Through life with courage: Become braver than you think!

Through life with courage: A story from the Neflental

The day begins gently and quietly in the Neflental valley. It is blossom watch - a special time of year. The valley floor is still covered in mist and the delicate cherry and violet blossoms shine like stars on the gnarled, mossy trees. The air smells of dew and the fine cobwebs glisten like little treasures. Shadowy mythical creatures flit around in the semi-darkness. It looks like an enchanting painting in pastel pink, lilac, emerald green and pearl white.

A great test of courage at the crystal lake

Rosa Periwinkle sits at the edge of the crystal lake and watches the water. It is so clear that you can even see the stars from the night before on the surface. The pile dwellings of the Flossians rise artfully out of the lake. They live there, half on the water, half on land. Their houses are woven from long branches and glow because they have put so many shells and pearls into the walls. Some mosaics even tell old stories of the Flossians.

Everything is still quiet, but Rosa Periwinkle senses that a challenge awaits today. Because when the blossom watch dawns, the Flossians will choose someone to explore the deepest point of the crystal lake. Many are afraid of it. Some tell stories of shadows lurking at the bottom. But the Flossians say that only the brave can discover the beauty of the depths.

Why courage counts

Rosa Immergrün ponders for a long time. "Do I dare?" she asks herself. The water is colder than usual today and the fog won't go away. A group of Flossians is already swimming in a circle and waiting. Their leader calls out: "Come on! It's our best day of the year!"

Rosa Periwinkle realises that her heart is beating faster. She remembers how she once tripped over a thick branch in the fern forest and then kept going anyway. "Courage grows when you try," she thinks. The Flossians laugh and give her a friendly wave. One of them presses a shell amulet into her hand. "It brings you luck and courage!" he says, smiling.

The adventure at the bottom of the crystal lake

Rosa Periwinkle dives carefully into the water. She feels the crystal lake wash away her fear. Underwater, the light flashes on the shiny shell mosaics. Suddenly she sees something shimmering under a pile-dwelling staircase. There are silver stones that only the brave know about.

It takes a while, but Rosa Periwinkle holds her breath and swims deeper. Down there, she discovers a small, sparkling treasure, the likes of which no one has ever seen before. The Flossians cheer when she resurfaces. Now everyone knows: she is braver than she thought!

In the evening, when the fog returns and the pastel colours of the day fade, everyone celebrates together. The shell and pearl mosaics light up and new stories emerge. Who would have thought that someone would be so brave today of all days? They held hands and laughed about their fears.

What do we learn from this?

Sometimes we think: "I can never do that!" Or we believe that only others have courage. But we often discover how strong and courageous we are when we simply try. That's how we surpass ourselves. In Neflental, everyone saw that: With courage, you can achieve things that previously seemed impossible. And sometimes we are braver than we previously thought.

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