Pedrinho was a smart boy, with curious eyes and a mischievous smile. He loved playing in the yard, chasing butterflies and, most of all… eating sweets!
One day, at lunchtime, his mother prepared a plate full of colorful food: rice, beans, carrots and a little piece of chicken. Pedrinho looked at the plate and made a face.
“If I eat it all, can I get a little candy?” he asked, already with a hidden plan behind his eyes.
“Yes, you can, my love,” his mother replied, smiling. “But only if you eat it all.”
Pedrinho sat at the table, watched… and had an idea. He hid the carrot under the napkin, pushed the rice to the corner and spread the beans as if he had eaten it. Then, he ran to the kitchen:
“I’ve already eaten it all, mommy!”
Mommy looked at the plate, suspicious, but smiled and gave him a banana candy. Pedrinho ran to his room, chewing happily.
But that night, when he was in bed, something strange happened. His teddy bear, who was always quiet, began to speak softly:
— Pedrinho… why did you lie?
— I just wanted the candy… — he whispered, curled up.
— But now your little heart is tight, isn’t it? — said the teddy bear. — When we lie, something inside us gets sad. It’s like a little plant that needs the truth to grow.
The next day, Pedrinho woke up different. He went to his mommy and said:
— Mommy, I… didn’t eat everything yesterday. I hid the carrot.
Mommy bent down, looked into his eyes and said lovingly:
— Thank you for telling me the truth, my love. I’m much happier when you’re honest than when everything seems perfect.
She gave him a tight hug, the kind that warms your chest, and said:
— How about trying to eat everything today? And then we can make something sweet together?
Pedrinho smiled. That day, the food even seemed tastier. And the candy, made with love and truth, was the sweetest of all.
The end.
