It was summer! Summer had finally arrived, and Amelia loved summer! The sky was bright blue, and the sun shone so brightly that it seemed like it was always smiling! Everything around Amelia seemed cheerful and colorful.
Just a few weeks before, Amelia’s family had moved from their house in Jacksonville to a nearby farm. Her parents wanted to be closer to nature, and Amelia loved the move! It was like a huge playground where she could play freely, especially with her superpower: Making plants grow instantly! Amelia could wave her hand over a tiny seed, and in a flash, a beautiful flower would bloom!
There was a beautiful, peaceful stream on the farm and a lake where Amelia could swim! The water was so clear and blue, and the trees around the lake looked like green giants! Amelia loved to play in the water and watch the ducks swim around. She could see their yellow beaks bobbing above the water, and their little webbed feet paddling. There were many animals on the farm, but Amelia was always fascinated by the storks. Their long legs were so graceful! They walked so gently and slowly! Amelia tried to imitate their walk, moving her long legs in a slow, careful way, imagining she was a stork flying high above the farm.
One sunny afternoon, Amelia was playing with the ducklings in the lake. They were so cute! They had tiny yellow feathers and wobbled around in a funny way. Suddenly, Amelia saw a duck sitting on a nest of eggs! She watched with excitement as the eggs started to crack and little ducklings hatched! The little ducklings were so cute! Amelia smiled! But then, she noticed that one egg, the largest of all, hadn’t hatched yet. The duck seemed worried and kept sitting on it.
Days later, Amelia returned to the lake. The duck was gone! Amelia was sad. She went closer to the nest and saw that the large egg had finally cracked. Among the ducklings, there was another baby, bigger, with different colored feathers, a different beak, and a different manner. It looked sad.
Amelia loved animals and easily made friends with them! She went to talk to the strange duckling, “Why are you sad, little one? There’s a whole farm and a beautiful garden to explore!”
The duckling looked at her with big, sad eyes. “I’m sad because I’m different from my siblings. I don’t feel good about it. All the other ducks in the lake laugh at me because I’m different and I feel so bad about it.”
“Oh, don’t worry!” said Amelia, “I like you! We would love to have you as a friend! We can play together. I’ll be back tomorrow and we can play!” Amelia then told the duckling about her hiding place, the Magic garden. It was a secret place where she could grow flowers and plants instantly, and she thought it would be a safe and fun place to play.
The next day, Amelia went back to the lake, but the duckling was gone! Amelia was sad. She found the mother duck, “Where’s the little duckling?”
“He was so sad that he decided to leave and try to find other friends,” explained the mother duck. “He tried to make friends with the other ducks in the lake, but they all made fun of him, and he felt so bad about it.”
Amelia knew the little duckling would be sad, but she hadn’t realized how much! She tried to find the duckling, but he was nowhere to be seen!
“He’s gone,” said Amelia, sadly.
Amelia continued to play by the lake every day. She loved to pick flowers and grow new ones using her superpower. It was always a joy to see the flowers bloom instantly!
The seasons changed. Summer turned into fall, and then winter came. Amelia missed her new friend.
Finally, spring arrived! Amelia loved spring almost as much as summer. The flowers started to bloom again, and the trees turned green. Amelia was so happy!
One day, Amelia was playing by the lake, when she saw something strange. A large bird with beautiful white feathers was swimming in the water. As it swam closer, Amelia saw that it had a long, graceful neck and a small beak. It was a swan! But it looked familiar. Amelia watched as the swan swam closer. She recognized the duckling! She had never seen a swan before, but she knew that it was her friend!
Amelia was amazed. She rushed down to the edge of the lake and called to her friend. “It’s you! You’re a swan!” She was so happy to see him!
The swan swam closer to Amelia and looked at her with a smile. “Yes, it’s me!” he said. “I’m not a duckling anymore. I’m a swan!” He told Amelia about his long journey. “It was a difficult journey. The seasons changed, and I always had to move because I never seemed to be welcomed. Everywhere I went, the other ducks laughed at me. But then, one day, I found myself near the lake where I was born. I approached cautiously, not wanting my siblings to laugh at me. But when I reached the water’s edge, I saw my reflection, like in a mirror! I was no longer an ugly duckling but a beautiful swan! That’s why everyone thought I was so strange! I was always a swan!”
Amelia and the swan were so happy to see each other! They laughed and played in the water, and Amelia was amazed at her friend’s beautiful feathers and graceful movements! They spent hours together.
Finally, it was time for Amelia to go home. As she waved goodbye to her friend, she realized something important. Being strange wasn’t wrong. It was just being who you are. Being strange is being different. And everyone is different!
And isn’t being different just being who we are?
