Flora was a little flamingo, and she loved living in the warm, sunny lagoon with her flock. But Flora had a secret worry. All the other flamingos were a beautiful, bright pink. Flora, however, was a pale, peachy color. She wished, more than anything, to be as pink as the rest of her family.
Every morning, Flora would try to rub pink berries on her feathers, hoping to change her color. She’d stand near the brightest pink flowers, imagining their color would magically transfer to her. But nothing worked! She felt sad and different, and sometimes she even hid behind the tall reeds, afraid the other flamingos would laugh.
One day, Old Man Fitzwilliam, the wisest flamingo in the lagoon, noticed Flora looking glum. He slowly waded over to her. “What troubles you, little one?” he asked gently.
Flora, feeling shy, explained her worry. “I’m not pink enough,” she whispered. “I look… different.” Old Man Fitzwilliam chuckled, a warm, rumbling sound. “Different is wonderful, Flora! Look around you. Are all the shells the same shape? Are all the clouds the same size? No! Everything in the lagoon is unique, and that’s what makes it beautiful.”
He continued, “Your peachy color is special. It reminds me of the sunrise, soft and gentle. And besides,” he winked, “you have the most graceful neck in the whole lagoon! That’s something to be proud of.”
Flora had never thought about her graceful neck. She usually focused only on her color. She practiced stretching her neck, feeling proud of how elegantly it curved. She noticed a little crab admiring her movements.
Another flamingo, named Penelope, overheard their conversation. Penelope was known for her beautiful pink feathers, but she had a wobbly leg. She’d been trying to hide it, worried the others would notice. She walked over to Flora. “I think your color is lovely,” Penelope said shyly. “And I wish I could move as gracefully as you!”
Flora smiled. She realized that everyone had something they wished they could change. She and Penelope spent the afternoon practicing their graceful neck stretches and admiring each other’s unique qualities. They discovered that being different wasn’t something to be ashamed of, but something to celebrate.
From that day on, Flora stopped trying to change her color. She embraced her peachy hue and focused on all the things that made her special. She learned that true beauty comes from believing in yourself, and that being unique is what makes you shine. And as she stood tall and proud in the lagoon, she realized she was perfectly, wonderfully, Flora.