A True Friend

A young boy named Ken had recently been in a bad car accident and injured his left eye. To protect it while it healed, he had to wear a thick, white bandage wrapped around his head.

When Ken walked into his classroom, the other kids couldn't help but stare at him with wide, curious eyes. Drake, a mischievous classmate who was always looking for ways to tease others, quickly took notice. Pointing at the bandage, Drake shouted, "Look, everybody, it's One-Eyed Ken!" He even covered one of his own eyes with his hand to mock Ken, causing the kids around them to erupt in laughter. To make matters worse, Drake told the others that they shouldn't play with Ken anymore.

Ken felt a heavy ache in his heart, but he chose to stay quiet, bravely bearing the sadness on his own.

A few days later, while playing soccer on the playground, Drake tripped over a rock and took a hard fall. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors discovered he had severely sprained his ankle. Just like Ken's eye, Drake's ankle had to be wrapped in a thick bandage to help it heal.

When Drake finally returned to school, he hobbled into the classroom on crutches. This time, it was the other kids' turn to laugh. They mimicked his limping walk and shouted, "Look, everybody, it's One-Legged Drake!"

Hearing their teasing made Drake feel awful. During recess, everyone ran out to the playground to have fun, just like always—but nobody wanted to play with Drake. He sat all by himself in a corner of the yard with his crutches. As he watched the other kids running and laughing without him, tears quietly welled up in his eyes.

Just then, Drake heard soft footsteps approaching. He looked up to see Ken. Smiling warmly, Ken walked over to him and said, "I can play with you."

Drake looked at Ken, feeling both surprised and deeply touched. He never imagined that Ken—the boy he had so cruelly made fun of—would be the one to comfort him when he was sad. Drake looked down at his lap and apologized.

"I'm so sorry, Ken. I never should have teased you like that."

Ken gently patted Drake on the shoulder and smiled. "It's okay. We can be friends now and help each other out."

From that day on, Drake never made fun of anyone again. He finally understood that everyone goes through tough times, and everyone feels fragile sometimes. As for Drake and Ken, they became the very best of friends.