Therapeutic Story
Before you begin reading this story, ask the child a few questions.
✔️ Have you ever wondered why some children hurt others?
✔️ Have you ever met kids like that?
✔️ Or maybe, have you ever hurt someone yourself?
This is a story about a boy who carried a “fiery ball” with him.
In a certain city, there lived a boy named Gosha. At first glance, he seemed like the strongest, the most confident. He laughed loudly, gave instructions to others, and made it clear to everyone that he was the boss.
But in reality, Gosha was unhappy. Deep inside, he carried a “fiery ball” that burned him from within.
That ball hadn’t appeared right away. When Gosha was little, someone lit a small spark inside him.
Maybe it was a classmate who laughed at him and said:
— You don’t know how to play!
Later, an adult added more fire by blaming Gosha for all his problems.
And one day, when his friends didn’t invite Gosha to play, the ball grew so powerful that the boy could no longer handle it.
The ball was hot and burned Gosha painfully, and he didn’t know how to put it out. So Gosha decided that if he shared his fire with others, maybe it would get a little easier.
He thought that by passing the fire from his ball onto someone else, he might stop feeling — at least for a little while.
Gosha looked for children who seemed quiet and calm and threw his ball at them.
— You look funny! — he would say.
— You’re useless! — or he might even push someone, just to see them get upset.
When the ball touched another child, the fire would flare up inside them. That child would begin to feel hurt and angry. Sometimes they would hide, and sometimes — throw their own fiery ball at someone else, trying to ease their own pain.
But Gosha’s fire didn’t disappear. It only burned brighter, because every new ball reminded him how much he was hurting.
Soon, in the school where Gosha studied, there were so many fiery balls that all the children started to fear one another.
Each one thought:
“If I don’t throw my ball first, someone will throw theirs at me.”
And so it went on, until one day, Gosha walked up to a girl named Anya.
He threw his fiery ball at her — but it vanished without a trace.
Gosha was surprised:
— Why didn’t my ball hurt you?
Anya replied calmly:
— Your balls don’t scare me. I have protection.
— Protection? — Gosha was confused.
— Yes. My friends support me. My parents always listen to me. My teacher tells me that I’m strong. When someone throws a ball at me, I tell them what happened — and they help me put the fire out. That’s why your fire and your balls can’t hurt me. I have support. I’m not alone.
For the first time in his life, Gosha was curious. Could he put out his own ball?
He asked:
— Do you think I can stop my fiery ball? Because it really burns me a lot…
Anya looked at him and said:
— Yes, you can. But start by not throwing your fiery balls at others. If you keep it with you and stop hurting people, it will grow weaker.
Gosha frowned:
— But how? The ball is too hot — I can’t hold it inside!
— Yes, it’s hard. But you can talk to someone you trust — the way I talk to my friends and parents. When you tell someone about your ball and about the things that make you angry, sad, or scared — it starts to cool down.
— What if no one helps me? — Gosha asked.
— Gosha, try. I’m sure there are people who want to help you — and can.
That same evening, Gosha came home — and his ball got even hotter:
His mom compared him to another boy, his teacher gave a difficult assignment, and his friends… his friends didn’t invite him to play a video game.
Gosha felt the ball burning up. He wanted to call someone and yell — but then he remembered Anya’s words and walked over to his grandmother.
— Grandma, — he began, — sometimes it feels so heavy… like everything is burning inside.
His grandmother hugged him and said:
— Thank you for telling me. Sometimes, we can’t deal with our fire alone. But when we share our pain — it gets quieter. I’m here. I’m with you. I’ll help you.
Gosha’s ball began to cool down.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re Gosha or Anya — whether someone throws balls at you, or you throw them at others — asking for help and talking about your feelings is okay.
The desire to hurt someone always starts with pain.
Anyone who hurts others carries a fiery ball inside — and doesn’t know what to do with it.
If someone throws a fiery ball at you — remember: it’s their fire, not yours. You can protect yourself — and the first step is to ask an adult for help.
And if you carry a fiery ball yourself — don’t feed the fire. Tell someone who’s ready to listen. And your fire will grow quieter.
The Story “The Fiery Ball”
helps children see that those who hurt others often carry a “fire” inside — a pain they don’t know how to express in any other way.
This story teaches:
- That behind someone’s hurtful behavior is their own pain — not your fault.
- That it’s okay to seek support from loved ones to cope with difficult emotions.
- That even strong emotions can be softened with kindness, attention, and conversation.
This story is the beginning of an important conversation with a child — a conversation about the fact that hurt and bullies exist, but we can protect ourselves without anger or fear.
I’m Anita Vaiakanti, a child psychologist with a master’s degree and over 10 years of experience working with families around the world.
I wrote this story for a particular session — a session where a child came in the role of a “bully.”
It was important for the child to understand that their feelings matter — just as much as the feelings of others.
And most importantly: they are not alone. With the help of loved ones, they can calm the fire inside.
A therapeutic story can become a powerful moment of change for your child.
Through story, we can teach, support, and guide.
With respect,
