Once on the edge of a great big forest near the stumpy mountains and rainy lakes lived a small, small town. That town had lots living in it, people tall and small and thick and thin, who all loved the town with every inch of their hearts. A beautiful girl lived in the town, more beautiful than any sunrise or starry sky. She was the town's only teacher and taught all the children of the town with passion. Everyone loved her grace and character even more than her beauty. And she loved them back.
On the very edge of the town near where the wildflowers were, a little beyond the schoolhouse, lived a farmer. He was a joyful, friendly person, but nonetheless people never spoke to the man because of an awful, jagged scar that ran from his forehead to his chin, splitting his face in half. When he gathered all his vegetables and fruits that he worked so hard to grow and stood in the town square to sell, very few would buy from him, for his looks mattered more to them than his perfect produce. The only one who bought from him every time he set up his stand in the square was the girl. When the farmer had little to sell she would buy it all, even paying extra. They grew to be close friends, chatting as long as possible each time they saw each other. Once the other villagers took notice of this, they began to confront the girl in the square one day.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Don't you know you could have anyone in the entire world?"
"That man is ugly. Why do you even talk to him?"
"Have you seen that thing on his face? He won't ever get anyone and he probably already knows that. You don't have to be nice to him."
"Sweetheart, a gorgeous little thing like you could get a king. You deserve better than that man."
As the villagers flocked the girl with questions and comments, she simply stood there. Not until they had all said something did she speak.
"I might deserve better, and I know I don't have to be nice to him. But I am. You are so obsessed with his looks that you don't even care about him. About his personality. About how kind and generous he is. You are so stuck on his appearance that you would rather starve than buy from him. He might not be flawless but what's inside him is a million times better than anything that could be on the outside. He works hard day after day farming to perfect his crops in hopes that someone will buy them and enjoy them. I have done that. Have you? Will you ever? Everyday after class ends in the schoolhouse he brings me wildflowers. That's a kindness I've never seen before. His soul is beautiful, yours are not. Outside beauty means nothing if you've got a rotten soul."
And with this, she turned and took the farmers hand as he led them back to his cozy little farm in the small, small town on the edge of the huge forest near the stumpy mountains and rainy lakes.
THE END
