A Friendship Begins: Albert, Johann and the Magical Compass of Light
Long before Albert Einstein became a man whose ideas would bend space and time, he was a quiet six-year-old boy in Munich—curious, observant, and shy. His father Hermann and uncle Jakob, innovators at J. Einstein & Cie., were busy installing the new miracle of the era: electric light. One afternoon, as they worked at the Munich Brau Brewery, Albert lingered near the doorway, hands tucked behind his back, watching wires snake across tables like metal vines.
That was when a boy with hay-fluffed hair and boundless enthusiasm bounded into the room.
“I’m Johann!” he announced. “Want to see something amazing?”
Albert hesitated—new people made his heart thump like a softly struck drum—but curiosity won, as it often did. He followed Johann to the Thomas family barn, where the first electric bulb they’d ever seen hung from the rafters like a captured star.
But the true wonder was still in Albert’s pocket.
Albert Discovers His Magical Compass
When the glow of the bulb settled around them, Albert reached into his jacket and drew out a small brass object on a silver chain. Johann’s breath caught.
“Wow… what is that?”
“It’s a compass,” Albert said, holding it as tenderly as a treasure. “My father gave it to me.”
Albert pressed the compass to his chest.
“Oh, I love my compass,” he whispered, “and I love my Papa, who gave it to me.”
A warmth bloomed against his hand. The brass tingled.
Then—light.
A shimmer burst from within the compass, radiating ten inches in all directions. The gems set into its face glowed like tiny worlds awakening. Colors spilled across the barn walls—ruby red, sapphire blue, emerald green, amethyst violet—rippling in perfect harmony.
Above the compass, suspended in the shimmering air, hovered a three-dimensional 33, slowly turning like a secret trying to remember its own name.
Johann squealed, “Albert! Look at that! Look!”
Albert didn’t yet understand what the compass was—or why it responded to love, wonder, and the pure innocence of a boy trying to understand his place in a vast universe. But in that electrified barn, something luminous had begun.
Albert pulled Johann close and whispered, "Don't tell anyone what just happened. This is our secret."
Johann struck with awe and wonder, nodded his head.
A friendship born of a secret.
A destiny.
A story lit from within.
A Note from the Author
I created Johann Thomas as a fictional companion for young Albert. Historically, Einstein was a solitary child—brilliant but often alone with his thoughts. By giving him Johann, I wanted to offer a warm, human counterbalance: someone energetic, loyal, and full of wonder. Johann walks beside Albert so readers can see not only the brilliance of the boy, but the emotional landscape around him—the friendship, courage, and curiosity that help shape a world-changing mind.
In every great story—and in every life—there is a moment when a spark appears.
Albert’s spark was a magical compass.
Johann’s was friendship.
May your week be lit by your own quiet spark of wonder.
About Grace
Grace Allison Blair writes stories where history shakes hands with magic. She’s the author of Einstein’s Compass and the Poseidon’s Atlantis Adventure series, creating worlds filled with curiosity, courage, and a dash of cosmic wonder. From her home in Texas, Grace shares tales that remind readers that a little light—and a little imagination—can change everything.