It was summer! Summer had finally arrived, and Noah loved summer! The sun was always smiling, making everything cheerful and colorful. His family had just moved to a farm from their house in Chicago. It was so close to their house! Noah's family wanted to be closer to nature. They had wanted to live in the country for a long time.
Noah loved the move! He could play freely on the farm, and he could use his superpower: running super fast. He loved racing through the fields and playing with his friends on the farm.
There was a beautiful stream on the farm, and a lake where Noah could swim. It was so nice to swim on hot days. Noah loved to explore the farm. He could play with his friends all day long.
There were many animals on the farm. There were cows, horses, pigs, goats, and chickens. But Noah was always fascinated by the storks. He loved watching them walk with their long, long legs. They walked so gracefully!
Noah smiled as he tried to imitate their walk, moving his legs like the storks. He loved to play with animals.
One day, Noah was playing with the ducklings in the lake when he saw a duck sitting on a nest of eggs! What a magical moment! He watched as the eggs started to crack, and little ducklings hatched. But one egg, the largest of all, didn't hatch. The duck seemed worried, but she kept sitting on it.
Days later, Noah returned to the lake, and the duck was gone! The large egg had cracked, and there was another baby duckling there with the other ducklings. But this duckling was bigger, with different colored feathers, a different beak, and a different manner. He seemed sad.
Noah loved to make friends with animals. He went to talk to the different duckling. "Why are you sad?" Noah asked. "You have a whole farm and a beautiful garden to explore!"
The duckling replied, "I'm sad because I'm different from my siblings. I don't feel good about it. The other ducks in the lake laugh at me and make me feel bad."
"We would love to be your friends," Noah said. "We'll come back tomorrow to play with you. Come to my hiding place. It's under my bed. It's a safe place to play."
Noah returned the next day as promised, but the duckling was gone! He was so sad that he decided to leave and try to find other friends. He hopped out of the lake and tried to find some friends.
It was a difficult journey for the duckling. The seasons changed. He always had to move because he never seemed to be welcomed. He only felt embraced by nature. The other ducks mocked him. He missed his siblings.
Noah played by the lake every day, but he never saw his duckling friend again. He still played with his friends. Noah loved to play with animals. He would go to the barn to pet the horses or visit the goats.
Spring arrived. The duckling loved spring just as much as Noah loved summer.
After a long and difficult journey, the duckling found himself near the lake where he was born. He approached cautiously. He didn't want his siblings to laugh at him. But when he reached the water's edge, he saw his reflection, like in 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, Noah went to play in the water and recognized his friend! What a special reunion! Noah was amazed at his friend, now a swan. Noah smiled, excited to see his friend. They finally played joyfully together.
Noah and the swan understood that being strange wasn't wrong. It was just being who they are! Being strange is being different, and everyone is!
And isn't being different just being who we are?
