Author: Vandana Gupta

Wherever Donna the duck went, everyone praised her beauty. Some said her feathers were as shiny as fish scales. Some praised her thin neck, while others found her orange beak beautiful. Donna was used to hearing praises.

Whenever she went somewhere, everyone said how pretty she was, and she blushed with happiness.

Her friend, Crio the crocodile, was throwing a birthday party on the banks of the river and invited everyone in the forest.

If it were any other day, Donna would have been ready and eager to go, but that day, she was upset. She was standing in front of the mirror, looking at herself. She did not know which insect bit her, but her eye was swollen.

How could she go to the party now? But she so wanted to go and enjoy the food. Crio served many wonderful dishes last year. The white rasgullas were especially delicious. Why did this insect have to bite her today?

Then, she remembered the last time she went to the city; she had bought sunglasses and looked smart in them. Why not try them on? She immediately put on the sunglasses, and they covered the swelling near her eye.

‘It is all right, Donna! You are not only beautiful but smart as well,’ she said, looking at herself in the mirror.

In the evening, Donna went to the party, well-dressed and wearing sunglasses.

‘Oh wow, Donna, you look smart, but why are you wearing sunglasses at night?’ Toto Tortoise asked.

‘This is my style! I can wear them anytime!’ she said proudly.

Everyone was eating and drinking at the party, but Donna did not like the food much. After the party, she was returning home with Sally the racoon.

‘The food today was not so great. I like white rasgullas, but today, there were just gulab jamuns,’ she complained.

‘Those were rasgullas. I ate so many of them,’ said Sally.

‘What? Where?’ asked Donna, surprised.

‘Right next to the ice cream,’ said Sally.

‘I also had chocolate ice cream, but I found it bitter. I like vanilla, so I did not find that either.’

‘You must not be feeling well today. I saw that you did not even eat rotis and puris. You just came back after eating some rice,’ said Sally.

‘They seemed overcooked to me. I do not know which caterer she chose to cook the food. They burnt an entire lot of rotis and puris,’ complained Donna.

‘It was not like that. But now I understand! Look, you are wearing dark glasses, so you thought that the rasgullas were gulab jamuns, vanilla was chocolate, and the rotis and puris were burnt,’ Sally explained.

Now, Donna was feeling sorry that she left such a nice party. She could not see properly in the night because of her dark sunglasses.

Suddenly, Donna tripped over a vine, fell and hit a rock. She fell, and everything was dark around her.

When Donna awoke, she was in the hospital. She was hurt, and her left leg was wrapped in bandages. She felt very embarrassed and thought, ‘What will they think of me?’ Donna wanted to be alone.

The next day, Molly the monkey came to visit her with fruits and greeted her with great love. In a short while, Mini the butterfly came with flowers from her garden and asked, ‘My dear Donna, how are you feeling? I hope you are not in a lot of pain.’

Donna was surprised that her friends still loved her. That day, all her friends came to the hospital to see her. Some brought fruits, some brought flowers, while others brought chocolates. Everyone offered to take care of her even after going home, as she needed rest for a few days.

Donna asked in surprise, ‘Do you all still love me as much as before?’

‘What kind of question is this, Donna? What has happened that we will not love you anymore?’ Toto asked, a little annoyed.

‘But now, I don’t look as beautiful as before. I thought you liked me because of my beauty,’ Donna replied.

‘Donna, we do not love your looks. We love you,’ replied Roro the squirrel, who had just come to see her.

‘I am sorry, everyone. Actually, an insect bit me near my eye yesterday, so I looked ugly because of the swelling. I put on the sunglasses at night to hide it,’ said Donna.

‘And because of that, you could not see the food properly, and you also got hurt,’ Sally added.

Donna lowered her head and said, ‘But now I know that you are my true friends because you love me just the way I am and not for my looks.’

In that moment, she realised that she needed to love herself the same way—to see that her true beauty came from within, and that she was enough just as she was.

‘Come on, now that you have been punished for showing off, get well soon! Then I will bring rasgullas, puris and vanilla ice cream for you,’ Crio said, and everyone, including Donna, laughed.