Do you like fairy tales?
Many of us fondly recall our favourite stories or cartoons and often gladly return to them with our children. Fairy tales are also a great pretext to start a conversation on important topics, because sometimes it's easier for us to talk about characters in a book or film than about ourselves. Therefore, we present you with a fairy tale that addresses the topic of digital hygiene and maintaining balance in life. After listening, we suggest you jointly answer the supporting questions, e.g.: Do people sometimes act like the fish? Is there something in your life that the pearl was for the fish? What rules did the fish implement to feel better? If necessary, after such a conversation, we can suggest introducing similar, healthy habits at home, e.g., setting a time limit for using screen devices, evening quiet time, putting devices away during study time, and creative organization of time offline.
We wish you a pleasant read or invite you to listen to the audiobook (PL only).
The fish who found the answer
At the bottom of the ocean, deep underwater,
among reefs and corals that can amaze,
lived a little fish – colourful and pretty,
cheerful, joyful, and keen on playing.
She spent whole days on wild games,
swimming near home and on further trips.
She happily learned at school with Mrs. Crab.
Active and bright – that's what she was like.
One time, right at the end of the reef,
the fish found something... something glistened in the sun.
She swam closer... closer to the shallow water
and found a PEARL of extraordinary beauty.
"Wonderful!" "How beautiful!" her friends praised.
"It reflects the whole world," "a treasure" – they said.
It was useful for many things,
and from that day on, she never parted with it.
She spent whole days with her little pearl,
playing games, looking at herself with great joy.
And whenever she could, she took it with her,
to secretly look at it whenever she wanted.
Her friends asked: "Will you play with us?"
"No, thanks! I'll sit with the pearl – you play by yourselves!"
Finally, they stopped coming, stopped advising,
because they knew the answer – they didn't want to disturb her.
One day, while swimming to school again,
her eyes were fixed on the pearl the whole time,
she now liked to look at herself all day,
allowing the treasure to draw her attention.
Swimming ahead like that, she didn't even check that
the path she was taking had completely changed.
And when she looked up, she was very surprised,
when she realized that she was LOST!
She didn't even notice the beautiful reef around,
as she swam in a panic, looking for the way,
not noticing the world around her,
and constantly focusing on her treasure.
In the evening, after returning, she wanted to rest,
she kept staring at the pearl, despite herself.
Its glow attracted her, wouldn't let her sleep,
it wouldn't dim until late at night, sleepless.
So, she didn't have the strength to wake up for school in the morning,
even her cheerful friend annoyed her.
EVERYTHING annoyed her, she didn't know why,
and lessons were difficult – which used to be easy.
"What's happening to me?" she asked herself,
"Will the pearl help when I am in need?"
The more she looked, attracted by the glow,
the worse she felt, distracted, sleepy.
Then she understood what the cause was:
"I need balance! I didn't have it!"
Playing with others, the world around, and sleep
– that's how my every day would have balance!
She quickly established new rules,
she didn't want the pearl to rule her any longer.
She wanted to sleep better, to feel better,
so she decided to act fast.
She left the pearl at home during school time,
thanks to this, she concentrated better.
Without it, she had a great time with her friends,
and she set an evening quiet time for herself.
So, we are now approaching the moral:
In life, everything needs balance.
Jagoda Potoczna