Oh, the clock has stopped again and time has frozen!
In those moments, Liza felt painfully lonely, and to keep from falling into despair, the girl spoke to the clock:
How cheerfully the children in the courtyard start all sorts of games. The boys in the sandpit build residential districts with garages and petrol stations. The girls go about in groups with little bags, in which they keep lots of trinkets with secrets. These secrets the girls make up as they go, but for some reason they never share them with me. Why?
The girl wiped away a tear and sighed.
Bong!
Liza started at the unexpected sound. This chiming came from the clock.
Bong! — it sounded again, — Bong-dem, we know each other, I'm the hand!
And out of the clock came a thin little beauty.
Your sad thoughts make my legs heavy, and I cannot move. Why are you crying?
No one is friends with me, — sighed Liza, — They find me uninteresting.
Do you find them interesting?
No.
You've answered your own question. That means you need to stop being sad, stop tormenting yourself with worries and find activities and friends that match your interests.
What sort of interests?
Oh, life exists not only in your courtyard, girl. Open your eyes wider, and let's go get to know the boundless world. Look up at that endless sky, what do you see?
So many beautiful, different birds!
Let's dive into the ocean, and what's here?
Wonderful little fish!
And now we're in the forest, by the river, in the desert, on an ice floe.
Liza's breath was taken away by the discoveries; everything around seemed so interesting that she wanted to stay longer in one place and get to know the world, uncovering the real secrets of nature.
But soon the girl found herself back in the sitting room, the clock on the wall ticking quietly, and before her lay an open book with bright pictures of countries of the world.
Thank you, hand, — whispered Liza, — I understand now.
