SOJUNG KIMTHE BLUE BOY

For my parentswho had a different girl

THE BLUE BOY

©2012 SOJUNG KIM

The right of Sojung Kim to be identified as author/ illustrator of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988

Printed in England

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping and recording, without prior written permission from the author.

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THE BLUE BOY

SOJUNG KIM

A blue boy lived in a villagewhere everything was grey.He was the only onewho was born blue.

The others whispered behind him,“Why on earth was he born so different?”

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One day, the boy went to the libraryand found a book called ‘The Magic Places Around Us.’

When he picked it up, a page fell out.There was written about a magic pharmacywhere they had tonic and potion of all kinds.And this line caught his eyes:‘This potion makes you the same as others,no matter how different you are.’

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That night, the boy couldn’t sleep.‘Can this be true?Will this potion make me just like everybody else?’’

It was nearly dawn when he made up his mindto go and find the pharmacy.

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According to the map, the pharmacy was beyond the mountain where the sun rose.The boy started climbing it in the morning.

In the middle of a forest,he met a tiny green bird.She was weeping alonebecause other birds didn’t like herfor being green and small.

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The boy asked her if she wanted to come with him.“Will they be nice to me if I didn’t look different?”

She asked.“I don’t know, but we can try.”He answered.

The boy went on with the bird perched on his head.

On top of the mountain,they met a big pink cat.He was weeping alonebecause other cats don’t like himfor being pink and huge.

They asked him if he wanted to come with them.“Will I be happy if I didn’t look different?” He asked.“We don’t know, but we can try.”They answered.

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The cat walked with the boy and the bird.As they neared the bottom of the mountain,they met a huge wall that was not on the map.There was no door or another way that lead to the other side of the wall.

Then, the bird spotted a bird-sized hole in the wall.She struggled up and up with her tiny wingsuntil she finally made it into the hole!

There, she could see a meadow on the other side.It looked safe enough to jump into,if they could somehow climb up to the top of the wall.

“Well...” The cat thought for a while and said,“I don’t know if this will work, but we can try.”He let the boy climb on his back, and...

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They landed safely in the meadow.“We made it because you’re so tiny,” said the cat.“And because you’re so big!” said the bird.

On the far middle of the grey field,they spotted something: a green girl in pink!

They started talking to each otherand told her about the magic pharmacy.She said she could take them therebecause it was in her village.

So they followed her,wondering why she was still greenwhen the pharmacy was so close.

The village was very similar to the boy’s.But he noticed one big difference: nobody stared or whispered behind him.

“They all know I like my greenness,” said the girl.The boy thought it might be why she looked so beautiful.‘Is it really better to be the same as others?’The boy wondered himself.

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As they walked into the pharmacy,an owl brought them a bottle of potion.It was what they had been looking for!All excited, the cat and the bird drank from it.

In the next second, they looked just the sameas any other birds or cats.But it wasn’t as nice as they expected.

“I don’t feel like myself!” The bird cried.“It’s like I’m wearing wrong clothes!”The cat mewed.

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The boy looked at the girl.She seemed much happier than the twowho were now grey and confused.

“I don’t think I need the potion anymore,” said the boy.

Then the owl brought another bottle.Once drank from it, the bird and the cat were as themselves again.

As they left the pharmacy,the blue boy, the green bird and the pink catall felt much happier than they had ever been.

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