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Tinka the Robot

Boky Stories

Tinka the Robot

Lio loves to build things. His room is colorful like a paint box. Building blocks, little cars, and a red skateboard lie everywhere. Today, Lio has an idea: He needs a helper to tidy up, so he'll have more time to play.

Lio gets a big cardboard box, glues colorful buttons on it, and draws a friendly face. Two spoons become arms. He places the box on the skateboard, straps it tight, and puts a little lamp on top. Click, clack! The lamp blinks. That is Tinka, the robot.

Next to Lio, a tablet lies open. On the screen, an app displays colorful tiles. Green means Go, Red means Stop, Blue means Slow. Lio taps with his finger: First green, then blue, then green again. He speaks into the microphone: Tinka, help me tidy up.

The lamp turns light blue. Tinka beeps: Beep-bip, Tinka ready. Rolling-rolling, let's go. Tinka whirs off, her spoon-arms wiggle funnily. She collects socks, but puts them in the fruit bowl. Cups she stacks on her head. A car she parks in Lio's shoe. The cat Noodle jumps on the skateboard and rides a lap. Meowww, whooosh! Lio laughs, then he calls: Stop, Tinka! He taps the red button. The lamp turns yellow, and Tinka brakes.

Lio sits next to Tinka and thinks. He drags a tile with a turtle into the plan. He adds a tile with a hand: Ask first. He speaks again into the microphone: Tinka, if you don't know something, please ask me. Tinka beeps: Understood. Question-Mode on.

New round. Tinka whirs slowly. She calls in her squeaky voice: Lio, where with the cars? Lio points to the green box: In the garage. Tinka lifts a car with her spoon and drives to the box. Clack, inside. Lio claps: One, two, three, next! Tinka plays a happy melody from the small speaker. Dimm-dimm-dimm. Now tidying up becomes a dance game. Lio hops over a line of tape. Tinka rolls to the beat. Noodle joins in and meows to the beat.

Tinka looks with her sensors – little dots like eyes – for colors. She says: Red blocks, please? Lio points to the red box. Tinka nods with the lamp and sorts red to red, blue to blue. Sometimes she wobbles, then she stops and asks. Lio answers shortly, and everything fits.

In the hallway, someone switches on the vacuum cleaner. Whoooosh! That sounds like a race. Tinka wants to drive faster; her lamp blinks excitedly. Lio holds up the Stop card. Stop means red. Tinka brakes, and her spoon-arms stay quiet. Lio taps a new blue tile: Drive around. Tinka beeps: Detour chosen. She rolls around a high tower of blocks, very carefully. Nothing falls over. Lio beams: Super, Tinka!

Soon the room is tidy. The blocks sleep in their boxes, the cars stand in the garage, the socks live in the laundry basket. Tinka makes a little joy song: Beep-bip-bap, done! Lio paints a sticker with a laughing gear wheel and sticks it onto Tinka's box. He says: Tinka-Team! Tinka answers: Team confirmed.

Lio sits on the carpet. He giggles. Noodle lies on Tinka's skateboard and purrs. Lio whispers happily: Tomorrow we build a Search-Hat that finds lost socks. Tinka beeps: New project saved. The lamp shines green. And Lio already has another idea.

Boky

The end

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