The Ugly Turkey
In the city zoo, a young blue chick named Puddle struggles with feeling different and rejected. Found by a group of turkeys after a storm, Puddle embarks on a journey to discover who he truly is, facing teasing and obstacles along the way. With the help of a wise owl, Puddle learns that understanding who he is matters more than what he is.
One bright sunny, but wet morning at The City Zoo, after a stormy night, all the animals were busy cleaning up their cages. The loudest bunch by far was always The Gobbler Clan, the zoo's family of turkeys. This morning was no different, even the prairie dogs in the ground could hear their gobbles, even in their deepest hole. Not even the fish in the pond could escape the sounds of excitement on this day. While sweeping up one of the turkeys stumbled upon a surprising sight! It was a single lonely egg, just sitting there in a puddle of water. All the Turkeys soon gathered around the puddle, peering at the egg. They all wondered, "Whose egg is it?" Suddenly, the egg began to crack open. Out popped a little blue chick. The turkeys were shocked and called him an ugly turkey.
The turkey kids laughed and pointed at the blue chick. "Eww, is it an alien?" one asked. "No, it’s a freak!" another shouted. The grown-up turkeys decided it was just an ugly turkey. Ms. Gabby, the turkey teacher, offered to take care of the little blue chick.
Ms. Gabby named the blue chick Puddle because he was found in a puddle. She loved him even though he was different. But the other turkey kids didn't let him play. They called him names like "Frankenturkey" and "Blue Belly." Puddle tried to be brave, but it was hard.
One day, Billy the bully tricked Puddle into jumping into a puddle of mud. "Look, it's Puddle in a puddle of mud!" they shouted. Puddle was embarrassed and cried. He ran home, feeling upset. Ms. Gabby and a neighbor were talking, not knowing he was there.
Puddle overheard Ms. Gabby saying she didn't know what to do about the bullying. The neighbor said, "You knew what you were getting into with an ugly turkey." Ms. Gabby defended Puddle, saying he wasn't ugly. But she also said she wasn’t sure if he was a turkey.
Feeling sad, Puddle decided to find out what he really was. He packed a small bag and ran away from the turkey enclosure. Puddle sneaked around the zoo, determined to discover the truth. "I need to know what I am!" Puddle said to himself. He first approached the flamingos.
The flamingos laughed when Puddle couldn't stand on one leg. "You're no flamingo; you're just an ugly turkey!" they said. Puddle then went to the ostriches, but he was too slow. The ostriches agreed, "You're not one of us." The penguins also rejected Puddle because he couldn't swim.
Wet and defeated, Puddle was about to give up. "Maybe I'm just an ugly turkey," he sighed. Just then, a wise owl hooted from above. "Puddle, you’re asking the wrong question," the owl said. The owl told Puddle to find out who he was, not what he was.
The owl advised Puddle to retrace his steps and find who he was. Puddle followed his wet footprints back to a puddle. As Puddle peered into the puddle, he saw his reflection. "I see me!" Puddle exclaimed. He realized he was more than just a label.
Puddle discovered he was a beautiful blue peacock, not an ugly turkey. "I’m Puddle, the beautiful peacock!" he declared proudly. Ms. Gabby was delighted and hugged Puddle tightly. "You’ll always be my son," she said. Puddle realized it was who he was inside that mattered most.
One bright sunny, but wet morning at The City Zoo, after a stormy night, all the animals were busy cleaning up their cages. The loudest bunch by far was always The Gobbler Clan, the zoo's family of turkeys. This morning was no different, even the prairie dogs in the ground could hear their gobbles, even in their deepest hole. Not even the fish in the pond could escape the sounds of excitement on this day. While sweeping up one of the turkeys stumbled upon a surprising sight! It was a single lonely egg, just sitting there in a puddle of water. All the Turkeys soon gathered around the puddle, peering at the egg. They all wondered, "Whose egg is it?" Suddenly, the egg began to crack open. Out popped a little blue chick. The turkeys were shocked and called him an ugly turkey.
The turkey kids laughed and pointed at the blue chick. "Eww, is it an alien?" one asked. "No, it’s a freak!" another shouted. The grown-up turkeys decided it was just an ugly turkey. Ms. Gabby, the turkey teacher, offered to take care of the little blue chick.
Ms. Gabby named the blue chick Puddle because he was found in a puddle. She loved him even though he was different. But the other turkey kids didn't let him play. They called him names like "Frankenturkey" and "Blue Belly." Puddle tried to be brave, but it was hard.
One day, Billy the bully tricked Puddle into jumping into a puddle of mud. "Look, it's Puddle in a puddle of mud!" they shouted. Puddle was embarrassed and cried. He ran home, feeling upset. Ms. Gabby and a neighbor were talking, not knowing he was there.
Puddle overheard Ms. Gabby saying she didn't know what to do about the bullying. The neighbor said, "You knew what you were getting into with an ugly turkey." Ms. Gabby defended Puddle, saying he wasn't ugly. But she also said she wasn’t sure if he was a turkey.
Feeling sad, Puddle decided to find out what he really was. He packed a small bag and ran away from the turkey enclosure. Puddle sneaked around the zoo, determined to discover the truth. "I need to know what I am!" Puddle said to himself. He first approached the flamingos.
The flamingos laughed when Puddle couldn't stand on one leg. "You're no flamingo; you're just an ugly turkey!" they said. Puddle then went to the ostriches, but he was too slow. The ostriches agreed, "You're not one of us." The penguins also rejected Puddle because he couldn't swim.
Wet and defeated, Puddle was about to give up. "Maybe I'm just an ugly turkey," he sighed. Just then, a wise owl hooted from above. "Puddle, you’re asking the wrong question," the owl said. The owl told Puddle to find out who he was, not what he was.
The owl advised Puddle to retrace his steps and find who he was. Puddle followed his wet footprints back to a puddle. As Puddle peered into the puddle, he saw his reflection. "I see me!" Puddle exclaimed. He realized he was more than just a label.
Puddle discovered he was a beautiful blue peacock, not an ugly turkey. "I’m Puddle, the beautiful peacock!" he declared proudly. Ms. Gabby was delighted and hugged Puddle tightly. "You’ll always be my son," she said. Puddle realized it was who he was inside that mattered most.
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