Courage to tell the truth: Dare to always tell the truth!

Courage for the truth in the Neftal Valley

The day begins with radiant sunbeams in the Neflental valley. The air smells sweet and the light shimmers everywhere. It is peak radiance, the most beautiful time of summer. The valley's inhabitants celebrate on the shores of the Crystal Lake. Colourful lanterns dance in the sky, while campfires flicker and cheerful laughter fills the air. The colours around you are simply magical: sun-gold, sapphire blue, coral red, and emerald green gleam like precious stones.

On this special day, Rosa Immergrün meets her friends at the water lily bay. The water there is completely still. Large, green leaves float on the surface, with delicate white flowers blooming in between. Colourful fish glide in the clear water, and dragonflies whizz with shimmering wings in the warm evening air. The children sit on the shore, their feet splashing in the cool lake.

The lost oak leaf

Suddenly, one of the friends calls out excitedly. The golden oak leaf from the playgroup is missing! This leaf is the prize for the bravest friend, and everyone is keen to hold it at some point. A great feeling of excitement and worry spreads. Rosa Immergrün immediately senses that something is wrong.

Everyone starts to search. They look behind the large water lilies, rummage through their pockets, and even ask the dragonflies if they've seen anything. The sun slowly sinks lower, bathing the bay in a warm, almost magical light. But the golden oak leaf remains lost.

Find the truth

Rosa Immergrün is sitting a little apart. She notices her heart is beating very fast. She remembers that she was the last one to have the oak leaf in her hands. In the commotion of playing, she accidentally dropped it into the water. But she hasn’t dared to tell the others yet. What if her friends are sad or angry?

Suddenly, a dragonfly gently lands on Rosa's shoulder. The shimmering insect hums softly and looks up at her. In that moment, Rosa Evergreen feels courage rising within her. She knows that it is right to always tell the truth, even when it is not easy.

To show the courage of conviction

Quietly, Rosa Alwaysgreen asks her friends to come to her. She looks at them honestly and tells them what happened. She says that she didn't drop the oak leaf into the water on purpose, but was afraid to tell the truth. Her voice sounds firm, even though it trembles a little.

A long silence follows. Then one of Rosa's friends takes her hand. „Thank you for being honest,“ he says. The others nod. They realise it takes a lot of courage to admit a mistake. No one gets angry. Instead, everyone feels even closer to each other.

Suddenly, a girl on the bank calls out: „Look, something’s sparkling in the water!“ Together they fish the golden oak leaf out of the clear lake. It gleams in the sunbeams, more beautiful than ever before. Everyone laughs with relief and hugs each other. They continue celebrating and rejoice in staying together – even when things go wrong.

What do we learn from this?

In the Neflental, and especially at Lilypad Bay, everyone learns: it is strong to tell the truth – even when it is difficult. Those who have the courage to speak the truth gain the trust of their friends, and their own heart feels free and light.

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