In a peaceful village lived a kind boy named Arjun. Arjun loved making things, but his neighbor, Rohan, was often unkind. Rohan would make fun of Arjun’s drawings or his toys just to see him upset.
One sunny afternoon, Arjun was carefully building a beautiful sandcastle near the riverbank. Just as he finished, Rohan ran up and kicked it, scattering the sand everywhere. 'That looks silly, Arjun! Why do you waste your time?' Rohan laughed mockingly.
Arjun felt a surge of anger. His hands trembled, and he wanted to shout back. But instead, he took a deep breath and sat down to start building again. His grandfather, who was watching from a distance, walked over to him. 'Arjun, why didn't you fight back?' he asked gently.
'Grandpa, he was so mean to me,' Arjun said, his voice shaking. 'I wanted to yell at him.'
Grandfather smiled and pointed to the ground beneath them. 'Look at the earth, Arjun. When people dig into the soil to plant seeds or build roads, does the earth get angry and throw them away? No. The earth bears everything—the digging, the walking, and the weight. It stays steady and provides life. To be truly strong, you must be like the earth. When people say unkind things, bear with them with patience.'
Arjun understood. The next time Rohan tried to tease him, Arjun didn't react with anger. He simply smiled and continued his work. Seeing Arjun's calm strength, Rohan felt ashamed of his behavior. Slowly, Rohan stopped teasing and eventually became Arjun's best friend.
