Long ago, all the animals on Earth were fighting. They all wanted to be the best group of animals on Earth. ‘We are the most important animals,’ roared the lions. ‘We have fur and we can run.’
‘What about the platypus?’ someone asked. ‘She has fur and she’s a good runner.’ ‘True!’ said the lion. He found the platypus, who was hiding, and said, ‘Please join our group. If you come with us, you’ll be with the best animals.’
‘I’m not sure,’ said the platypus. ‘I can’t bite like you – I don’t have teeth. But if you come and see me tomorrow, I’ll tell you.’
Then the fish said, ‘We are the most interesting animals. We can swim and dive.’ ‘The platypus is a swimmer too,’ someone said. ‘Oh yes,’ said the fish. Then he said to the platypus, ‘If you join us, you’ll be in the best group.’
‘I’m a swimmer and a diver,’ said the platypus, ‘but I can’t breathe underwater like you. Ask me tomorrow.’
‘We are the most amazing animals,’ sang the birds. ‘We have beaks and we lay eggs.’ Someone said, ‘The platypus has a beak and she can lay eggs.’ ‘You’re right,’ said the bird. Then he said to the platypus, ‘Join our group. You’ll be with the best animals on Earth.’
‘I don’t know,’ said the platypus. ‘I can’t fly like you, but if you wait, I’ll decide tomorrow.’
The next day, the platypus said to the animals, ‘I’m sorry, but I don’t want to join any group. If I join the lions, the birds won’t be happy. If I don’t join the fish, they’ll be angry. You are all special in different ways, and I am special in my own way, too.’ Then she closed her eyes and went to sleep.
