Sammy the snake was very proud of his scales. They weren’t just any scales; they shimmered and sparkled in all the colors of the rainbow! He loved to slither through the sunny meadow, showing them off to everyone. But Sammy didn’t like anyone *touching* his scales. “They’re too special!” he’d say, quickly curling up if anyone got too close.
One warm afternoon, Rosie the rabbit hopped by. “Oh, Sammy, your scales are beautiful!” she exclaimed. “Could I just… look closely?” Sammy hesitated. He really didn’t want Rosie to touch them, but Rosie looked so sad. “Just a quick peek,” he mumbled, uncurling a little.
Rosie gasped. “They’re even more amazing up close! They remind me of all the wildflowers in the meadow.” Then, Barnaby Bear lumbered over. “Wow, Sammy! Those scales are incredible. They’re like a rainbow bridge!” Sammy felt a little uncomfortable with so many admirers. He quickly curled up again, hiding his shimmering scales.
Old Man Turtle, who had seen many seasons, slowly ambled towards them. “Sammy,” he said kindly, “your scales *are* beautiful, but beauty is meant to be shared. What good is a rainbow if no one else can see it?” Sammy thought about this. He’d been so busy protecting his scales, he hadn’t thought about making others happy.
He slowly uncurled and took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said, a little shyly. “Rosie, you can gently touch one scale. And Barnaby, you can look as closely as you like.” Rosie carefully touched a blue scale, and Barnaby gazed in wonder. Sammy felt… good! It felt even better to share his scales than to keep them all to himself.
Soon, all the little meadow creatures were admiring Sammy’s scales. He let them touch them, and he told them stories about how each color reminded him of something special. He learned that sharing his beauty didn’t make it disappear; it made it brighter. And Sammy the snake discovered that the best sparkle of all came from the smiles of his friends.
As the sun began to set, Sammy curled up with Rosie and Barnaby, his scales glowing softly in the twilight. He realized that kindness and friendship were even more precious than the shiniest scales in the world. And that, thought Sammy, was a very good feeling indeed. Now close your eyes, little one, and dream of shimmering scales and happy friends.