Once, a man named Victor owned a clock that had belonged to his great-grandfather. “It’s an heirloom,” said his 10-year-old son Rohan, who had learnt the word recently and was eager to say it as often as possible. Last week, for example, he’d discovered the word ‘ancient’ and almost called his grandmother that, but his father stopped him right on time.
Meanwhile, a storm was brewing inside the clock as the hour hand called Tony, and the minute hand called Elsa, didn’t get along well with the second hand who was called Sparky. “You’re both so slow,” mocked Sparky, as he whooshed past them. “Pride has a fall,” warned Tony who was very wise, but Sparky ignored him.
One day, Rohan invited his friend Amar to his house to play. As their parents didn’t allow them to leave the house, Amar had an idea. “Let’s play indoor cricket,” he said. He threw the ball, and Rohan hit it hard. “Six!” they yelled.
Tony, Elsa, and Sparky watched in horror as the ball hurtled towards them like a cannonball. They squeezed their eyes shut. CRASH! It cracked the glass case. Tony and Elsa escaped unhurt but Sparky cried, “I can’t move!” He stood frozen in time and watched sadly as Tony and Elsa continued to circle around the clock.
Weeks passed as Sparky waited for Victor to fix the clock. But one day, he overheard him say: “Only the second hand has stopped. I can still tell the time and that’s what’s important.” Sparky was humbled and had learnt a valuable lesson. “You were right, Tony,” he said. “Pride has a fall.”
February, 2025
