It was summer! The sun shone brightly, making everything seem happy and colorful, just like a big smile! Elizabeth loved summer! It was the best time of year. Elizabeth and her family had just moved from their house in San Diego to a nearby farm. They wanted to be closer to nature, and Elizabeth thought it was a great idea! She could play freely in the fields and run through the tall grass. Her favorite thing was to use her superpower, Entering into books! She could jump right into the stories and become a princess, a pirate, or even a brave knight!
There was a beautiful stream on the farm, and a lake where Elizabeth could swim. She loved to splash around in the water, pretending to be a mermaid. There were many animals on the farm. Cows, sheep, horses, and even a couple of friendly goats! But Elizabeth was always fascinated by the storks. They had long legs and walked so gracefully! Elizabeth tried to imitate their walk, stretching her legs out and balancing on one foot. She was very creative and loved to imagine she was a different animal every day!
One day, Elizabeth was playing with the ducklings in the lake. She saw a duck sitting on a nest of eggs. It was such a magical moment! She watched as the eggs began 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, Elizabeth returned to the lake. The duck was gone! The large egg had cracked, and there was a new baby duckling among the others. But this duckling was different! It was bigger, with different colored feathers, a different beak, and a different way of walking. It seemed sad.
Elizabeth, who was always friendly with animals, went to talk to the strange duckling. "Why are you sad?" she asked. "There's a whole farm and a beautiful garden to explore!" The duckling sighed. "I'm sad because I'm different from my siblings. They laugh at me and make me feel bad."
"Don't listen to them," Elizabeth said. "We'll be your friends. We'll come back tomorrow to play!" Elizabeth then told the duckling about her secret hiding place, Fairy tale castle. It was a magical place in the woods, where she could play pretend and escape from the real world. "It's a safe place," she told the duckling. "You'll love it!"
Elizabeth returned the next day as promised, but the duckling was gone. He had been so sad that he decided to leave and try to find other friends. But it didn't work out. Everywhere he went, the other ducks mocked him.
It was a difficult journey for the duckling. The seasons changed, and he had to move because he never seemed to be welcomed. The only place he felt comfortable was in nature.
Elizabeth played by the lake every day, but she never saw her duckling friend. She spent her time reading stories and using her superpower to enter into the books she read.
Spring arrived. The duckling loved spring just as much as Elizabeth loved summer! After a long and difficult journey, the duckling found himself near the lake where he was born. He approached cautiously, afraid his siblings would laugh at him. But when he reached the water's edge, he saw his reflection! It was like looking in a mirror! He was no longer an ugly duckling, but a beautiful swan! That's why everyone thought he was so strange!
That day, Elizabeth went to play in the water and recognized her friend! What a special reunion! Elizabeth was amazed at her friend, now a swan, considering her Creative personality! They finally played joyfully!
Elizabeth 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?
