There was a little raccoon named A Pao in Class 2, Grade 3 at Forest Elementary School. He was a little different from the other children because he had a special secret—every time he sneezed, instead of snot coming out of his nose, colorful bubbles would pop out!
These bubbles weren’t ordinary water bubbles. They were as beautiful as rainbow candies, with red, blue, yellow, and pink colors. Sometimes a big bubble would float up slowly, hit the ceiling, and pop with a “pop,” just like balloons at a festival.
One day in class, A Pao couldn’t help but sneeze: “Ah-choo!” A big pink bubble immediately flew out of his nose, slowly rising into the air above the classroom, then popped with a “pop.”
All the students burst into laughter.
“Look, look, he’s doing it again!”
“That’s so gross! Who told him to blow bubbles out of his nose?”
A-pao’s face turned red, and he quickly buried his head in his scarf, his ears burning like they were on fire. On the way home from school, he deliberately took a detour to avoid walking with his classmates. But to his surprise, even the birds in the trees were chirping, “Look, there’s that weird little raccoon. He can blow bubbles out of his nose!”
That night, Ah Pao had a dream. In his dream, he turned into a normal little raccoon and no longer had to worry about others laughing at him. He was extremely happy and woke up smiling.
However, when he woke up, it was unusually quiet outside. Usually, he could hear birds singing in the morning, but today there was not a sound. Ah Pao thought it was strange, so he ran outside to take a look.
He ran to the riverbank and found that the river had disappeared, leaving the riverbed cracked and dry. Old Turtle Grandpa was struggling to crawl on the ground, saying, “The stones upstream have blocked the water flow, and the entire forest has no water to drink.”
Ah Pao quickly ran back to the square and saw everyone trying to solve the problem. Uncle Elephant used his trunk to try to move the big rock, but he couldn’t budge it. The little monkeys tried to make a water pipe out of vines, but the vines were too short.
Ah Pao stood behind his mother and watched everyone’s anxious expressions. Suddenly, his nose started to itch again.“Ah-choo!” He couldn’t help but sneeze, and a string of blue bubbles flew out and landed on the dry, cracked ground.
Something strange happened! Water began to gurgle and bubble up from where the bubbles landed!
“Mom, my bubbles… seem to be turning into water?” A-Pao pulled his mother’s hand, unable to believe his eyes.
His mother squatted down, kissed his forehead, and said gently, “Sweetheart, maybe your ‘special’ ability isn’t a bad thing. It might even help everyone.”
Hearing this, Ah Pao gathered his courage and walked to the middle of the riverbed. He closed his eyes and thought of the smell of spring, the dandelions floating gently in the air, and the sweet scent of alfalfa…
His nose started to itch more and more.
“Ah-choo! Ah-choo! Ah-choo!” Colorful bubbles flew out of his nose like stars in the sky and landed on the dry ground.
Magically, clear spring water began to gush out from where each bubble landed.In no time, the entire stream came back to life, the water flowing over the pebbles like a song.
The little rabbit happily reached out and caught a golden bubble: “Wow, it’s so beautiful!”
The little hedgehog also jumped up: “These are magic bubbles! We have water to drink!”
The sunlight shone on the bubbles, refracting into a rainbow of colors that reflected on A-Pao’s face. There was still a little snot hanging from his nose, but everyone laughed, and no one made fun of him anymore.
It turned out that the “little flaw” that everyone hated was actually the most precious gift A-Pao had given to the forest!
The truth behind the story.
Although this story seems like a fairy tale, it actually tells us a very realistic lesson: Everyone is different, and these differences are often misunderstood or ridiculed, but if you look at them from a different perspective, they can also become a unique strength.
At first, Ah Pao was ashamed of his ability to blow bubbles and was afraid of being seen by others. But at a critical moment, his “strangeness” saved the entire forest.This teaches us that we should not feel inferior because we are different. Perhaps it is precisely these “differences” that give us the ability to help others.
What moral does this story teach us?
- Don’t be afraid to be different.
Everyone has their own unique personality, habits, or abilities, which may not be understood at first and may even be ridiculed. But remember, true value often lies in those “differences.” - Accept yourself for who you are.
At first, A Pao hated his “flaws,” but later he realized that they were his talents. We should also learn to accept ourselves completely, including our strengths and weaknesses. - Look at things from a different perspective, and weaknesses can become strengths.
Some things we consider weaknesses are just waiting to be put in the right place. As long as we take the time to discover them, they may become our most shining qualities. - The power of kindness and encouragement.
It was his mother’s understanding and encouragement that gave A Pao the courage to face himself, and it was his friends’ support that ultimately helped him unlock his potential. A kind word can sometimes truly change a person’s life.
