It was a rainy morning in the little town of Sundarpur. Raindrops danced on rooftops, trees swayed in the breeze, and puddles formed everywhere. Riya, a kind-hearted girl with bright eyes and braided hair, looked out of the window, worried.
“Oh no! I’m late for school!” she cried, slipping her books into her school bag.
The rain had just slowed, and without wasting another second, Riya grabbed her raincoat, hopped onto her bicycle, and pedaled quickly toward school.
As she reached the old stone bridge over the river, the sound of rushing water grew louder. The river was wild—waves crashing, swirling below like a giant beast. It looked scary.
Suddenly, through the roar of the water, Riya heard a faint, desperate cry.
She stopped.
It wasn’t a human voice.
It sounded like… a puppy!
Riya parked her bicycle and ran to the side of the bridge. She peeked over the edge and gasped. A tiny brown puppy was clinging to the side rail, its little paws slipping, trembling with fear.
“Oh no! He’ll fall into the river!” Riya whispered, her heart pounding.
She looked around. People were rushing to work. No one stopped to listen. Riya shouted, “Please help! A puppy is stuck!”
But everyone just hurried past.
Tears welled up in Riya’s eyes.
Just then, a gentle voice said, “What’s wrong, my child?”
An elderly man with silver hair and kind eyes had stopped. Riya quickly grabbed his hand and pointed toward the struggling puppy.
The man looked down and said, “Oh dear! We must help him—quickly!”
He rushed to his car nearby, pulled out a fishing net, and returned. Carefully, he lowered the net down to the puppy. The little pup, now too tired to bark, slipped and tumbled into the net just in time!
The man gently pulled the net up. The puppy was safe!
Riya smiled, her heart light again.
“You were brave to stop and care,” the man said, patting her head. “The world needs more hearts like yours.”
But suddenly, Riya’s smile vanished.
“Oh no!” she gasped. “I’m super late for school! My teacher will be angry—and my parents already left for work. I can’t even go home!”
The man chuckled softly.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “Let me come with you. I’ll explain everything.”
And so, they both rode together to Riya’s school. When the teacher and principal heard what Riya had done, they didn’t scold her—they clapped for her!
“You showed great compassion today,” said the principal. “Saving a life—no matter how small—is an act of a true hero.”
On Annual Function Day, Riya stood on stage, holding a Certificate with a paw print on it. Everyone cheered.
And the best part?
The old man adopted the puppy and named him Bridge—because he was found on a bridge, and because Riya built a bridge of kindness that day.
🌟 Moral of the Story:
True kindness means helping those in need—even if they can’t ask for it in words. Be brave. Be kind. And always care for all living beings—humans and animals alike.
