are you doing?!” The sunbather exploded awake.

Frankie froze for a split second.

Then he ran. A wild, flailing, panicked sprint.

“IT WAS MY MONEY! I LEFT IT ON YOUR CHEST!” he screamed over his shoulder while bolting away.

The sunbather leapt up and gave chase… for approximately five steps, discovered he was not built for sprinting, and stopped to wheeze angrily at the horizon.

Frankie tore back to Chad and leapt onto his bike.

Chad was laughing so hard he nearly fell over.

“I should’ve filmed THAT,” he gasped. “‘Boy Chased by Sunbather He Thought Was Homeless’ would have gone viral!”

Frankie glared. “Not. Funny.”

THE FOOD BANK

They rode in silence. Frankie panting, Chad still trying not to laugh.

After a minute, Frankie muttered, “Alright… maybe I got that wrong. But I still want to help someone today for our next video.”

“Without being chased?” Chad asked.

“Preferably.”

They turned a corner and saw a long table, local volunteers, and families lining up for food.

Frankie lit up. “Perfect! A food bank! Look … my people. Influencers doing good deeds!”

And off he went.

He tied on a red apron and whispered to Chad, “Find the others who are filming my fellow influencers and start recording me.”

Chad wandered around but noticed something. No cameras. No tripods. No microphones.

Meanwhile, Frankie proudly said to the elderly lady helping beside him, “So, how many followers do you have?”

“Followers? Oh, just the one,” she said, beaming as she pointed to her tiny dog sitting behind her. “He follows me everywhere.”

Frankie blinked. He suddenly wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

He kept serving, glancing around to spot those filming the good deeds they were doing.

Eventually, Chad returned. “I’ve checked everywhere. No one is filming. They’re just… doing this to help.”

Chad paused. “Do you want to go home?”

“Actually… no.” Frankie looked down at the ladle in his hand. “I want to stay. Even without filming.”

He lowered his voice.

“I spoke to that boy over there. His family lost their home after his mum got sick. They’ve been staying wherever they can and only have food because of this place. He tried to smile when he told me, but… You could tell he was scared.”

Chad felt a lump in his throat.

Frankie took off his apron. 

“Can you cover for me for a minute? I want to give him my twenty dollars. He needs it more than I do.”

“Of course,” said Chad.

Frankie walked over. Chad watched the boy’s face shift … confusion, surprise, and then a soft but real smile.

When Frankie returned, he wasn’t smiling. He was thinking.

“Chad,” he said quietly, “we need to get rich. Not so just Mia will go out with me… but so we can help people who aren’t as lucky as us.”

Chad smiled. “I like that plan.”

Frankie grinned again … his normal grin.

“Good. Because I’ve got a new business idea! And don’t worry… this one isn’t about getting views.”

Chad exhaled in relief.

“You only need to handle one tiny part of the business,” Frankie added casually.

“What part?”

“The dangerous part.”

Before Chad could object, Frankie sped off on his bike …leaving his loyal friend to wonder what new chaos awaited tomorrow.

The end

Money Lessons From The Story

Most kids grow up thinking money is just for spending, unless someone shows them otherwise.

I hope this story helps highlight that kindness has many forms, and not all of them are loud. People are doing good deeds every day, not for views, not for attention, but simply because someone needs help.

One of my favourite sayings is:

“Real generosity isn’t about being noticed. It’s about noticing others.”

Frankie learned that the boy at the food bank wasn’t there because he’d done something wrong. He was there because life had thrown his family some bad luck, something that can happen to anyone.

If you enjoyed this story, please subscribe as I’ll be releasing more adventures about Frankie Fortune in future blogs.

👉 What are you going to read next?

• The Wolf of Wall Street for Kids [Popular]

• 3 Positive Impacts of Giving to Charity [Related]

• The 3 Rules of Wealth [Essential]

Thanks for reading!

Will

P.S., If there are kids you know that could benefit from learning about money, why not gift them a copy of Grandpa’s Fortune Fables this Christmas? Available on Amazon