Rusty was a little robot, shiny and blue, but lately, he’d been feeling…empty. Not empty like his battery was low, though that happened sometimes too. It was an empty feeling *inside*. He’d roll around the town of Sparkle City, waving to the other robots and zoom-cars, but nothing seemed to fill him up. His creator, Old Man Tiber, had told him robots were powered by energy, but Rusty wasn’t sure what kind of energy he needed.
Old Man Tiber ran the Repair Shop, a cozy place filled with whirring gears and blinking lights. “What’s wrong, Rusty?” he asked, noticing Rusty’s slow roll. “You seem a little…dim.” Rusty explained his empty feeling. Old Man Tiber chuckled. “Sometimes, Rusty, the best kind of energy isn’t found in a charging station. It’s found in helping others.”
Rusty tilted his head. “Helping others?” He wasn’t quite sure how that would work. Old Man Tiber pointed to Mrs. Bolt, a little cleaning robot whose brush was stuck. “See Mrs. Bolt? She’s having trouble. Why don’t you offer to help?” Rusty cautiously rolled over to Mrs. Bolt. “Can I…fix your brush?” he asked. Mrs. Bolt’s lights blinked gratefully. “Oh, would you, dear? I’ve been trying for ages!”
Rusty carefully examined the brush. A small pebble had jammed the gears. With a gentle click, he removed the pebble, and the brush whirred back to life. Mrs. Bolt zoomed around happily, thanking Rusty over and over. And as she thanked him, Rusty felt…a little warmer inside. A tiny spark of energy seemed to glow within his circuits.
Next, he saw Zip, a delivery robot, struggling to carry a large box of glow-berries. The box was wobbling dangerously. “Let me help!” Rusty offered, and together, they carefully carried the box to its destination – the Sparkle City bakery. Zip’s cheerful beeps filled Rusty with another little spark of energy. It felt…good.
He spent the rest of the afternoon helping anyone he could. He helped a gardening robot water the flowerbeds, he guided a lost little zoom-car back to its garage, and he even helped Old Man Tiber organize his tools. With each act of kindness, Rusty felt more and more full of energy. The empty feeling was fading away.
As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over Sparkle City, Rusty rolled back to the Repair Shop. Old Man Tiber smiled. “Well, Rusty? How do you feel now?” Rusty’s lights shone brightly. “I feel…amazing!” he exclaimed. “I understand now! Helping others *is* the best kind of energy!”
Old Man Tiber patted Rusty’s shiny head. “I knew you’d figure it out. Robots, and everyone else, are happiest when they’re making the world a little brighter. Now, it’s time for you to recharge, little robot. You’ve earned it.” Rusty plugged himself into the charging station, feeling content and full of energy, not just from electricity, but from a heart full of kindness. He closed his optical sensors, ready for sweet robot dreams, knowing that tomorrow, he would find even more ways to help others and keep his energy glowing.