The Little Roller Coaster

There once was a little roller coaster in a theme park. Every kid loved the roller coaster because it was small and didn’t go too fast or too high. People told him every day that they thought he was the best roller coaster ever. He would smile and give them a free ride.

The manager of the theme park thought he was wonderful because he brought all the customers. Life was great for the little roller coaster.

Then one day a big kid came. He shouldn’t have been in the younger kids park. But he came and bullied all the other roller coasters and their friends. The kids took him to the little roller coaster because they knew he would like it. He got on, and when he got off he said,

“That was the slowest, boringest roller coaster ever.” The little roller coaster’s feeling were heart. He wanted to be the best for everybody, even mean big kids. So, he made himself go faster.

And then higher. He thought his friends liked it, but soon they started to leave.

“Mommy!” he heard them say, “The roller coaster’s scary. I don’t want to go on it again.”

Well, the little roller coaster was very sad. Other people started to go on him. People he didn’t like, who spilt their food and drinks all over his little cars.

On a very lonely day, the manager came to talk to the little roller coaster.

He said, “Little roller coaster, why have you changed? Hardly any one of your old customers wants to go on you.”

“I’m sorry. I wanted to be good for everyone, even the mean big kids.”

“I understand,” said the manager, “but you can’t always please everybody. You want your friends back don’t you?”

The little coaster nodded sadly, shaking his tracks up and down.

“Then go back to the way you were.”

And that’s exactly what the little roller coaster did. All his friends came back, and when he heard a big kid saying mean things about him he kindly told the big kid, “There are faster roller coasters in the theme park over there.”

But the most important thing was that he was himself, and he was happy once again.