It was summer! It was the kind of summer that made you want to jump and shout with happiness! The sun was so bright, it seemed to be smiling at everyone! Mia loved summer!
Mia and her family had moved from their house in Columbus to a farm just outside the city. Her family wanted to be closer to nature, and Mia loved the move. She could play outside all day, especially with her superpower, Controlling Ice and Snow! That was her secret.
There was a beautiful stream on the farm, and a sparkling lake where Mia could go swimming. The lake was always full of animals. Mia loved watching the storks, walking around with their long legs. They were so graceful! Mia even tried to walk like them, with long, slow steps. That was Mia, always trying to be creative.
One day, Mia was playing in the lake with the ducklings when she saw a duck sitting on a nest of eggs. She watched as the eggs started to crack open. Tiny ducklings hatched, one after another! It was amazing! But one egg, the biggest one of all, didn't crack. The duck seemed worried and stayed on the nest. Mia watched for days.
Then, one day, the duck was gone! Mia saw that the big egg had cracked open! Among the ducklings was another baby, much bigger than the others, with different colored feathers and a different beak. It seemed sad, not like the other ducklings.
Mia was always friendly with animals. She went up to the strange duckling and asked why he was sad. "There’s a whole farm and a beautiful garden to explore!" she said.
The duckling told Mia he was sad because he was different from his siblings. All the other ducks in the lake laughed at him and made him feel bad.
"Don't worry!" said Mia. "We’d love to play with you." Mia promised she would return the next day to play. "I have a secret hiding place," she said. "It’s called the Ice Castle. It’s a safe place to play."
The next day, Mia returned, but the duckling was gone. He was so sad he decided to leave and try to find other friends. He went from place to place but all the ducks laughed at him.
It was a long and difficult journey for the duckling. The seasons changed, and he always had to move. He was never welcomed anywhere. The only thing that made him happy was nature.
Mia played by the lake every day, but she never saw her duckling friend again. She spent her time playing Princesses, her favorite game.
Spring arrived, and the duckling loved spring just as much as Mia loved summer! After a long journey, the duckling found himself back near the lake where he was born. He was scared to go back, afraid the other ducks would laugh at him.
But when he reached the water, he saw his reflection in the water, just like in a mirror. He wasn’t an ugly duckling anymore! He was a beautiful swan! That’s why he looked so strange!
One day, Mia went to play in the water and saw her friend! She was amazed. "It’s you!" she said. "You’re a swan!"
Mia and the swan played joyfully together. They both understood that being different wasn't wrong. It was just being who they are! Being different is just being yourself. And everyone is different.
And isn’t being different just being who we are?
