The Goldfish Who Ran on Water

Lily had the curliest, wildest hair in all of Willowbrook Elementary. Every morning, she tried to tame it with ribbons and barrettes, but her hair had a mind of its own—just like Lily herself.

One Saturday, Lily went running through the park, her golden curls bouncing like springs. She loved running faster than anyone, her sneakers pounding the dirt path until she reached the old pond where the turtles sunbathed on mossy logs.

That's when she saw him—a tiny orange goldfish who wasn't swimming like regular fish. He was RUNNING across the water's surface, his little fins pumping like legs!

"Hello there!" the goldfish called out in a bubbly voice. "I'm Finnegan, and you're the fastest runner I've ever seen!"

Lily rubbed her eyes. "You can talk?"

"I can do lots of things," Finnegan said proudly. "Want to see my secret?"

He did a little flip, and suddenly the water turned into sparkling rainbow glass. Finnegan grabbed Lily's hand with his fin—or what looked like a hand—and pulled her right into the pond.

But instead of getting wet, Lily found herself swimming through a magical underwater kingdom. Fish were having tea parties in coral castles. Crabs were playing soccer with pearl balls. Best of all, Lily's hair began floating around her head like a golden halo, glowing softly in the enchanted water.

"Your hair is special," Finnegan said. "It holds magic—the magic of being exactly who you are."

They spent the afternoon swimming through candy-colored reefs and racing sea horses who ran sideways. Lily forgot about wanting straight hair or fitting in. Here, everything different was wonderful.

When it was time to go home, Finnegan gave Lily a shiny scale. "Keep this, and remember: the things that make you different are your greatest gifts."

That night, Lily looked in the mirror. Her wild curls weren't messy anymore—they were magical. From then on, she never tried to tame her hair again. And every time she went running past the pond, she waved at the little goldfish who had taught her that the best thing you can be is yourself.