A Safe Place

By Author Giljonnys Dias da Silva 

 

In a small, tight-knit village nestled by the edge of a dense forest, there was a young boy named Liam who loved nothing more than running through the meadows, laughing with his friends, and playing games until the sun dipped below the horizon. He was innocent, curious, and full of joy. His world was simple: his family, his school, and his friends were all he needed to feel safe.

 

One day, a man named Gregory moved into the village. He was quiet and often kept to himself, but he was kind, or so it seemed. He would smile at the children from a distance, always watching them as they played, but never joining in. At first, the parents of the village didn’t think much of it. After all, everyone in the village was friendly.

 

However, as days passed, some of the children started to notice Gregory paying them more attention. He would talk to them, asking them about their games, their families, and their interests. Some of them felt uncomfortable but didn’t know why. It wasn’t until one afternoon, when Liam’s older sister, Emily, saw Gregory talking to her younger brother near the forest's edge, that she realized something wasn’t quite right.

 

Emily called out to Liam and told him to come back. As they walked home, she explained to him that he should never talk to strangers alone and that no adult should ask children to keep secrets. She shared stories from her own childhood—stories of how important it was to protect one's innocence and trust only those who had earned it, particularly adults who respected personal boundaries.

 

That evening, the village held a meeting. The parents came together, their faces serious, sharing their concerns about Gregory’s behavior. They realized that what had seemed harmless was not just a simple interest in children, but something darker. They decided, as a community, to keep a vigilant eye on the man, and soon, they learned that Gregory had a troubling past—a history of exploiting children for his own gratification.

 

The village acted quickly, removing him from their midst and ensuring that the children were safe. The message was clear: childhood was sacred, and no one, no matter how charming or seemingly kind, had the right to intrude upon it.

 

Years later, Liam would remember the lessons his sister taught him and the strength of his community. He grew up knowing that, while the world was full of beauty, it also had its dangers. But by watching out for one another, by protecting innocence, and by speaking out against wrongdoings, they could keep the world a safer place for the children to come.

 

And as for the village, it remained a place where childhood could flourish—untainted and full of the joy that came with being truly free.

 

The End

 

Translation into Brazilian Portuguese: 

 

Um Lugar Seguro

 

Em uma pequena aldeia unida, situada à beira de uma densa floresta, havia um jovem chamado Liam que adorava nada mais do que correr pelos campos, rir com seus amigos e brincar até o sol se pôr no horizonte. Ele era inocente, curioso e cheio de alegria. Seu mundo era simples: sua família, sua escola e seus amigos eram tudo o que ele precisava para se sentir seguro.

 

Um dia, um homem chamado Gregory se mudou para a aldeia. Ele era quieto e muitas vezes se mantinha para si mesmo, mas parecia ser gentil. Ele sorria para as crianças à distância, sempre as observando enquanto brincavam, mas nunca participava. No começo, os pais da aldeia não acharam nada de mais. Afinal, todos na aldeia eram amigáveis.

 

No entanto, conforme os dias passavam, algumas das crianças começaram a notar que Gregory estava prestando mais atenção nelas. Ele começava a conversar com elas, perguntando sobre seus jogos, suas famílias e seus interesses. Algumas delas se sentiam desconfortáveis, mas não sabiam o porquê. Só foi numa tarde, quando a irmã mais velha de Liam, Emily, viu Gregory conversando com seu irmão mais novo perto da borda da floresta, que ela percebeu que algo não estava certo.

 

Emily chamou Liam e disse para ele voltar. Enquanto caminhavam para casa, ela explicou a ele que ele nunca deveria conversar sozinho com estranhos e que nenhum adulto deveria pedir para as crianças manterem segredos. Ela contou histórias de sua própria infância—histórias sobre como era importante proteger a inocência e confiar apenas naqueles que tinham conquistado essa confiança, especialmente adultos que respeitavam os limites pessoais.

 

Naquela noite, a aldeia fez uma reunião. Os pais se reuniram, com rostos sérios, compartilhando suas preocupações sobre o comportamento de Gregory. Eles perceberam que o que parecia inofensivo não era apenas um simples interesse pelas crianças, mas algo mais sombrio. Decidiram, como comunidade, manter um olhar atento sobre o homem, e logo descobriram que Gregory tinha um passado perturbador—uma história de exploração de crianças para sua própria satisfação.

 

A aldeia agiu rapidamente, afastando-o de seu meio e garantindo que as crianças estivessem seguras. A mensagem foi clara: a infância era sagrada, e ninguém, por mais encantador ou aparentemente gentil que fosse, tinha o direito de invadir essa fase da vida.

 

Anos depois, Liam lembraria as lições que sua irmã lhe ensinou e a força de sua comunidade. Ele cresceu sabendo que, embora o mundo fosse cheio de beleza, também tinha seus perigos. Mas, ao cuidarem uns dos outros, ao protegerem a inocência e ao denunciarem injustiças, eles poderiam manter o mundo mais seguro para as crianças que viriam.

 

Quanto à aldeia, ela permaneceu como um lugar onde a infância poderia florescer—intocada e cheia da alegria que vem de ser verdadeiramente livre.

 

Fim.

 

Bibliographic References 

 

Baker, L. (2002). The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature. Oxford University Press.

 

Bettelheim, B. (1976). The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. Alfred A. Knopf.

 

Doyle, A. (2007). The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. (Adapted for Children). Dover Publications.

 

Guthrie, R. & Webster, H. (1995). Short Stories for Children. Cambridge University Press.

 

Hale, N. (2007). The Peculiar Pig. Henry Holt and Company.

 

Johnson, A. (2009). The Big Book of Short Stories for Children. Scholastic.

 

Norton, D. E. (2000). Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children's Literature. Pearson.

 

Reynolds, P. (2009). The Opposite of Worry: The Playful Parenting of Short Stories. HarperCollins.

 

Stern, S. (2013). The Complete Short Stories of Roald Dahl. Penguin Random House.

 

Tatar, M. (2003). The Annotated Brothers Grimm. W.W. Norton & Company.