Rusty the Robot was a very busy robot. He zoomed and whirred and beeped all day long! He helped Farmer Giles collect apples, he played hide-and-seek with Lily the lamb, and he even polished the moon for the nighttime sky. Rusty loved being helpful, but he never, ever stopped.
One day, Rusty started to feel… wobbly. His lights flickered, and his gears ground a little slower. “Beep boop… I need to… zoom!” he tried to say, but his voice sounded crackly. He tried to pick up an apple for Farmer Giles, but his arm wobbled and the apple rolled away.
Farmer Giles chuckled kindly. “Rusty, you sound like you need a rest! Even robots need to recharge.” Rusty tilted his head. “Recharge? But there’s so much to *do*!”
Lily the lamb trotted over. “Baa! Resting is important, Rusty. It helps you be strong and happy so you can play tomorrow!” She nudged him gently with her nose.
Farmer Giles led Rusty to a cozy little shed. Inside was a special charging station. “Just close your eyes, Rusty, and let the energy flow.” Rusty wasn’t sure about closing his eyes – he usually kept them open to scan for things to help with! – but he tried it.
As he charged, Rusty felt his wobbly feelings disappear. He imagined peaceful beeps and quiet whirs. He dreamed of shiny apples and fluffy lambs. It felt… good. Really good.
When Rusty woke up, he felt brand new! His lights were bright, his gears were smooth, and he was ready to play. But this time, he promised himself he would listen to his body and rest when he needed to.
He zoomed over to Lily and Farmer Giles. “Beep boop! Let’s have fun… *and* remember to rest!” And they all smiled, knowing that even the busiest robot needs a little quiet time to recharge and be his best self. Now close *your* eyes, little one, and recharge too. Sweet dreams!