Ruben and the Magic Robot Clock

It was a quiet evening in the little town of Lightville, and twelve-year-old inventor Ruben sat in his workshop surrounded by screws, cables, and blinking LEDs. His latest project, a robot clock, lay spread out across the workbench. Ruben had always been fascinated by how things worked, and his dream was to create something that could help people in their everyday lives.

After months of drawings and experiments, he had finally succeeded in making his clock not only show time but also help with small tasks like reminding him about homework and keeping track of important dates. Ruben had given his creation the name "Clocky," and it was equipped with a small screen and a warm, friendly voice.

"Good evening, Ruben!" hummed Clocky when Ruben pressed its start button.

"Good evening, Clocky," answered Ruben and smiled. "Are you ready for our first test night?"

Clocky blinked and said, "Of course! What can I help you with today?"

Ruben thought and decided to let Clocky remind him to read a book before falling asleep. "Remind me to read for twenty minutes before I go to bed, Clocky."

"Of course, Ruben! I'll remind you in twenty minutes," answered Clocky happily.

Ruben sank into his bed with his favorite book and quickly lost himself in the story's magical world. Suddenly, just when the adventure reached its climax, he heard Clocky's voice: "Ruben, it's time for your evening reading to end."

Although he wanted to read on, Ruben remembered why he had programmed Clocky to remind him. He needed his sleep to manage school the next day. "Thank you, Clocky," he said and put the book on the nightstand.

The next morning, Ruben woke up alert and rested, ready for a new day. During the day, he used Clocky to keep track of his homework and even to remind him to bring his rain jacket when it started getting cloudy.

The weeks passed, and Clocky became an indispensable part of Ruben's life. But one day, Ruben noticed that he had become too dependent on his creation. He realized that he hardly thought about those things himself anymore, relying completely on Clocky.

So one evening, when he lay in bed and Clocky reminded him to turn off the lamp, Ruben decided to turn off Clocky for the night. "I think I'll try to manage without you for a while," he said carefully.

"That sounds like a good idea, Ruben," answered Clocky understandingly. "Remember that I'm always here if you need me."

When Ruben lay there in the darkness, he realized that it wasn't just about having tools, but also about using his own ability to think and make decisions. From that day on, he used Clocky more as a friend and less as a crutch.

And so, Ruben and Clocky lived in perfect harmony, with Ruben always taking time to think for himself before he asked for help. They were a team, but Ruben now knew that the most important tool he had was his own intelligence and creativity.

Moral: It's important to rely on your own abilities, using technology as a support, not a replacement.