The Clockmaker’s Secret

 

In the heart of a small village, where the cobbled streets echoed with laughter and the air smelled of fresh bread and blooming jasmine, there was a little shop called Tiktik Clocks. It belonged to Master Dwij, the oldest and wisest clockmaker in town.

Master Dwij wasn’t just any clockmaker—people whispered that his clocks were special, filled with magic that only a few could understand.

One day, a curious girl named Raina visited his shop. She loved puzzles and mysteries, and she had always been fascinated by the grand golden clock that stood in the corner of the shop, ticking slower than the others.

“What’s so special about that clock?” she asked.

Master Dwij smiled, his eyes twinkling behind his spectacles. “Ah, that is no ordinary clock,” he said. “It holds a secret.”

The Clock That Could Pause Time

That evening, as Master Dwij closed the shop, he called Raina back.

“I see your curiosity, child,” he said. “This clock… can pause time for five minutes.”

Raina’s eyes widened. “Pause time?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “Press the golden button at the top, and for five minutes, the world will freeze. No one will move, except you.”

Raina gasped. “Why don’t you use it all the time?”

Master Dwij chuckled. “Because, my dear, time is precious. If used carelessly, it can cause more harm than good. That’s why I have never used it—only the right person should.”

He placed the tiny key in Raina’s hand. “Tonight, the clock chooses you.”

The First Use: A Runaway Goat

That night, as Raina walked home, she heard loud screaming.

“Stop that goat!” a farmer yelled.

A white goat had broken free and was charging toward the busy marketplace. If it reached the stalls, it would knock over baskets of mangoes, jugs of milk, and even a stack of clay pots!

Raina didn’t think twice—she pulled out the clock and pressed the golden button.

The world froze.

The villagers stood mid-run, a dog in the air mid-jump, the goat’s ears flapping in the wind. Everything was still.

Raina carefully walked to the goat and untangled the rope from its foot. Then, she gently guided it back toward its pen and tied it securely.

Taking a deep breath, she clicked the button again.

Time resumed.

The villagers gasped—one moment, the goat had been charging, and the next, it was safely tied!

“How did this happen?” they wondered.

Raina smiled but kept her secret.

A Lesson in Responsibility

Over the next few weeks, Raina used the clock wisely.

·       She stopped a falling water pot before it crashed.

·       She caught a little boy before he tumbled into a well.

·       She helped a lost cat find its way home.

But one day, she thought, What if I use it for fun?

She pressed the button just to steal an extra five minutes of sleep. Another time, she used it to finish her homework last minute.

But soon, something strange happened.

The clock slowed down. The golden button lost its shine. And one evening, when she tried to use it… it didn’t work at all.

Worried, she ran back to Master Dwij.

The old clockmaker looked at the faded golden button and sighed.

“I warned you, child,” he said gently. “Time is not a toy. When used wisely, it creates miracles. But when wasted, it vanishes—just like sand slipping through fingers.”

Raina felt ashamed. She had been given a gift and had misused it.

“Can I ever fix it?” she asked.

Master Dwij smiled. “Yes. But only if you prove that you understand the true value of time.”

The Ultimate Test

That very night, a terrible storm hit the village. The river overflowed, and the streets flooded. A little boy was trapped on a broken bridge, calling for help.

The villagers couldn’t reach him—the current was too strong.

Raina’s heart pounded. This was her chance to make things right.

She grabbed the clock and whispered, “Please work… just once more.”

She pressed the golden button.

Time paused.

The rain froze in the air like tiny glass beads. The river stood still. The villagers’ worried faces were locked in time.

Raina rushed across the bridge, carefully lifting the boy and carrying him to safety. When she reached the dry ground, she clicked the button again.

Time resumed.

The villagers watched in amazement. The boy was safe, though no one had seen how.

Master Dwij, who had been watching from his shop, simply smiled. “The clock has chosen wisely after all,” he murmured.

The Clock’s Final Gift

The next morning, Raina found the clock back in its usual spot—but something was different.

The golden button had disappeared. The clock would never pause time again.

Yet, Raina didn’t feel sad.

She had learned that every second matters—and the true magic wasn’t in stopping time, but in using it wisely.

From that day on, she never wasted another moment.

And as the years passed, she became the village’s greatest problem-solver—not with magic, but with quick thinking, kindness, and the wisdom of time.

Moral: Time is a treasure—use it wisely, for once it’s gone, it never comes back.