In the future, in a place called Tech Town, lived a robot named Robo. Now, Robo was not just any robot; he was shiny and round with big googly eyes, a tiny mouth that smiled, and sparkly wheels instead of legs. He loved to play outside, but every time he rolled down the street, the children would run away and cry, “Mummy, a monster!”
One sunny day, in the park next to his house, Robo found a ball. The kids were playing with it, but whenever Robo tried to join in, they ran away. Feeling lonely, Robo lifted his arm and let the ball roll away. But the wind blew it right back to him. The girls and boys picked up their skirts and trousers and looked curiously at the robot. So, he smiled wider and waved his hands. When his shiny arm lifted, a long arm came out, and a playing racket fixed itself at the end. Robo swung his arm and perfectly hit the ball over to the children. They picked it up, smiled back, and threw it to him.
Robo played tennis with them until Mrs. Smith called, “It’s time to go home, kiddy-winks,” and all the children waved goodbye. As Robo was about to turn home, he saw one last boy in the corner, crying. “What’s wrong?” asked Robo.
“I want to play ball, but I’m too shy to ask,” sobbed the boy.
“Then I will play ball with you!” said Robo. So, all alone, he rolled up and down the empty street, playing ball with himself.
When he got home, he told his mother about the nice little boy. “You must be nice to all the children, my dear,” she replied. “If they see how good you are, they will not be afraid of you.”
So, Robo decided to do just that: be nice to all the children in Tech Town. And soon, the tennis courts, parks, and streets were filled with laughter and joy, as children from many a town came to visit the friendly robot, proving that friendship can indeed come from unexpected places.