The Chameleon Who Chose Her Colors

Camilla was a young chameleon who could change colors to match anything around her. In the forest, she turned green. On the rocks, she turned gray. Near the flowers, she turned pink. One day, Camilla met a parrot named Pip. "Why do you keep changing?" Pip asked. "I never know what you really look like!" Camilla felt confused. "I change to fit in. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?" "But what colors do YOU like?" Pip asked. Camilla had never thought about that. She had spent so much time matching others that she didn't know her own favorite colors. That night, Camilla looked at the sunset—orange, purple, and gold. "These are beautiful," she thought. The next morning, instead of matching the green leaves, Camilla chose to be purple with golden spots. She felt nervous. "What if the others think I'm strange?" But something wonderful happened. A butterfly landed on her. "I love your colors!" the butterfly said. "You look like you!" A wise old tortoise nodded. "Camilla, blending in is a useful skill. But knowing who you are is even more important. You can choose when to blend and when to shine." Camilla learned that she didn't have to change for everyone. Sometimes, it was okay to match her surroundings. But other times, it was wonderful to show her true colors. From that day on, Camilla chose her colors based on how she felt and what she wanted to express. And she discovered that being herself made her the happiest chameleon in the forest.