It was summer! The sun was so bright and yellow, just like a big smiley face! The days were long, and everything smelled like flowers and freshly cut grass. Harper loved summer! It was the best time of year! Harper used to live in San Francisco, but their family moved to a farm nearby. They wanted to be closer to nature, and Harper loved it!
Harper could play freely on the farm, especially with her special power, Creating rainbows! They were so colorful! It was so much fun to see the rainbow colors shimmering in the air. There was a beautiful, peaceful stream flowing through the farm, and a big lake where Harper could swim!
Harper loved the farm, and she loved all the animals! There were lots of chickens, cows, and horses. But Harper was always fascinated by the storks! They walked so gracefully with their long, skinny legs! Harper giggled as she tried to imitate the storks. It was so funny! She even tried to flap her arms like wings!
One day, Harper was playing with the baby ducks in the lake. Suddenly, she saw a duck sitting on a bunch of white eggs! The duck looked so important and serious, and Harper didn't want to bother her. But then, something magical happened! The eggs started to crack, and little, fluffy ducklings popped out! Harper couldn't believe her eyes! It was amazing!
But one egg, the biggest one of all, didn't crack. It was still round and white. The mama duck looked worried, but she kept sitting on the egg, trying to keep it warm. Days later, Harper went back to the lake. The mama duck was gone, and the big egg was finally cracked! Harper gasped when she saw the duckling inside. It was much bigger than the other ducklings, and it had different colored feathers, a funny beak, and it walked in a different way! The duckling looked really sad.
Harper always loved animals and wanted to be their friend. She went over to the sad duckling. "Why are you sad?" Harper asked in a sweet voice. "You have a whole farm and a beautiful garden to play in! You should be happy!" The duckling looked at Harper with his big, sad eyes. "But I'm different," he sighed. "Everyone laughs at me because I look strange. I don't fit in."
Harper felt sorry for the duckling. "I don't think it's strange to be different," Harper said. "I love your funny feathers and beak! You're special! Come and play with me tomorrow. I'll show you my secret hiding place, a magical cloud! It's so much fun there!" The duckling seemed hopeful for a moment, but his face fell again.
The next day, Harper went back to the lake. But the duckling was gone! She heard from the other ducklings that he was so sad that he decided to leave. He hoped to find some other ducks who wouldn't laugh at him, but it didn't work. All the other ducks made fun of him everywhere he went. The duckling was so sad and lonely! He had to move all the time because he didn't belong anywhere. Only nature seemed to accept him.
Harper played by the lake every day, but she never saw her duckling friend again. Sometimes, she would play pretend with her favorite Unicorns. She would close her eyes and imagine them running around the fields, their horns sparkling in the sun.
Spring arrived. It was time for new beginnings. Harper loved summer, but the duckling loved spring! It was the time of new flowers and green grass. After a long journey, the duckling found himself back near the lake where he was born. He was tired and scared. He was afraid his siblings would laugh at him.
But when he reached the water's edge, he saw his reflection in the water. He wasn't a strange duckling anymore! He was a beautiful, white swan! Now he understood why everyone thought he was strange. He was different because he wasn't a duck at all!
That day, Harper was playing in the water. She saw her friend! She couldn't believe her eyes. She ran to him, and they hugged and giggled! Harper was so amazed by her friend, now a beautiful swan. He was even more special now!
Harper and the swan played together all afternoon, happy to be friends. They learned that being different wasn't bad. It was just being who you are. Everyone is different, and that's what makes the world so interesting! And isn't being different just being who we are?
