Eli went to the river when he was upset.
He sat on the bank and shouted all his problems at the water.
"My brother broke my toy! I had a bad day! Nobody listened to me!"
The river gurgled on.
Eli listened.
The water went over the rocks — splash, bubble, rush. It sounded almost like words. Like: so what will you do now?
Eli thought about it.
"I suppose I could get a new toy," he said.
Gurgle gurgle gurgle. And the day?
"Tomorrow will probably be better," he admitted.
The river rushed on, bright and quick.
Eli sat quietly for a while.
By the time he walked home, he felt much lighter. The river, he decided, was an excellent listener.