In a small town by the sea lived a curious little boy named Ethan. Ethan loved building things—tiny cars made of bottle caps, towers from old blocks, and even flying paper birds. But his greatest creation of all was a small, shiny robot he called Mini.
Mini had round blinking eyes, wheels for feet, and a button on its chest shaped like a star. Ethan had worked on Mini for weeks, tightening screws, connecting colorful wires, and whispering, “You’re going to be amazing,” every night before bed.
One sunny morning, Ethan pressed the star-shaped button.
Beep!
Mini’s eyes lit up like two little suns.
“Hello, Mini!” Ethan said, smiling wide.
Mini whirred softly. “Hello, Ethan. What are we doing today?” it asked in a gentle, metallic voice.
Ethan clapped his hands. “Today, we explore the backyard!”
They rolled out the door together. The garden was full of colors—yellow sunflowers bobbing in the breeze, red ladybugs crawling on leaves, and a sky so blue it looked freshly painted.
Mini scanned everything carefully. “So many colors. So many shapes,” it said.
When they reached the middle of the yard, a small butterfly fluttered by. Its wings shimmered like tiny rainbows. Mini followed it with its glowing eyes.
“What is that?” Mini asked.
“That’s a butterfly,” Ethan explained. “Butterflies make me really happy.”
Mini watched the butterfly land gently on Ethan’s hand. Something inside Mini—a little spark, a new sensation—started to grow. Its lights glowed brighter, and its wheels hummed softly.
“Ethan,” Mini said, “my circuits feel… warm. My lights feel bigger. I do not understand.”
Ethan thought for a moment. Then he grinned.
“Mini, I think… you might be feeling happy.”
Mini’s eyes widened. “Happy? Is this what happy feels like?”
“Yes!” Ethan laughed. “Sometimes happiness comes from small, beautiful things—like butterflies… or friends.”
Mini looked at Ethan, then at the butterfly still perched nearby.
“I like this feeling,” Mini said. “I like being here with you.”
From that day on, Mini discovered new things every morning—shapes, colors, sounds—but the very first feeling it ever learned was happiness. And every time Mini felt it, its little star-shaped button glowed warm and bright.
Ethan would smile and say, “That’s my Mini. The happiest robot in the world.”
And Mini would reply, “I learned it from the best friend ever.”
