Arkin and the Little Lie

 

Arkin was a cheerful 3-year-old boy with bright eyes and a cute little nose. His best friend in the whole wide world was a fluffy gray cat named Mimi. They played together every day — hide-and-seek in the living room, pretending to be pirates, and sharing snacks under the big mango tree in the backyard.

One sunny afternoon, Mommy gave Arkin a yummy chocolate cookie and told him, “This is your last one today, okay?”

Arkin nodded with a big smile, but as soon as Mommy left the room, he spotted the cookie jar on the counter. His eyes grew wide. Just one more won’t hurt, he thought.

With Mimi watching, Arkin climbed onto a stool, grabbed another cookie, and munched it happily.

Later, Mommy came back. “Arkin,” she said gently, “did you take another cookie?”

Arkin’s face froze. He glanced at Mimi, then shook his head quickly. “No, Mommy.”

Mimi’s ears twitched. She looked at Arkin with big, round eyes and softly meowed, “Meowww?”

That night, as Arkin lay in bed with Mimi curled beside him, he felt a little strange. He couldn’t sleep. His tummy didn’t hurt, but his heart did.

“Mimi,” Arkin whispered, “I told a lie.”

Mimi gave a soft purr and rubbed her head against his cheek.

“I said I didn’t eat the cookie,” Arkin said, “but I did. Mommy asked, and I lied.”

Mimi blinked slowly, as if saying, You know what to do.

The next morning, Arkin walked to Mommy, holding Mimi in his arms.

“Mommy,” he said in a tiny voice, “I ate another cookie. I said no, but that was a lie. I’m sorry.”

Mommy knelt down and hugged him tight. “Thank you for telling the truth, Arkin. That was very brave.”

“Lying made my heart feel sad,” Arkin said, pressing a hand to his chest. “I don’t like that feeling.”

Mommy smiled. “That’s because you have a kind heart. And telling the truth helps it stay happy.”

From that day on, Arkin remembered how it felt to lie—and how much better it felt to be honest. With Mimi by his side, he tried every day to be truthful, even when it was hard.

And each night, as Mimi purred beside him, Arkin slept with a smile—because his heart felt light, and his cookie jar adventures were now just part of his honest stories.