A Snowy Morning
The sun peeked over the snowy trees. Arsi the little owl woke up. He yawned a big yawn. Everything outside was white. Arsi was white too. He looked at his feathers. He wished they were colorful. Like the other owls at school. He felt sad. Today was almost Valentine's Day. He wanted to give Lila a valentine. But he was scared. What if she didn't like him? What if she laughed at his white feathers? He sighed and hopped out of bed. He needed to talk to his mother. Maybe she could help. Arsi slowly walked downstairs and wished his feathers could be different colors. Red like berries. Or yellow like sunshine. Oh dear, he was feeling blue again. He hoped his mother could offer some good advice before she went to work.
Mother Foa's Advice
Arsi found Mother Foa in the kitchen. She was making warm oat porridge. It smelled yummy. "Good morning, Arsi," she chirped. "What's making you so glum?" Arsi told her about Lila. And about his white feathers. "I wish I was colorful!" he exclaimed. Mother Foa smiled gently. She poured him a bowl of porridge. "Arsi," she said. "Lila likes you for who you are. Not for the color of your feathers.” She gave him a warm hug. “Your feathers are only one part of you. You are kind and smart and brave. That’s what matters, not the colors.” Mother Foa looked at him with kind eyes. "Sometimes, brave hearts don't need colors to shine," Mother Foa said softly. He ate his porridge carefully and was beginning to consider what his mother had told him. Maybe he could be brave.
A Colorful Idea
Arsi thought about Mother Foa's words all the way to school. He still wanted to be colorful. But maybe he could show Lila his colors in a different way. He walked into the classroom. All the other owls were busy making valentines. There were red hearts and pink flowers everywhere. Arsi had an idea. He went to the art table. There were paints and brushes. He picked up a brush and dipped it in blue paint. Then he found shiny glitter. Arsi carefully crafted a valentine for Lila. The white card soon exploded with color. He painted blue skies and green trees. It was a wintery version of all the things of springtime that he liked.
