The dripping tap

The kitchen tap broke, and even when closed, it leaked tiny drops of water. The little boy thought these drops were of no value. So, when his mother asked him to place a container under the tap to collect the water, he was puzzled.

"But mummy, the drops are so small! The container will never fill up!" he said, chuckling.

His mother smiled patiently and proposed an experiment. "Okay, let us leave the container under the tap overnight and see how much water we collect by morning. It might surprise you."

The little boy agreed, still convinced that the drops would amount to nothing. Throughout the night, the tap dripped steadily: Drip. Drip. Drip.

In the morning, the little boy rushed to check the container, expecting it to be empty. But to his surprise, it was a quarter full of water – enough to water the plants on the kitchen window.

"But mummy, I thought the drops were too small! How did they add up to so much water?" he asked, eyes wide with wonder.

His mother smiled. "This shows you that every drop counts. So, imagine how much water is wasted when we let the tap keep dripping for an entire day?" The little boy pondered this, realizing that indeed, it would be a lot of water.

"Every drop of water, no matter how small, joins with another and another, and soon they become a lot of water," she explained. "That's why we should fix the tap, even if it's just a few drops coming out."

The little boy nodded, understanding. He learned that even tiny actions, like collecting small drops of water, can add up to make a significant difference.