His mother would say, "It is not safe for you to roam in the night."

"It is not fair!" Mathew would argue.

Despite her dismay, his mother knew that Mathew was just a kid with a lot of curiosity.

One day, his mother had a chore to do and had to leave Mathew alone.

Mathew, seeing that his mother was not around, chose to continue to explore the neighborhood.

However, Mathew knew he had to be back before his curfew.

As he roamed, he came across a group of kids playing.

Mathew chose to join and play with them until it was almost time for his curfew.

"Phew!" Mathew realized he had to rush back home.

He bid goodbye to his new friends and started running back home.

As he neared his home, Mathew stumbled upon a sight that filled him with dread.

A wild raccoon had cornered a few of his friends and was ready to pounce.

Mathew knew he had to rescue his friends, but also knew he had to be back before curfew.

Summoning his bravery, Mathew got the raccoon to skew its attention towards him.

This gave his friends a chance to escape, and Mathew swiftly made his way back home.

As he reached home, Mathew saw his mother standing at the entrance looking upset.

Mathew tried to explain what happened. His mother was just happy he was safe.

From that day on, Mathew never argued about his curfew again.

He knew that some rules are set for a reason, and it is important to respect them.