Nikolett Orbán: The panda bear who didn’t get colours
It was an exciting day for the world. You have to know, that up until now, everything was black and white: the mouse, the elephant, the parrot, even the little tick. The world looked as if it were covered in thick, white snow, except it wasn’t so exciting, because there was no actual snow, therefore you couldn’t do all that cool stuff, like sleighing and building a snowman.
Now, this morning didn’t start like the others. Out of nowhere, a big paintbrush appeared, a huge brush, with a shaggy head, and drops of some strange thing fell down from it. The paintbrush brought colours: brown, green, blue, and red… just to mention the most awesome ones. Needless to say how stunned all the black-and-white animals were, when this huge brush suddenly tickled their backs and just like magic, there were no more boring black-and-white animals. Instead, there was brown bear, red fox, yellow canary, even the snake, who wanted to slide quickly into his lair, got a colour so green, it left you speechless.
Just like that, the world was filled with colours. The blue stream sang happily: “Splash-splash.” The cockerel tossed his rainbow-coloured feathers with satisfaction, and he let out a cock-a-doodle-do in his most manly – I mean most cockerel-like – voice, to show his content. Even the bee, who was very shy, said a humble “buzz”, stroking his very fashionable black-and-yellow coat.
But someone had no idea about this miracle: this someone was sleeping like a log, tucked away in his cave, which was a little cold, but even so, it was a very peaceful and comfy home. Panda – because he was this someone – peeked out from his cave, sleepily. He could not understand what all this hassle-and-bustle was. And then, he was astonished: the world he had known has become coloured. There were so many shades, that even if he knew the names of the colours, he couldn’t have listed all of them.
But…”Oh no” Panda looked at himself and lowered his head. “I shouldn’t have slept. Now I was left out” he thought, while leaving his cave to discover the coloured world, which now was filled with life and joy.
As he was wondering with his head down, he met the other animals, who examined each other’s changed appearance. To his surprise, the others complemented him as well. “You have a splendid white fur” said a parrot. “How pretty is that black spot around your eye” exclaimed a wild duck, with coloured feathers. “It highlights your red nose” added a green iguana.
The little panda was not sad any more. The colours of the world and the other animals made him realize that his simple colours are just as beautiful as the brightest green, or the most vivid purple. His colours, in their simplicity, make him unique among his fellows, who cannot picture his appearance any other way.
Why was the panda sad at first?
List three colours that you know.
Which do you like more, black or white? Why?