Bi Bi began learning to write. Grandfather said that in the past, kindergarten students did not learn to write as they do now. Nowadays, everything is done earlier, so even kindergarten students have to learn to write like first graders. He didn't want it that way, but how could he let Bi Bi not learn when other children were learning?

Bi Bi found writing to be the most difficult. The letter 'e' with its curved back was particularly challenging to write. After tracing the model letter, when it came to writing on her own, Bi Bi would press the pen down only to lift it up again. Grandfather encouraged her:

- Be brave, Bi Bi! Bi Bi placed the pen down, but it just lay there motionless. Grandfather advised again:

- Be brave. Look at the model letter and write after it! With a swift motion of her hand, Bi Bi's pen made a long streak, not curved like the letter 'e'.

Grandfather took Bi Bi's hand:

- Stay calm. Look carefully at the dots and follow them correctly. Write gently like this. Indeed, by following the dots, Bi Bi managed to write a letter 'e', although it wasn't as evenly curved as the model. Gradually, Bi Bi became familiar with the dots, knowing where to start, where to curve, and where to stop. Feeling a bit more confident, she wrote another 'e'. And then another. Soon, she had filled a line in her practice notebook.

Moving to the next line, Bi Bi called out to her grandfather, sounding a bit panicked:

- Grandfather!

- What is it, child?

Grandfather... I can't see the dots anymore. Where have they gone? Looking into the notebook, Grandfather laughed:

- The dots haven't disappeared. It's because now Bi Bi must write following the model.

- Yes, sir! Bi Bi put the pen down... tap... tap... The pen just stood still. Bi Bi's hand seemed to freeze. Grandfather asked the pencil:

- Pencil, why won't you follow Bi Bi's hand? The pencil replied:

- I'm waiting for Bi Bi. She hasn't led me anywhere! I'm still standing by.

- Ah, I see! Go on, Bi Bi, write so the pencil can follow! Tap... tap... tap... The pen wouldn't budge. It turned out that Bi Bi was pressing the pen's tip too hard against the paper, preventing it from moving. Grandfather said again:

- Just write bravely. If it's ugly or wrong, you can write it again. What's there to be afraid of? Bi Bi still hesitated, and the patient pencil waited. Grandfather suggested:

- Now, take out your old notebook with the written letters, and trace over the 'e' to get used to it. Bi Bi took out her sister Bong Bong's tracing book – she had finished it months before and now it served as a model for Bi Bi. Encouraged by her grandfather, Bi Bi eagerly traced over the entire page of 'e's. The letters 'e' became bolder, and her face brightened.

Grandfather then told Bi Bi to take out a new notebook and write the letter 'e'. Tap... tap... tap... For some reason, every time she touched the new notebook, Bi Bi's hand stiffened. Grandfather encouraged her again:

- Be brave. Now, hold the pencil lightly, let it trace on its own. But you also have to guide it for it to trace by itself. After Grandfather's words, the pencil suddenly moved. Bi Bi pushed her hand, curving it into the letter 'e'. Then another 'e'. And another.

Finally, Bi Bi finished writing ten lines of the letter 'e'. Her face bloomed like a freshly opened flower. Grandfather asked:

- What letter have you learned to write?

- I've learned to write the letter 'e'.

Guess what else you've learned?

- I've learned a letter! Grandfather laughed and explained:

- You've learned an even more valuable lesson. Do you know what it is? Seeing Bi Bi's wide-eyed look, Grandfather explained:

- It's the lesson of bravery and determination. If you don't know how to do something, be brave and determined to do it. Like you with the letter 'e', at first you were afraid, but now you can write it well...

Bi Bi leaned into her grandfather's chest, smiling...

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