The Duckling and the Paper Crown

Once upon a spring morning, Mother Duck sat on a nest. Crack, crack, crack! Out came little ducklings, small and yellow. Last came Duckling, big and gray. Mother Duck smiled. "Welcome, Duckling." The pond was bright. The reeds were soft. The sky was blue. But Duckling looked at the other ducklings and wondered, "Why am I not small and yellow?"

The ducklings played splash games. "You look different," said one duckling, kindly. "Your feathers are gray." Duckling felt like a puzzle piece that did not fit. Mother Duck gave a warm hug. "Different is okay," Mother Duck said. But Duckling still wanted to know where different could fit. So Duckling followed a path of dandelions to a castle garden.