Midori is a little oni.

She is six years old.

She is small and green.

She has two small horns on her head.

She has big brown eyes.

She lives in a cave with her mother.

Midori's cave is on a mountain.

The mountain is tall and beautiful.

Many trees grow on the mountain.

Birds sing in the trees.

Midori likes to listen to the birds.

Every morning, Midori looks down at the village.

She sees the houses.

She sees the shops.

She sees the school.

The school is big and red.

It has a big yard.

Children play in the yard.

Midori watches the children every day.

They run and jump.

They play games.

They laugh and sing.

Midori wants to play with them.

But she is an oni.

Oni are different.

Midori's mother tells her stories.

"Oni are strong," she says.

"Oni are brave.

But people are afraid of oni.

They do not understand us." Midori feels sad.

She wants friends.

She wants to learn new things.

She wants to go to school.

One day, Midori watches the children walk to school.

They carry bags.

The bags are full of books.

They wear nice clothes.

They talk and smile.

"I want to go to school," Midori tells her mother.

Her mother looks worried.

"School is for human children," she says.

"You are an oni." "But I want to learn," says Midori.

"I want to read books.

I want to write.

I want to make friends." Her mother sits down.

She thinks for a long time.

Midori waits.

She hopes her mother will say yes.

"People are afraid of oni," her mother says.

"They see our horns.

They see our green skin.

They run away." Midori feels very sad.

Tears come to her eyes.

"I will never have friends," she says.

Her mother looks at her daughter.

She sees the tears.

She sees how sad Midori is.

She loves her daughter very much.

"Maybe there is a way," her mother says slowly.

"Maybe you can hide your horns.

Then people will not know you are an oni." Midori's eyes open wide.

"Really?" she asks.

"How can I hide my horns?" Her mother smiles.

"I have an idea," she says.

"Come with me." Midori follows her mother to the back of the cave.

There are many boxes there.

Her mother opens a big box.

Inside are many things.

Old things.

Special things.

Her mother takes out a hat.

The hat is yellow.

It has flowers on it.

It is very pretty.

"This hat was mine when I was young," her mother says.

"It is big.

It will cover your horns." Midori takes the hat.

She puts it on her head.

The hat is big.

It covers her horns completely.

She looks in a mirror.

She looks like a human girl.

A human girl with green skin.

"My skin is still green," Midori says.

"Some people have green skin," her mother says.

"Not many, but some.

Maybe they will think you are just different." Midori looks in the mirror again.

She smiles.

"I look good!" she says.

Her mother hugs her.

"You look beautiful," she says.

"But remember, Midori.

You must be careful.

Do not take off your hat.

Do not let anyone see your horns." "I will be very careful," Midori promises.

"I will keep my hat on all day." "And if someone asks about your green skin?" her mother asks.

"I will say it is normal," Midori says.

"I will say some people have green skin." Her mother nods.

"Good," she says.

"When do you want to start school?" Midori jumps up and down.

"Tomorrow!" she says.

"Can I start tomorrow?" Her mother laughs.

"Yes," she says.

"Tomorrow you will go to school.

But tonight, we must make you a bag.

We must find books and pencils." Midori is so happy.

She cannot stop smiling.

Tomorrow she will go to school.

Tomorrow she will make friends.

Tomorrow her dream will come true.

That night, Midori cannot sleep.

She is too excited.

She thinks about school.

She thinks about the other children.

She thinks about learning new things.

She gets up and looks at her hat.

The yellow hat with flowers.

She tries it on again.

It fits perfectly.

Her horns do not show at all.

"Tomorrow," she whispers.

"Tomorrow I will be a real student." The next morning, the sun is bright.

Midori wakes up early.

She is very excited.

Today is her first day of school!

She puts on her new clothes.

Her mother made them.

The shirt is white.

The skirt is blue.

They look very nice.

Then Midori puts on her special hat.

The yellow hat with flowers.

