Tolerance makes you strong: How to become a real hero!

Tolerance makes you strong in the Neflental

A cold winter has begun in the Neflental valley. Snow covers the meadows and the trees glisten in the morning sunshine when Rosa Periwinkle wakes up. The day starts early because Rosa Periwinkle has a lot of plans. She wants to see all her friends in Neflental and bring them a little surprise.

Rosa Immergrün trudges through the crunching white, past tall spruce trees, until she reaches the ice rose garden. There she is amazed every time. Many rose blossoms sleep beneath the glistening layer of ice. They look like glass. A place full of magic, but today it seems even quieter and colder than usual.

Her friends are already standing at the edge of the ice rose garden. There are Buchians with their firm, woody hands, Flossians with the funny blue glow on their skin and even a few Bergsteins, who otherwise rarely come out of the mountains. But they all stand silently together in small groups.

Rosa Periwinkle realises immediately that something is wrong. Nobody says anything. The Flossians cast suspicious glances at the Bergsteins. The Buchians even turn away. For days now, Rosa Periwinkle has heard many people complaining about others. "They look so funny," someone says. "They talk so quietly, you can never understand them," grumbles another.

But Rosa Periwinkle is not intimidated. She hops into the centre and shouts happily: "I have an idea! Let's go to the violet glade together! A special adventure awaits us there!" The others follow somewhat hesitantly. Even the Bergsteins trot along, albeit with their arms folded.

Together in the violet glade

They soon arrive at the violet glade. Everything there is full of bright colours: violets in dark purple, crocuses in fresh green and sunny yellow. In the centre stands a large statue, completely covered in moss. Its eyes glow in the light of the warm winter sun. Everyone feels welcome here.

But suddenly a Bergstein discovers a gaping hole in the ground. It cracks and one of the Flossians slips into it. Rosa Immergrün immediately wants to help. "We have to work together! Only then can we get him out again!" she shouts. The Buchians reach down with their long roots, Flossians form a glowing chain and the mountain stone holds everyone tight with its strong arms.

In a few minutes, they pull their friend out of the pit. Everyone laughs with relief. Now they look at each other differently: Not as strangers, but as heroes, because they helped together.

Tolerance makes you strong - everyone is different, but everyone is special

After the adventure, everyone sits down on the soft violets. The colours around them glow and the light of the sun touches the statue. Some realise that they never want to exclude anyone again because of the colour of their skin, their voice or their nature. "Everyone here can do something special," says a Buchian. "Only together are we really strong."

They sit together for a long time and tell stories. The Bergsteins talk about gemstones in the mountains, the Flossians sing songs about water, and the Buchians show how they make little figures out of branches.

What do we learn from this?

Everyone is different. But that is precisely what makes the Neflental a special place. When we are tolerant and accept others for who they are, we become strong. Shared adventures and help make real heroes out of everyone. And perhaps - as Rosa Immergrün has shown today - tolerance begins with an open heart.

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