Oban's Myths & Legends
Why the flamingo is pink
By Joanna - Aged 10
Battle Creek - Michigan, USA
"Oh I hate being brown!" cried Sam the flamingo. “Why can't I be pink? It's such a pretty color and not so dull and ugly as this brown.”
One day Sam and his brave flamingo friends said they were going to the dangerous pink lagoon. It had pink crocodiles which liked to eat tasty, brown flamingos. It was very scary, but it was their only chance to become pink.
They moved quickly toward the lagoon. Sam's heart pounded with fear as they got closer. Sam said, "On the count of three, we will all jump in together. ONE... TWO... THREE... JUMP!" cried Sam. They all jumped in together.
They stayed in as long as they dared. Then, they jumped out.
"We're pink!" cried the flamingos. “We're actually pink! I like your feathers. Look at mine, they're pink, too." They talked excitedly about their feathers all the way home.
The next day, they were brown! "Oh no, we're this ugly brown again." When their feathers dried over night, they turned back to the ugly brown.
It was a very sad day for the flamingos. "How are we ever going to stay pink?" they asked. Sam looked up at the sky to make a wish and noticed there were pink clouds.
The clouds turned a darker pink as the day went on. Soon, it started to spit rain, but it wasn't normal rain, it was pink rain!
It rained harder and harder. All the animals scurried to their homes so that they would stay dry.
The flamingos refused to seek shelter because it was another chance to become pink.
The rain continued for seven days and six nights. All the animals stayed in their burrows, nests and homes. Only the flamingos stayed outside.
Finally, the rain stopped.
The flamingos started cheering because they were all pink.
Even after their feathers dried, they were still pink.
And, that is why the flamingo is pink today!!
The End
