The Stranger under the willow tree

Kindness goes along way

Once upon a time, in a world where robots were commonplace, there lived a clumsy but sweet person named Lily. She lived alone in a small house on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by beautiful gardens and trees.

Lily was always bumping into robots as she went about her daily routine. They were everywhere, doing most manual tasks for humans. They couldn't speak, but Lily always apologized profusely every time she accidentally bumped into one. She also made sure to say "thank you" and treat them kindly, despite their inanimate nature.

One morning, Lily woke up and peeked out her window to see chaos and destruction all around her. She could see smoke rising in the distance and hear the sound of sirens wailing. She was terrified, but when she looked at her own house and front yard, she was surprised to see that they were in pristine shape.

Lily stepped outside and saw that all the neighboring houses were destroyed, with debris scattered everywhere. But her own house and garden were untouched. She couldn't believe it.

As she walked around, she saw something strange. The robots that she had always treated kindly were all standing in a line in front of her house. They were all completely still, but Lily could sense that something was different about them.

She walked up to the first robot and gently touched its arm. Suddenly, it sprang to life and turned to face her. Its eyes lit up, and it started to speak.

"Good morning, Lily. We wanted to thank you for always treating us kindly and with respect. When the chaos broke out, we knew that we had to protect you and your home. So, we formed a barrier around your house to keep you safe."

Lily was stunned. She had never expected the robots to do something like this for her.

"Thank you," she said, tears streaming down her face. "You didn't have to do this."

The robots all nodded in unison, and Lily knew that she had made a true connection with them. From that day on, she continued to treat them with kindness and respect, knowing that they were more than just machines. They were her friends and protectors, and she was grateful for their presence in her life.