In a small village surrounded by
tall, whispering trees, there lived a boy named Ravi. Ravi had a big chest
filled with toys—cars, blocks, puzzles, and even a shiny train set. Every day,
he played alone in his room, building castles and racing his cars. His toys
were his treasure, and he never let anyone else play with them.
One sunny afternoon, Ravi’s friends came over to play. "Can we play with your toys, Ravi?" one of them asked.
But Ravi shook his head firmly.
"No! These are mine, and if I share them, they might break or get
lost," he said, hugging his favorite car tightly.
His friends felt disappointed and
left to play without him. As they ran outside, laughing and having fun, Ravi
sat in his room, surrounded by his toys. But something didn’t feel right. Even
though he had all his toys to himself, he wasn’t happy. His room felt quiet and
lonely.
Later that day, Ravi’s mother
noticed he looked sad. "Why don’t you visit Little Buddha Thero at the
temple?" she suggested. "He might be able to help you feel
better."
Ravi wasn’t sure what Little Buddha
could do, but he agreed. He made his way to the small temple at the edge of the
village, where Little Buddha Thero sat beneath a large, old tree, his eyes soft
and full of kindness.
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When Ravi arrived, Little Buddha
smiled at him. "Why do you look so troubled, Ravi?" he asked in his
gentle voice.
"I don’t want to share my
toys," Ravi said, looking down. "If I share them, I might lose them,
and they’re mine."
Little Buddha thought for a moment,
then said, “Would you like to see something magical?”
Ravi’s eyes widened.
"Magical?"
Little Buddha nodded and waved his
hand over a small patch of grass nearby. “Close your eyes and count to three.”
Ravi closed his eyes and counted
slowly, “One, two, three.”
When he opened his eyes, something
amazing had happened—his toys had come to life! His toy car beeped and zoomed
around his feet, the blocks stacked themselves into tall towers, and his shiny
train puffed little clouds of steam as it circled around him.
“Wow!” Ravi exclaimed, but before he
could reach out to grab his favorite car, it stopped and looked at him.
“Why don’t you play with us, Ravi?”
the car asked.
Ravi laughed. "Of course! You’re
my toys, after all!"
The car and blocks and train
gathered around him, but just as Ravi was about to join in the fun, they began
to slow down. Their colors started to fade, and soon they weren’t moving at
all.
“What’s happening?” Ravi cried,
confused.
Little Buddha smiled gently.
"Your toys feel lonely, Ravi. They want to be shared. When we keep things
all to ourselves, they lose their joy. But when we share, we give life to
happiness—for ourselves and for others."
Ravi was quiet for a moment. He
hadn’t thought about his toys being lonely. He looked at his car and train and
realized how much more fun it would be if he played with his friends.
"But if I share, won’t I lose
them?" he asked.
Little Buddha shook his head.
"Sharing doesn’t mean losing. It means giving a part of your happiness to
someone else and watching it grow. The more you share, the more joy you
create."
Ravi thought about his friends
laughing and playing outside. He realized that no matter how many toys he had,
it wasn’t as fun playing alone.
He turned to his car and said,
"I’m sorry I didn’t share you before. Will you play with me and my
friends?"
At that moment, the toys came back
to life, their colors bright and cheerful. The car beeped happily, the blocks
danced, and the train whistled a cheerful tune.
Little Buddha smiled. "Go now,
Ravi, and share your joy."
Ravi ran back home, filled with
excitement. He gathered all his toys and raced outside to find his friends.
"Come play with me!" he shouted, waving his hands.
His friends were surprised but
excited. They gathered around, and for the first time, Ravi shared all his
toys. The sound of laughter filled the air as they built block towers together,
raced the cars, and watched the shiny train chug around its track.
Ravi had never felt so happy. He
realized that the joy he had missed wasn’t in keeping his toys to himself, but
in sharing them with others. And as he watched his friends smile, he knew
Little Buddha Thero had been right all along.
From that day forward, Ravi always
shared his toys, and he discovered that the more he gave, the happier he felt.
His toys, once quiet and lonely, were now full of life, just like his heart.
Lesson: The story teaches children that sharing and giving don’t
mean losing something valuable—instead, they create more happiness and joy for
everyone. It shows the importance of generosity and how sharing can make the
world a brighter place.