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The Magic Thread

A French Tale

Once upon a time there was a woman who had a son called Peter. Hewas the smartest boy in the village where he lived, but he did not enjoy going

to school and so he was always daydreaming.

Peter, what are you dreaming about this time?, his teacher asked him.

!m thinking about what !ll be when grow up, he replied.

"e patient. "eing an adult is di##icult, you know, his teacher said.

"ut it was di##icult #or Peter to enjoy the things he was doing. He was

always waiting #or the ne$t thing. think that he was the most impatient boy in

the world%

Peter liked walking in the #orest, dreaming about his #uture. One day he

was sleeping under a tree and he heard someone calling his name. He opened

his eyes and looked& there was an old woman in #ront o# him. 'he was the

oldest and ugliest creature that you can imagine, and she was holding a silver

ball in her hands.

(ake this ball, Peter, she said.)hat is it?, he asked.

(his is your li#e thread, she replied, showing him the thread that came

out o# the ball. # you do not touch it, time will pass normally. "ut i# you want

time to pass more *uickly, pull the thread a little harder and an hour will pass

like a second. (his ball is #or you, but i# you accept it, you won!t tell anyone

about it. # you tell, you die.

Peter took the present, jumping with joy. t was per#ect% He #elt like this

was the luckiest day in his li#e. He put the ball in his pocket and ran home.

On the ne$t day, at school, Peter #elt really tired. He didn!t want to listen

to the teacher. 'o he took his silver ball and pulled the thread just a little. Pu#%

(he class was #inished and everyone was going home. He was so happy%

+ow Peter is pulling the thread a little every day, because some things

are so boring% t was great that now time was passing #aster.

One day, he thought to himsel#& will push the thread really hard,

because want my school days to be over. want to learn a pro#ession and

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marry my best #riend iese. 'o he pulled the thread really hard. On the ne$t

day, he woke up and #ound out he was an adult, learning how to be a carpenter.

He loved his new li#e% +o more school, no more homework% +ow he

was working and making money. )henever he thought time was passing

slowly, he pulled the thread a little more to make time go on #aster.

One day, he said to iese& -ear #riend, will you marry me?

"e patient, Peter. et!s get married ne$t year. He took his silver ball in

his hands and pulled the thread really hard. )hen he woke up, he #ound out he

was married to iese.

"ut on the day o# his wedding, Peter looked at his mother and saw that

she was very old. He #elt really sad, because he knew it was his #ault that his

mother grew old so *uickly.

+ow Peter and iese had three children, but whenever the kids were ill

he pulled the thread a little more /ou know, certain things are really hard to

bear.

One day Peter looked in the mirror and saw that his hair was gray and

that he was old. He had many children now, but they were all teenagers% He

didn!t see them growing up.

Peter #ound out that his mother was very ill and almost dying. He #elt sosad% "ut a#ter some time he decided to pull the thread a little more, because he

wanted his sons and daughters to become adults and have jobs.

+ow iese was very old, and so was Peter. He decided to go back to the

#orest and think about his li#e.

He was very tired a#ter a short walk. He sat under a tree and started

sleeping. (hen he heard someone calling his name& Peter% Peter% t was the

woman who gave him the silver ball%

'he asked him& Peter, did you have a good li#e?

!m not sure, he said. (his magic ball is great. don!t have to wait

or su##er #or anything "ut #eel that didn!t enjoy my li#e 0verything

went so #ast, like a dream.

/ou are never happy, Peter% /ou!re an ungrate#ul person% "ut !ll give

you one more chance to be happy. )hat do you want?

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want to live my li#e again, but this time without your magic ball. (hen

!ll take the bad things and the good things as they come, and my li#e will not

be so empty like a dream.

(hen Peter gave her the ball and #ell asleep. )hen he got up, he was in

his bed. His mother came and said& )ake up, Peter. /ou!ll be late #or school%

/ou were sleeping like a rock%

He looked at her with surprise and said& 1om% /ou won!t believe what

happened% had a terrible dream. (here was a magic ball, and my li#e passed

very #ast, was old and had no memories%

(hat will never happen, Peter. )e!ll always have our memories,

especially when we are old. +ow get dressed #or school, iese is waiting #or

you.2s Peter walked to school with iese, he #elt really happy about that

very moment& it was a bright summer morning and it was good to be alive.

Peter understood that living each moment at a time was not bad a#ter all. n

#act, he could hardly wait.

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