Just outside the town, next to the rocks, there was a large pond. The water was deep, with carp and catfish gliding below the surface, frogs hopping around the edges, and a water sprite living at the very bottom of the pond. He was a kind little green man.
He cared for the fish, kept the pond nice and tidy, and made sure that no one ever came to harm there. He had even saved someone’s life once – quite recently, in fact.
The first warm days had arrived. The sun was shining and the air felt gentler than usual. The children from the city longed to enjoy the weather. Right after school, they didn’t waste a minute and ran straight to the pond. They brought picnic blankets and a ball. Some played on the blanket, others ran on the shore and watched the frogs, while a few tossed the ball back and forth. And all the while, the water sprite watched carefully. He didn’t take his eyes off a single child. making sure no trouble arose and no one got hurt. It looked as though the children were in for a wonderful afternoon.
Suddenly, one boy fell into the water. He had been running after the ball and hadn’t noticed how close he was too close to the pond’s edge. He reached for the ball, stumbled, and fell—right where the water was deepest. The carp nudged him from below, trying to help him stay afloat, but the boy only waved his arms, kicked his legs, and gasped for breath. Without hesitation, the water sprite jumped into the water. He pulled the boy to the shore and checked to see if he was okay.
“That’s our friend Frank! Thank you, water sprite, thank you so much!” cried the children, gathering anxiously around him. “You must to be careful when you play by the pond. What if I hadn’t seen you fall?” the water sprite scolded him gently, still shaken
“Sorry, water sprite. I can’t swim,” Frank admitted, stammering.
The water sprite looked around at the children gathered there. Then he asked loudly, “Who else can’t swim? Raise your hand!” Three of the children raised their hands.
“Children, if you want to come and play by my pond, you will have to learn to swim. And I will teach you. Come to the pond tomorrow after school. And you will start learning,” the water sprite said. The children were thrilled. They would learn to swim, and not just from anyone, from the water sprite himself! That would be great!
And just as he promised, so it happened. The children explained everything to their parents, and the very next day they all came to the pond. Three of them wore swimsuits; the others sat on the shore and watched. The water sprite first explained the basics to the three non-swimmers, then showed them where the shallow parts of the pond where they could stand. He showed them various swimming techniques, encouraged them, and kept training with them. The children came to the pond regularly, listened to every piece of advice from the water sprite, and tried their hardest to stay afloat.
Within a few weeks, the water sprite no longer had to help them. They had learned to swim. Frank and his friends were delighted, and the water sprite was proud of them. The children didn’t give up and tried hard. That was enough for them to learn.
Even today, just outside the city beside the rocks, you can see the same pond. The kind water sprite still lives there, keeping watch , and children still come to play. Frank and his friends are a little older now. But Frank has never forgotten what the water sprite did for him.