Here is a story for someone on Free4Talk.com who likes nothing more than to complain about silly little things… a lot… you know who you are “giggles”.
Wally was a member of “Global Chat,” a website where people from all over the world could talk to each other. Wally liked Global Chat, but not for the reasons most people did. He didn’t really want to make friends or learn about new cultures. Wally liked Global Chat because it gave him a big audience for his complaining. And Wally loved to complain.
Every day, Wally would log on and find something new to grumble about. It could be anything, really. The weather in his town, the way his toast was burnt, the sound of the birds outside his window – nothing was safe from Wally’s complaints.
One day, a young woman from Canada named Sarah said hello in the chat. “Hi everyone! It’s a beautiful sunny morning here!”
Wally immediately typed, “Sunny? You call that sunny? It’s far too bright. Hurts my eyes. And all that cheerfulness is just annoying.”
Sarah was a little surprised. “Oh,” she typed back. “I like the sunshine. It makes me feel happy.”
“Happy?” Wally scoffed in his reply. “What’s so great about being happy? It never lasts. Always something to ruin it. Like this bright, awful sun.”
A man from Spain named Miguel joined the conversation. “Hola! How is everyone today?”
Wally didn’t hesitate. “Terrible, thanks for asking. My coffee was too hot this morning. Burnt my tongue. Now everything tastes of ash.”
Miguel replied with a puzzled emoji. “Sorry to hear that, Wally. My coffee was perfect today. Just the right temperature.”
“Lucky you,” Wally grumbled. “Some people have all the luck. The rest of us are stuck with burnt tongues and awful coffee.”
Another user, a woman from Japan named Hana, wrote, “Hello! I am having a lovely evening. The stars are so beautiful tonight.”
Wally typed quickly, “Stars? You think those tiny little dots are beautiful? They’re just cold and far away. Makes you feel insignificant, if you ask me.”
Hana seemed a little sad. “Oh. I think they are amazing. So many of them, and so bright.”
Wally just typed, “Hmph.”
This went on day after day. Anyone who shared something positive or even just neutral was met with Wally’s negativity. He complained about the internet being too slow, about people using too many emojis, about the news being too depressing (and sometimes about it being too cheerful).
Slowly, people started to avoid talking when Wally was online. Sarah would log in and see his name, and then decide to chat later. Miguel would quickly say hello and then disappear. Hana would share her lovely evenings when she knew Wally was probably asleep.
One day, a new user joined the chat. His name was Alex, and he was from Australia. He seemed very cheerful and always had a funny story to tell.
“G’day everyone! How’s the world treating you today?” Alex typed.
Wally, of course, had something to complain about. “Awful, mate. Absolutely awful. The postman was late again. Now my important letter is delayed. Probably lost forever, thanks to that useless postman.”
Alex replied, “Oh no, that’s a bit rough. But hey, maybe it will turn up tomorrow! Think of it as a little surprise waiting for you.”
Wally was taken aback. Usually, people just ignored his complaints or offered weak sympathy. No one ever tried to find a positive side to his misery.
“A surprise?” Wally typed, feeling a little confused. “It’s an important bill! Not a surprise!”
“Well,” Alex wrote back with a smiley face, “at least you know it’s coming! Some surprises are not so good! Like finding a spider in your shoe!”
A few other people who were watching the chat chuckled. Even Sarah and Miguel typed a laughing emoji.
Wally didn’t complain about spiders in shoes. He actually found that thought quite funny. He almost smiled.
Alex continued to chat, sharing funny stories about kangaroos and the strange noises his neighbour’s dog made. He didn’t ignore Wally, but he also didn’t let Wally’s complaints bring him down. He would often reply to Wally with a joke or a different way of looking at things.
Slowly, something started to change in Wally. He still complained, of course. It was a hard habit to break. But sometimes, when Alex replied with a funny comment, Wally would find himself typing a slightly less grumpy response. He might even add a small “haha” at the end.
One day, Wally complained about the rain. “This rain is ridiculous! It’s been pouring all day. I can’t even go to the shop.”
Alex replied, “Ah, the lovely liquid sunshine! Think of how happy the plants are! And it’s a good excuse to stay inside with a cup of tea and a good book!”
Wally actually thought about that for a moment. He did have a good book he wanted to read. And a cup of tea did sound nice.
He typed, “Hmm, I suppose you have a point.”
It wasn’t a full-blown positive statement, but for Wally, it was a huge step. The world according to Wally was still full of things to complain about, but maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t quite so terrible after all. Perhaps, with a little help from a cheerful Australian, Wally was starting to see a tiny bit of light through the clouds of his constant complaining.
Vocabulary Notes
Grumble (verb)
Meaning: To complain in a quiet but angry way. It often sounds like a low, continuous noise.
Example: “Every day, Wally would log on and find something new to grumble about.”
Explanation: This shows Wally wasn’t shouting his complaints, but he was still unhappy and expressing it.
Similar words: moan, whine, mutter, complain (more general)
Scaff (verb)
Meaning: To speak in a mocking or scornful way, showing you think something is silly or not good.
Example: “‘Happy?’ Wally scoffed in his reply. ‘What’s so great about being happy?’”
Explanation: Wally’s use of “scoffed” shows he strongly disagreed with Sarah and thought her happiness was foolish.
Similar words: mock, sneer, jeer, ridicule
Puzzled (adjective)
Meaning: Feeling confused because you cannot understand something.
Example: “Miguel replied with a puzzled emoji.”
Explanation: The emoji showed that Miguel didn’t understand why Wally was complaining about his coffee.
Similar words: confused, bewildered, perplexed, unsure
Insignificant (adjective)
Meaning: Not important; having little or no influence or effect.
Example: “‘They’re just cold and far away. Makes you feel insignificant, if you ask me.’”
Explanation: Wally felt that seeing the vastness of the stars made him feel small and unimportant.
Similar words: unimportant, minor, trivial, negligible
Negativity (noun)
Meaning: The expression of criticism of or pessimism about something. A lack of positive feeling.
Example: “Anyone who shared something positive or even just neutral was met with Wally’s negativity.”
Explanation: This describes Wally’s general attitude of always finding something wrong.
Similar words: pessimism, gloom, cynicism, unfriendliness
Chuckle (verb)
Meaning: To laugh quietly.
Example: “A few other people who were watching the chat chuckled.”
Explanation: They found Alex’s comparison of a bad surprise to finding a spider in a shoe funny.
Similar words: giggle, laugh softly, snicker
Taken aback (phrasal verb)
Meaning: Surprised and slightly shocked.
Example: “Wally was taken aback. Usually, people just ignored his complaints…”
Explanation: Wally was surprised because Alex didn’t react to his complaining in the usual way.
Similar words: surprised, astonished, shocked, startled
Misery (noun)
Meaning: Great unhappiness or suffering.
Example: “No one ever tried to find a positive side to his misery.”
Explanation: This refers to Wally’s general state of unhappiness and complaining.
Similar words: unhappiness, sadness, suffering, distress
Ridiculous (adjective)
Meaning: Absurd and foolish; deserving to be laughed at.
Example: “This rain is ridiculous! It’s been pouring all day.”
Explanation: Wally thought the amount of rain was extreme and silly.
Similar words: silly, absurd, foolish, nonsensical
Suppose (verb)
Meaning: To assume that something is true, often when you do not have definite proof.
Example: “Hmm, I suppose you have a point.”
Explanation: Wally was starting to agree with Alex, even though he wasn’t completely convinced.
Similar words: assume, guess, think, believe
Story written by Gemini AI
Image created by Designer AI
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