João was a very lively boy. He loved to run around, build pillow castles and draw dinosaurs with crayons. But that week, he could only think about one thing: his birthday!
“How long is it?” he asked every hour.
“Just five more days,” his mom said, smiling.
But to João, five days seemed like five years!
That night, he got under the covers with his heart beating fast. He wanted the day to come so much that he could barely sleep. That was when he heard a soft sound coming from the closet:
“Tick… Tack… Tiiiiic…”
Curious, João went over there, opened the door slowly… and found a golden clock with eyes and a funny little mustache!
“Hello, João!” said the clock. “I’m the Magic Clock. I heard you’re really looking forward to your birthday.
” João’s eyes widened.
“How do you know?
” “Clocks know when time is tight inside people’s chests. That’s called anxiety. But don’t worry, I can help you wait in a lighter way.”
— Can you make time pass faster? — John asked hopefully.
— Oh, no, I can’t. But I can show you how to enjoy each day until then.
And that’s how the Magic Clock took John on a different adventure every night. On the first day, they went to play with clouds that tasted like cotton candy. On the second, they visited a library where books told stories by themselves. On the third, they danced with stars in the sky. Every night, a new surprise.
During the day, John began to smile more. He drew the adventures he had lived with the Clock and showed them to his parents.
On the fifth day, when he woke up, he heard lively music coming from the kitchen. Balloons, cake, friends! It was the big day.
— Congratulations, John! — everyone shouted.
And the Magic Clock appeared just to say goodbye and whispered:
— See how time flies when we live one day at a time?
John smiled. He understood that time is not an enemy — it is a friend that gives us many beautiful moments, one at a time.
End.
