The traveler walked to the pump anyway.
He grabbed the handle and began to pump.
Nothing.
People gathered, shaking their heads.
“Give up,” they said. “You’re wasting your strength.”
But the traveler didn’t stop.
He believed water was there — even when there was no proof.
Minutes passed. His arms burned. His breath grew heavy. Then suddenly…
a small splash.
One more pump.
Then another.
Water burst out, clear and cold, flowing stronger with every push.
The crowd fell silent.
The pump had never been broken.
It had just needed someone willing to believe long enough to power it back to life.
