In a fairytale world where flowers bloomed fragrantly and bees buzzed, atop a cherry blossom, a tiny pollen grain was awakening. His name was Goldie, and he was covered in tiny golden spikes that sparkled in the spring sunshine.
"Today is the day!" Goldie whispered to himself and looked around. All around him, thousands of white blossoms swayed on thin branches, exactly like his own. He felt like a small traveler at the top of a huge mountain, ready for the greatest adventure of his life. His mission was very important. He had to reach another flower so that a sweet and juicy cherry could grow from it.
He was just about to wave to a bee approaching his flower when something unexpected happened. Suddenly, a strong wind picked up. It wasn't just an ordinary breeze playing with leaves. It was a powerful gust that shook the entire tree.
"Oh no! I'm holding on!" Goldie cried, but it was too late. The wind grabbed him and carried him away. He flew through the air like a small golden spark, spinning and twirling, far from his home. Below him, green leaves, colorful flowers, and brown earth flashed by. He wanted to cry. His great mission had ended before it could even begin.
After a while, the flight ceased. Goldie landed with a soft "splash" on something hard, smooth, and dark. Carefully, he got to his feet and looked around. This place didn't resemble a soft, fragrant flower at all. It was strange, shiny, black, and pleasantly warm from the sun. It looked like a small black tablet in the middle of the garden, mounted on a metal pole.
"Where am I?" he murmured sadly. "No cherry will grow here. I'm lost."
As he sat thinking about what to do, suddenly something blazed brightly next to him. It was a tiny, almost invisible spark that danced and bounced with incredible energy.
"Hello! You're new here!" the spark laughed with a bright, tinkling voice. "I'm Photonia. And who are you? I've never seen such a golden and spiky little fellow here before."
Goldie looked surprised at the dancing being. "I'm Goldie. A pollen grain. And I'm not a little fellow," he replied somewhat offended. "I was supposed to travel to another flower, but the wind brought me here. What is this strange place?"
Photonia laughed even more cheerfully. "This isn't a strange place! This is my workplace! It's a solar panel. We photons are particles of light. We travel from the Sun and our job is to bring energy here."
Goldie shook his head in confusion. "Energy? What does such a black tablet need energy for?"
"Look," said Photonia and jumped. When she landed on the panel, it sparkled beneath her for a moment. "When we—thousands and thousands of my photon sisters—land on this panel, we wake up tiny, sleeping particles called electrons. Imagine them as little, fast runners."
Goldie imagined an army of invisible runners waking up and racing off in all directions.
"And where do they run?" he asked curiously.
"They run along secret pathways inside this panel. Then, all together, they flow into a little box that's hidden underground. It's called a battery. And the battery is like a piggy bank where they store all the energy that we photons gave them," Photonia explained enthusiastically.
"A piggy bank full of energy," Goldie repeated. "And what happens to it then?"
"Wait until evening and you'll see!" Photonia winked at him. "When the sun sets and we fly away to sleep, the energy from the battery comes out and lights up this lamp. It will shine all night so people in the garden can see the path and won't trip."
Goldie was amazed. It would never have occurred to him that sunbeams had such important work. "That's amazing! So you help create light."
"Exactly!" Photonia nodded. "And what was your mission, Goldie?"
The pollen grain's golden spikes drooped sadly again. "I was supposed to land in the center of another cherry blossom. There's a sticky pistil there. If I had stuck to it, I would have helped create a seed from which a new, sweet cherry would then grow. But now I'm here, and there are no flowers."
Photonia fell silent for a moment and thought. She looked at sad Goldie and then at the buzzing world around them. "You know what, Goldie? Maybe your journey isn't over yet. Even this place, though artificial, is part of the garden. And helpers come to the garden."
"What helpers?" Goldie didn't understand.
"Why, the buzzing ones!" Photonia pointed to a large, furry bumblebee that had just flown by. "Insects love warmth. And this panel is nicely warmed by the sun. Maybe some flier will take a break here."
It was a brilliant idea! Goldie and Photonia settled down and waited. The sun warmed them, Photonia and her sisters diligently charged the battery, and Goldie patiently watched the surroundings. He saw butterflies with colorful wings and busy bees flying from flower to flower. Everyone had lots of work to do.
Suddenly it happened. That very large, furry bumblebee they had seen before headed straight for them. He buzzed like a small engine and with a soft "thud" landed on the solar panel, just a bit away from Goldie. He had come to warm up.
"Now, Goldie! Your chance!" Photonia whispered.
Goldie felt his pollen heart beating. He took a deep breath, gathered all his spikes, and pushed off. He rolled across the smooth panel straight toward the enormous, hairy leg of the bumblebee. He grabbed onto one of its hairs as tightly as he could.
The bumblebee noticed nothing. He rested, warmed up, and with a loud "bzzzz" rose into the air again. Goldie held on tight and flew with him. This time it wasn't a scary flight full of fear, but a cheerful ride on the back of a buzzing taxi.
In a little while, the bumblebee landed. Goldie looked around and his heart leaped with joy. They were on a beautiful white cherry blossom! Carefully, he let go of the hair and rolled right onto the sticky pistil in the center.
"I did it! I made it!" he rejoiced.
When evening began to merge with the garden, Goldie settled contentedly in his new home. He knew his mission was accomplished and that a beautiful cherry would grow from this flower. Suddenly he remembered his new friend. He looked down toward the place where the mysterious black tablet stood.
And then it happened. The lamp on the pole lit up with bright, warm light. It illuminated the walkway and created a magical atmosphere in the garden.
Goldie smiled. He knew that down there were Photonia and thousands of her sisters, who after a whole day of hard work finally showed what they could do. Though they were each completely different—one was a pollen grain and the other a particle of light—both helped the world in their own unique way.
And maybe, when you take an evening stroll through the garden, you too will notice such a small light. Remember that diligent photons helped it all day long. And when you pick a sweet cherry in summer, think of brave pollen grains like Goldie, who had to overcome a long journey so it could be born.