Inspirational story: Why Being Different is a Gift - The Short Man’s Heartwarming Story of Self-Love

Once there was a very short man, so short, in fact, that he had often acted as one of the dwarfs in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. His stature wasn’t the problem—what troubled him was how unhappy he felt about being small. Some people don’t like feeling different, and he was one of them. He began to wonder what he could do to become tall. Perhaps, he thought, he needed to emulate someone tall. He went to the zoo and approached Mrs. Ostrich, the tallest bird in the world. “What do you do to be tall?” he inquired. Mrs. Ostrich pondered for a moment before responding thoughtfully, saying that she often stretched her neck down to the ground to peck at seeds or buried her head in the sand. Taking this advice to heart, the man tried pecking at seeds on the ground but found it difficult and felt sick from eating them. Next, he tried to bury his head in the sand, even using a snorkel to help him breathe. Fortunately, he realized the danger before going through with it. Despite his efforts, he didn’t grow an inch taller. Disappointed, he thought to himself, There has to be a better way. He decided to seek advice from another tall creature and approached Mr. Giraffe. He asked the towering animal what his secret was. Mr. Giraffe suggested that perhaps it was because he stretched up to eat the tender young leaves from the tops of prickly trees.

Inspired, the small man attempted to stretch by standing on his toes, but he couldn’t reach the top of the tree. Undeterred, he climbed up to the tender leaves, enduring the sharp prickles that scratched him. When he finally reached the top, he tasted the leaves, only to discover that they were even worse than the seeds. Once again, he hadn’t grown taller and now felt quite sick. Frustrated, he thought, If Mrs. Ostrich and Mr. Giraffe can’t help, perhaps I need to ask a really tall person. After some searching, he found Mr. Basketball, a man so tall that the short man barely reached his knee. He looked up at the towering figure and asked how he had become so tall. Mr. Basketball explained that he worked out at the gym, ran on the basketball court, and bounced balls. Determined, the short man devoted several months to working out, running, and bouncing basketballs. Despite his hard work, he didn’t grow a fraction of an inch. Exhausted and disheartened, he decided to seek advice from someone wise. He turned to Mrs. Owl.

He asked her how to become tall. Mrs. Owl, in her quiet and thoughtful way, asked him why he wanted to be taller. He explained that he thought being taller might help him win fights. Mrs. Owl inquired how often he found himself in fights. The man admitted he couldn’t recall ever being in one. Mrs. Owl then asked if he felt disrespected by others. The small man confessed that he didn’t. She pressed further, asking if there was anything he could do as a tall person that he couldn’t do as a short person. After thinking about it, the man realized that there wasn’t. He went on to reflect, listing all the things he had tried like pecking seeds, burying his head in the sand, eating prickly leaves, and bouncing balls and acknowledged that none of them suited him. Then Mrs. Owl asked what he could do now, as a short person, that he might not be able to do if he were tall. The man smiled as he thought about his unique ability to play one of the dwarfs in the Snow White plays. He brought laughter and happiness to children, something he cherished. As he shared this realization, he noticed a small smile lifting the corners of Mrs. Owl’s beak. For the first time, he felt a genuine smile spread across his own face. At that moment, he felt happy and perfectly content being short.