Photon was a tiny but incredibly fast little ray of light. He traveled through the universe like a golden spark, leaping from one galaxy to the next and playing tag with cosmic dust. His favorite game was “who can spot the planet with rings first.” He always won, because nothing was faster than him.
One day, Photon found himself in an unfamiliar corner of the universe. All around him, stars glittered like scattered candies, but in the distance, he saw something strange. It was a place where there was nothing at all. No stars, no light, just a perfect, velvety darkness. It looked like a hole in the black curtain of night.
“What is this mysterious place?” Photon whispered curiously. “Why is nothing shining there?”
Although a quiet voice inside told him to stay away, his curiosity was stronger. Like a little explorer, he slowly approached the dark patch. The closer he got, the more he noticed that the stars at the edge of the darkness were behaving strangely. They danced, they twirled, and then, one by one, they seemed to slip and disappear into the darkness.
“It looks like a cosmic waterfall!” Photon thought excitedly. “Something amazing must be happening there.”
And so, he picked up speed and headed straight for the edge. Suddenly, he felt a gentle but persistent pull. At first, he paid it no mind; after all, he was the fastest of all. But the pull grew stronger. It was as if an invisible hand had grabbed him by his little tail and was gently luring him in.
“Strange,” Photon frowned and tried to turn around. He wanted to fly away, but he couldn’t. With great effort, he moved just a little, only to be pulled right back. Panic hadn't set in yet; he was a brave little ray, after all. He tried again. He summoned all his strength, shone as brightly as he could, and tried to burst straight away from the darkness.
It was no use. He could feel the invisible force slowly but surely pulling him in. He was starting to feel confused and a little worried. What if he could never get out of this place?
Just as he was beginning to lose hope, something magnificent appeared beside him. It was a huge comet with a long, icy tail that glittered like a veil made of a million diamonds. It moved elegantly and calmly, as if the strange pull didn't affect it at all.
“Greetings, little ray,” came its deep and kind voice. “I see you’ve strayed too close to the silent devourer.”
“The silent devourer?” Photon asked, struggling to stay in place. “I thought it was a waterfall! But it won’t let me go!”
The comet smiled wisely. “That’s a good comparison. Imagine it as a cosmic river flowing into a giant waterfall. That force is called gravity. And here, it is so incredibly strong that it pulls in everything, even light like you. If you cross its edge, you will never return.”
A cold flash ran through Photon. “But I want to go back! I still want to play and travel! What should I do?”
“Don’t be afraid, I will help you,” said the comet. “But you must listen to me carefully. What you were doing before was wrong. You were trying to fly straight away, weren’t you?”
Photon nodded.
“That’s like trying to run up a very steep and slippery hill. You’ll just get tired and slide back down,” the comet explained patiently. “We must use our wits and turn the place’s own power against it.”
“How?” Photon asked, not understanding.
“You won’t fly away from it, but for a moment, you will fly with it. But not straight in! You will fly at an angle, along its edge. Imagine you are orbiting a giant, invisible sphere. The sphere will pull you in, but your speed will keep you from falling. Once you build up enough speed, this path will eventually shoot you away, like a stone from a slingshot.”
Photon thought for a moment. It sounded strange, but the comet looked very wise, and its icy tail was tracing the exact same elegant curve it had described.
“Alright,” he said with determination. “I’ll try it. What do I do first?”
“Follow me,” said the comet. “But stay a bit behind me. I am heavy and fly slower; you are light and fast. Turn slightly to the side, toward the darkness, and pick up speed. Don’t be afraid that it will pull you in. Just stick to the edge.”
Photon took a deep breath, even though little rays don’t actually breathe, and obeyed. Instead of fleeing, he turned slightly and accelerated along the invisible boundary. His little heart pounded with excitement, not fear. He could feel the force pulling him even more powerfully, yet at the same time, his own speed kept him on a safe path.
“Excellent!” the comet encouraged him. “Now you’re circling it! Can you feel yourself picking up speed?”
Photon could feel it. The universe around him turned into colorful blurs. He was flying faster than ever before. It was the wildest and most amazing ride of his life.
“Get ready now!” the comet called out after a moment. “When I tell you, direct all your power out of this curve. Your speed will carry you away!”
Photon waited. He orbited the darkness like a little golden satellite.
“NOW!” shouted the comet.
Without hesitation, Photon directed his flight out of the arc. In that instant, something amazing happened. The force that had held him captive now flung him out into space as if from a giant slingshot. He flew away, farther and farther from the dangerous place, until the silent devourer once again became just a small black dot in the distance.
He finally stopped beside the wise comet, glowing with gratitude.
“Thank you! You saved me! I understand now. Sometimes it’s not best to fight a force directly, but to use your wits and turn it to your advantage.”
The comet smiled. “Exactly, little Photon. The universe is full of amazing mysteries and powerful forces. The most important thing is to understand them, not to be afraid of them. And now, continue on your journey. A light like you belongs to the whole universe.”
Photon said his goodbyes and, with his newfound wisdom, set off on more adventures. He was no longer afraid of unknown places, because he knew that every problem has a solution, you just have to find it.
And what about you, children? Have you ever noticed how a ball always comes back to the ground, no matter how high you throw it? That is also gravity, just much, much weaker than the one at the cosmic waterfall. Try to notice it the next time you are playing outside.