The Happy Mood
Andersen's Fairy Tales
Imagine a little boy named Leo, whose pockets were usually empty, but whose heart was always full of sunshine. He lived in a small, cozy house with his family, and even though they didn't have many shiny toys or fancy treats, Leo found joy in everything.
If it rained, Leo would say, "Hooray! The flowers are getting a drink, and I can splash in the puddles!" If he found an old wooden shoe, zoom! It became the fastest boat on a puddle-ocean. A yellow dandelion? Why, that was a golden coin from a fairy!
Now, in a big, grand house on the hill lived a wealthy old gentleman named Mr. Frown. Mr. Frown had everything: soft chairs, sweet cakes, and servants to bring him whatever he wished. But Mr. Frown was rarely happy. He grumbled if his tea was too hot, and he sighed if it was too cold. He found fault with the sunshine (too bright!) and the clouds (too gloomy!).
One day, Mr. Frown was looking out his window, feeling particularly grumpy. He saw Leo in the lane below, laughing as he chased a butterfly with a bright red spot on its wings. "Silly boy," muttered Mr. Frown. "Wasting his time on a bug."
The next day, Leo was carefully arranging shiny pebbles he'd found by the river. He hummed a happy tune. Mr. Frown watched, a deep wrinkle between his eyebrows. "What can possibly be so amusing about a pile of stones?" he wondered.
This went on for many days. Leo would be making a whistle from a blade of grass, or telling stories to a friendly stray cat, always with a smile that reached his eyes. Mr. Frown just got more and more puzzled.
One afternoon, Mr. Frown’s most expensive clock stopped working. "Useless thing!" he huffed. He felt very cross. He stomped to the window and there was Leo, holding up a single, slightly wilted daisy. Leo was talking to it gently, as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
Something inside Mr. Frown felt a little… different. He couldn't quite name it. He watched Leo carefully place the daisy in a crack in the wall, like he was tucking it into bed.
The next morning, Mr. Frown saw Leo trying to fly a kite made from old newspaper and twigs. The wind wasn't very strong, and the kite kept dipping and diving. But Leo just laughed and tried again.
Suddenly, a little gust of wind caught the kite, and it soared up, up, up! Leo cheered, his face bright with delight.
And for the very first time in a long, long while, a tiny smile touched Mr. Frown’s lips. He didn't even notice it himself at first. He saw Leo’s pure, simple happiness, and it was like a little bit of sunshine had crept into his own grand, gloomy house.
Mr. Frown didn't magically become jolly overnight. But he started to notice things. The way the sun made patterns on his carpet. The sweet song of a bird outside his window. He even found himself thinking that perhaps, just perhaps, a warm cup of tea wasn't so bad after all.
He learned from Leo that happiness wasn't about having everything. It was about seeing the good in the little things, the everyday things. And sometimes, a cheerful heart, like Leo’s, could be the most wonderful treasure of all.
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