ACCEPTING DIFFERENCES – The chickens and the Eggs
The children at the camp were given a free afternoon to do as they please. They could either rest inside their rooms or catch up on their readings. They could go for walks if they needed some fresh air. The older children wanted to go to town and do some shopping to buy some gifts and souvenirs to bring back to their parents.
Leanne, Mika, Gabe and Rafael decided to do some exploring instead. There was a long low red building a few yards from where their cabins were located. They could hear sounds coming from the building. They were curious to find out what it was all about.
Leading the way was Leanne. She held the hand of little Gabe who seldom left her side. Rafael followed keeping a watch on where they were going. He did not want to lose their way and not find the way back to their cabin. Mika trailed behind, unsure if she should be afraid or excited.
As they neared the long low red building they could hear some chickens clucking.
They saw a woman dressed in cover-all with a basket in her hands. “Well hello there,” she said when she saw the four children approaching. The four children were shy to go any nearer. But the lady seemed to have a kind face and she was smiling.
“My name is Mrs. Johnson,” she said “I take care of this barn.”
“Hello Mrs. Johnson,” the children replied. “We hear strange noises coming from inside the barn. We are curious what we can find inside.” Rafael said.
“Would you like to come in and see what I have inside?” Mrs. Johnson asked.
The four children nodded their heads. They were curious about the sounds of the chicken they heard earlier when they were approaching the barn.
Mrs. Johnson opened the door wide for the children to enter. One side of the barn was lined with chicken coops and the children could see so many chickens that it was hard to count all of them.
Gabe’s eyes were wide with wonder. He had never seen so many chickens in all his life. “Wow,” was all Gabe could say.
“Why do you have so many chickens, Mrs. Johnson?” Mika asked shyly.
“Well. I take care of them.” Mrs. Johnson replied. “I feed them wheat and barley and corn. I give them water to drink too. Do you know what they give back to me because I take good care of them?” She asked.
The children answered all at once. “Eggs” they all replied.
“That’s right,” Mrs. Johnson said. “Would you like to see some eggs that I have gathered in the basket?
Slowly Mrs. Johnson removed the white cloth that covered the basket. The children’s eyes grew big in wonder. Inside the basket were so many eggs. Some were white. Others were brown. Some eggs had spots, while others were very white.
“These are all chicken eggs.” Mrs. Johnson said.
Leanne asked in surprise, “I thought chicken eggs were white. There are brown eggs in there too. Those can’t be from the chickens,” she said.
Rafael moved nearer to the basket and said, “There are big eggs and small eggs. Those can’t be all chicken eggs,” he added.
Mika and Gabe looked at each other. Surely Mrs. Johnson was wrong. The eggs did not look all the same. Some looked different from the others.
Mrs. Johnson knew exactly what the children were thinking. She asked them to sit on some benches with her.
Mrs. Johnson said to them. “Can you tell me what is different about each of you?” She asked them.
The children were confused about what she meant. Leanne volunteered to answer first. “I am bigger than Rafael, Mika and Gabe,” she said.
Rafael followed with his own observation and said, “I am smaller than Leanne but bigger than Gabe.”
Mika wanted to be different and said, “I have curly hair just like Gabe. But Leanne has long straight hair not like mine.
Gabe, not wanting to be out done replied, “I have dark skin while Mika is white. My eyes are smaller than Leanne because her eyes are big just like an owl.”
Then all the children laughed at what they thought were different about each of them.
Mrs. Johnson laughed at everything they said about each other. But Mrs. Johnson was a wise woman who took care of the chickens. She wanted to teach the children something that they will remember for a long time. She took two different eggs from inside the basket. One was brown and the other white. She took two bowls and cracked the eggs open.
The children were surprised when they saw the cracked eggs on the bowl.
“They are both the same inside.” they cried all together.
“Yes that is right.” Mrs. Johnson said. “The eggs are different but they are all the same inside.” Just like the four of you are different somehow but also the same. You are all children with mommies and daddies who love you. You all love to eat ice cream, chocolates and candies.”
Leanne said, “We all like to play and swim in the lake.”
Rafael thought hard and said, “We also like to be with each other.”
Mika added, “Leanne likes to play with her dolls like I do.”
Gabe said, “I like to ride my bike just like Rafael too.”
Mrs. Johnson stood up and said, “Never forget that. You are all different from each other on the outside. But inside you are all the same.”
Gabe who was a wise little boy could not help but say, “there is one more thing that is the same and yet different with us. We all like eggs but not cooked the same way,” he added.
Mrs. Johnson laughed at what Gabe just said. “Tomorrow you may all come back again before breakfast. You can choose any different egg that you would like to eat and have it cooked the way you want it.”
The children skipped happily back to their cabins. They all knew that no matter how different they were from each other, they were all the same inside. The thought made them happy too.