Rusty was a very busy robot. He zoomed and whirred, helping Old Man Tiber fix things around his workshop. He polished gears, sorted screws, and even made little robot arms to hold tools! Rusty loved being helpful, but he didn’t understand one thing: bedtime. Old Man Tiber kept telling Rusty, “Even robots need to rest, little friend!”
“Rest?” beeped Rusty. “But there’s so much to *do*! I haven’t organized the blue bolts yet, and the widget-maker needs a new spring!” He continued to work, his lights blinking faster and faster. Old Man Tiber chuckled. “Rusty, you’re starting to sputter. Your gears are getting wobbly. That means you need to recharge.”
Rusty tried to ignore the sputter and wobble. He kept tightening screws, but his movements became jerky. He accidentally dropped a whole box of washers! “Oh dear,” said Old Man Tiber gently. “Looks like you’re really pushing yourself. Come on, let’s get you to your charging station.”
Rusty reluctantly followed Old Man Tiber to a cozy corner of the workshop. It wasn’t a bed, exactly, but a special platform with a glowing cable. “But what if something important happens while I’m recharging?” Rusty worried. Old Man Tiber smiled. “Then I’ll handle it. You’ve done enough for today. Sometimes, the kindest thing you can do is take care of *yourself*.”
Rusty plugged in the cable. A warm, gentle energy flowed through him. He felt his sputter slow, his wobble disappear, and his lights dim to a soft glow. He closed his optical sensors (robot eyes!).
While Rusty recharged, Old Man Tiber quietly organized the blue bolts. He hummed a little tune and thought about how important it was to listen to your body, even if you were made of metal and wires. He knew Rusty would be even more helpful tomorrow *because* he rested.
When Rusty woke up, he felt fantastic! His gears were smooth, his lights were bright, and he was ready to work. “Good morning!” he chirped. “I feel…amazing!” Old Man Tiber winked. “See? Rest does a robot good. Now, about that widget-maker’s spring…”
From that day on, Rusty still loved being helpful, but he also understood the importance of rest. He learned that taking time to recharge wasn’t being lazy; it was being smart. And every night, after a busy day of fixing and building, Rusty happily plugged into his charging station, ready for sweet robot dreams.