It was summer! The sun was shining bright, making the whole world feel like a giant, colorful painting. Daniel loved summer! It felt like the sun was always smiling down on him.
Daniel’s family had just moved from their house in Dallas to a nearby farm. They wanted to be closer to nature. At first, Daniel was a little sad to leave his friends, but the farm was amazing! It had so much space to run and play. He could practice using his superpower, Super speed, without worrying about bumping into anyone.
The farm had a beautiful stream that flowed through it. It was so peaceful, and Daniel loved to sit by its banks and watch the water. He even had a lake to swim in! There were lots of animals on the farm, but Daniel was always fascinated by the storks. They had such long legs and walked so gracefully! Daniel tried to imitate their walk, making his own silly version of it.
One day, Daniel was playing with the ducklings in the lake when he saw something amazing! A mama duck was sitting on a nest of eggs. The eggs started to crack, and one by one, cute little ducklings hatched. It was magic! But one egg, the biggest of all, didn’t crack. The mama duck seemed worried, but she stayed on the nest.
Days later, Daniel went back to the lake. The mama duck was gone! The big egg had finally cracked open, and there was another baby duck, but it was different from its siblings. It was bigger, with different colored feathers and a different beak. It looked sad.
Daniel loved animals. He went over to the strange duckling and asked, “Why are you sad? There’s so much to explore here! We have a whole farm and a beautiful garden!”
The duckling said in a tiny voice, “I’m sad because I’m different from the others. They laugh at me, and I don’t like it.”
Daniel patted the duckling’s head. “Don’t listen to them,” he said. “We love your company! Come and play with us tomorrow. I have a secret hideout called the Secret Fortress. It’s a safe place to play, away from everyone.”
Daniel went back to the lake the next day, but the duckling was gone. He was so sad about being different that he decided to leave and find other friends. But everywhere he went, the other ducks mocked him.
It was a difficult journey for the duckling. The seasons changed, and he had to keep moving because he never felt welcome. The only comfort he found was in nature.
Daniel went to play by the lake every day, but he never saw his duckling friend again. He would practice being a superhero, using his super speed to zoom around the farm, imagining he was saving the world!
Spring arrived, and Daniel loved it. He was always happy when the sun was shining. The duckling loved spring too! After a long and difficult journey, he found himself back near the lake where he was born. He was scared to see his siblings, afraid they would laugh at him. But when he got to the water, he saw his reflection in the water, like a mirror! He was no longer an ugly duckling. He was a beautiful swan! That’s why everyone thought he was so strange!
That day, Daniel went to play in the water. He saw a beautiful swan swimming in the lake. He recognized his friend! What a special reunion! Daniel was amazed at his friend, now a swan. He was so intelligent and clever. They played joyfully in the lake, having the best time ever.
Daniel and the swan realized that being strange wasn’t wrong. It was just being who they are! Being different is what makes everyone special.
And isn’t being different just being who we are?
