Who is Pulling?
A Story of Gravity, Curiosity, and Discovery.
Theo was out in the yard, swinging high and laughing as the wind rushed past him. His mum, Nora, was in the kitchen, making a snack for both of them.. The sun was hot, and the flowers all around swayed in the breeze.
Then, all at once, Theo drew back too far on the swing, and it tipped him out onto the soft grass with a bang. He got up, holding his knee, and shouted,
Theo:
“Ouch! I fell! I hurt myself. Why did I fall, Mum?”
Nora:
“You fell because of gravity, darling.”
Theo:
“Gravity? What’s that? Where can I find it?”
Nora:
“Hmm, you can go to the library. There, you will meet it.”
Theo:
“Meet ? What do you mean?”
Nora:
“Just go and ask. You’ll find what you’re looking for there.”
And Theo, confused but still determined, hurried off, mumbling to himself,
Theo:
“What could gravity be?”
He wandered through the bookshelves until a little sign appeared that said “Gravity.” His heart beat a little faster. He pulled a book off the shelf and opened it.
Theo:
“Hello? Is anyone here? Are you Gravity?”
Gavin (Gravity):
“Yeah, I’m the force that pulls everything down to the ground.”
Theo:
“Whee! Why do you pull me? Why do I fall?”
Gavin:
“I don’t pull to hurt you, kid. I pull because that’s how I keep things together. If I don’t, you’d float up into the sky, and so would everything else. I keep the whole world down under your feet.”
Theo:
“But it doesn’t feel like you’re helping when I fall. It just hurts.”
Gavin:
“I know. Falling can hurt. But even then, I’m still holding you close, giving you the ground beneath your feet.”
Theo:
“So you’re not really something I can touch. You’re just how the world works.”
Gavin:
“That’s right. I’m not something you can see, carry, or grab. I’m more like a rule. You can’t see me, but I’m there, and I keep things where they’re supposed to be.”
Theo:
“You sound nice, even if you make me fall. You’re strong and steady, like my friend Gavin. I’ll call you Gavin, so I can remember you.”
Gavin:
“Gavin. I like that.”
Then, a quiet, strong man’s voice came from behind the shelves.
Ria (General Relativity):
“Hold on, Gavin. There’s a little more to the story.”
Theo:
“Who are you?”
Ria:
“I’m General Relativity. I explain how gravity really works on a bigger scale. Gravity is not just a pull; it’s how space and time bend around things that are heavy.”
Theo:
“Space and time bend? Is that like a blanket?”
Ria:
“Sort of. It’s like a sheet mixed with a blanket that’s so tight when you put something heavy on it, it bends in the middle. That bending, that’s the pull, or gravity. In that slight bend, things move along the curves of that bend, and even you fall in that bend.”
Theo:
“So it’s not you pulling me, but the ground pulls me down, right? Like, the ground pulls me down and holds me there?”
Ria:
“Yes, Theo! Mass bends spacetime, and that’s why gravity pulls you down. When a big object does this, it pulls smaller things towards it.”
Theo:
“Oh! I get it. It’s like the way you pull on me, and that’s why I fall towards the ground.”
Ria:
“Exactly, Theo! Mass bends spacetime, and that’s what causes gravity. Everything moves along those bends, like the smaller ball moving toward the bigger one.”
Theo:
“That sounds confusing, but you explain it calmly, like my friend Ria. She helps me see things in new ways. I’ll call you Ria.”
Ria:
“That’s a nice name, Theo.”
Another voice shouted out, sharp and quick like a spark.
Quinn (Quantum Gravity):
“Not so simple, my friends!”
Theo:
“Who is that now?”
Quinn:
“Quantum Gravity! When you get so small, really small, down to atoms and particles, the stuff everything is made of, when you go that small, spacetime isn’t smooth anymore. It’s jumpy, full of tiny little jumps and jiggles.”
Theo:
“So gravity can change when you fall tiny?”
Quinn:
“Exactly! Down there, space doesn’t just bend. It’s more like little sparks of energy dancing and trading information. We can’t see it clearly yet, but we’re getting closer.”
Theo:
“You talk so fast, like my friend Quinn. He never stops moving or asking. I’ll call you Quinn.”
Quinn:
“Perfect name.”
A soft, deep voice, calm and steady, joined in.
Emmy (Emergent Gravity):
“You’re all thinking too simply.”
Theo:
“And who are you?”
Emmy:
“It’s Emergent Gravity. I think gravity doesn’t have to be the base. It might come from something deeper, like how warmth appears when many tiny motions come together. Gravity might emerge the same way, from how the universe organizes itself.”
Theo:
“So gravity might not even exist?”
Emmy (Emergent Gravity):
“Not in the way you think. It might be a side effect, a sign that something bigger is happening underneath. That’s still a mystery. But that’s what makes it beautiful.”
Theo:
“You sound quiet but deep, like my friend Emmy. She helps everyone get along. I’ll call you Emmy.”
Emmy:
“That’s a kind name.”
Theo looked around at all of them, Gavin, Ria, Quinn, and Emmy, and he felt small, but it was the greatest feeling in some way.
Theo:
“I wish I could take you all home. I want to learn everything.”
Gavin:
“Yeah, but the library has its own rules. You can’t just check out one of us at a time.”
Ria:
“It’s real. It has its own rules.”
Quinn:
“Check out wisely. We each tell a part of the tale.”
Emmy:
“And maybe someday, you’ll see how all the parts come together.”
Theo bit his lip, thinking hard.
Theo:
“How do I pick? I want to learn all...”
From the doorway, a familiar voice called softly.
Nora:
“The library is a big place, my sweet. Take it at your own pace. You can always come back for more.”
Theo turned, smiling faintly, the book still open in his hands. For just a flash, he forgot the hurt on his knee. For some reason, he didn’t know it, but now, when he falls, it doesn’t hurt so much.
“This story was inspired by a conversation with my daughter, who asked me about gravity and spacetime. As I tried to explain these big ideas, I wanted to capture that childlike wonder and curiosity. This story keeps the voice of a child, simple, curious, and full of questions, reflecting the joy and confusion that come with learning something new for the first time.”
An Echo Within
Ever wondered who you truly are beyond name and body? Explore a conversation that awakens self and sparks reflection.
The Ghost in the Glue Trap
I just wanted to save my cookies. Instead, I caught a ghost in a rat. Things got philosophical fast.
The Queue Circles the Earth
If you have stood in a line that did not move, this room will feel familiar. Power calls it safety, law calls it procedure.
There’s such warmth in how you’ve brought the cosmos down to a child’s eye, Tahir — the kind of story that feels both bedtime and blackboard.
I love how each theory becomes a personality — Gavin steady (maybe Gravi T? 😄), Ria calm, Quinn quicksilver, and Emmy quietly profound. It turns physics into a kind of myth-making, where knowledge isn’t about certainty but the curiosity that keeps us orbiting.
And that ending — the idea that learning softens the fall — that’s quietly beautiful.
A story of gravity that never loses its strength or grace.
It leaves me wondering if Emmy, Emergent Gravity is the end of this tale, what would follow?
Maybe a journey into what holds the knowing of it all together...
Wonderful!
That takes some doing, Tahir, capturing complexity in a child’s words and ideas.
I think I like Quinn best…