THE BOOK OF GREAT ADVENTURES

Once upon a time, in a faraway land where rivers shone like silver and the clouds looked like whipped cream, there lived a boy named Max in a small house at the foot of a mountain.

Max was a true explorer. He loved to find unusual stones, draw maps, and come up with exciting stories about pirates, wizards, and hidden treasures. He had a big book with blank pages where he recorded all his adventures. Max called it the Book of Great Adventures.

But one day, someone new came into their house. It was his younger brother, Leo.

Since Leo appeared, everything in the house changed. Their parents were constantly busy: feeding the baby, putting him to sleep, or trying to calm him when he cried.

"Max, wait, we’ll look at your drawing later," said Dad.

"Max, don’t make noise, Leo just fell asleep," whispered Mom.

Max felt like there was no longer any space for him. A hurtful thought crept into his mind: "They love Leo more than me."

Every time their parents praised Leo for being cute or laughed at how he giggled, Max felt like his Book of Great Adventures was disappearing.

One evening, when Max was lying in his room and looking at the map he had been drawing for a whole week, he heard a rustling sound.

"Who's there?" he asked, frightened.

In the corner of the room, on the bookshelf, a soft light flickered. Max blinked and saw a tiny creature in front of him. It was an old man with a beard like a fluffy twig, wearing a green hat and a long cloak adorned with stars.

"I am the Keeper of Stories," the old man introduced himself. "I’ve come to help you write a new chapter in your book."

"I don’t have a story anymore," sighed Max. "Since Leo appeared, everything is about him."

The Keeper shook his head.

"Oh, my boy, you have no idea what an exciting chapter awaits you. Would you like to know?"

"But how is that possible?" Max asked in surprise.

The Keeper took a small scroll from his cloak and unrolled it. On it was a blank map.

"This is the Map of Great Brothers and Sisters," explained the old man. "Every older brother or sister becomes the keeper of amazing secrets and adventures. But first, they must complete three important tasks."

"What tasks?" Max felt the spirit of exploration rise in his chest.

"The first task: find the magic in your younger brother. You know, younger children are like little puzzles. They can teach us to see things we never noticed before."

Max thought about it. The next day, he watched Leo carefully. The baby tried to catch a sunbeam, and then laughed so hard that Max couldn’t help but smile.

"Maybe Leo really does have something magical about him," Max thought.

"The second task," the Keeper continued, "is to tell the story of how you became a hero for Leo."

Max sat at the table and began to write. He remembered how he helped Mom bring the bottle, how he showed Leo his toys. "Maybe I am needed after all," he thought, writing in the book.

"And the last task," the old man smiled, "is to share your adventures with Leo. When he grows up, you can teach him how to draw maps, search for treasures, and be as brave as you are."

A few days later, Max noticed that Leo stopped crying when he was around. The baby reached for his toys, and one day, looking at Max, he tried to say his first word.

Max smiled: "Maybe Leo wants to be an explorer too."

That night, Max wrote in his book:

"Today I realized that being an older brother is also a great adventure. Now I have a partner, and together we will discover even more amazing secrets."

The Keeper of Stories never appeared again, but Max knew: his Book of Great Adventures was just beginning.