She looks in the mirror.

Her horns are completely hidden.

She looks just like a human girl.

A human girl with green skin.

"How do I look?" Midori asks her mother.

"You look wonderful," her mother says.

But her eyes look worried.

"Remember, keep your hat on all the time." "I will," Midori promises.

"I will be very careful." Her mother gives her a bag.

The bag is red.

Inside are books and pencils.

There is also a lunchbox.

Her mother made special food for her.

"What is in my lunch?" Midori asks.

"Rice balls," her mother says.

"And some fruit.

And a surprise." Midori smiles.

She loves surprises.

She puts the bag on her back.

It feels heavy but good.

"Are you ready?" her mother asks.

Midori nods.

"I am ready." Her mother walks with her down the mountain.

They go slowly.

Midori's mother wants to give her advice.

"Be kind to everyone," her mother says.

"Smile at the other children.

Listen to the teacher.

Do your best." "I will," Midori says.

"And remember," her mother says.

"Do not touch your hat.

Do not take it off.

Not even for a minute." "I understand," Midori says.

"I will keep it on." They reach the bottom of the mountain.

The school is across the street.

Midori can see children going inside.

Some children run.

Some children walk slowly.

All of them look happy.

Midori feels nervous.

Her hands feel cold.

Her heart beats fast.

What if the children do not like her?

What if they ask about her green skin?

What if her hat falls off?

Her mother sees her worried face.

She kneels down and hugs her.

"You are brave," her mother says.

"You are smart.

You are kind.

The children will like you.

I know they will." Midori hugs her mother back.

"Thank you, Mother," she says.

"I will be here when school ends," her mother says.

"I will wait for you right here." Midori takes a deep breath.

She picks up her bag.

She looks at the school.

Then she starts to walk.

The school looks very big.

The door is tall.

Midori is small.

She feels very small.

She walks through the door.

Inside, the school is bright.

There are many children.

They talk and laugh.

They do not look at Midori.

They are busy with their friends.

Midori looks around.

Where is her classroom?

She does not know.

She feels lost.

A woman walks up to her.

The woman is tall and kind-looking.

She wears glasses.

She has a nice smile.

"Hello," the woman says.

"Are you new?" Midori nods.

She is too nervous to speak.

"My name is Miss Tanaka," the woman says.

"I am a teacher here.

What is your name?" "Midori," she says quietly.

"Midori!" Miss Tanaka says.

"What a beautiful name!

Welcome to our school.

Are you looking for your classroom?" Midori nods again.

"Come with me," Miss Tanaka says.

"I will show you." Midori follows the teacher.

They walk down a long hallway.

There are many doors.

Finally, they stop at one door.

"This is your classroom," Miss Tanaka says.

"I am your teacher.

Come inside and meet your classmates." Midori's heart beats very fast.

This is it.

Her first day of school.

Her dream is coming true.

She follows Miss Tanaka into the classroom.

The classroom is full of children.

There are about twenty students.

They sit at small desks.

They all turn to look at Midori.

Midori feels her face become hot.

Everyone is looking at her.

She looks down at her feet.

"Everyone," Miss Tanaka says.

"We have a new student today.

This is Midori.

Please make her feel welcome." "Hello, Midori!" the children say together.

Midori looks up.

The children are smiling.

They look friendly.

She feels a little better.

"Midori, please tell us about yourself," Miss Tanaka says.

Midori's mouth feels dry.

She tries to speak.

I am Midori," she says.

"I am six years old.

I like birds." "That is wonderful," Miss Tanaka says.

"Do you have a favorite bird?" "I like all birds," Midori says.

"They sing beautiful songs." "How nice," Miss Tanaka says.

"We love birds too.

Sometimes we see birds outside our window." A girl raises her hand.

"Miss Tanaka, why is Midori's skin green?" Midori feels afraid.

What should she say?

Miss Tanaka smiles.

"People come in many colors," she says.

"Some people have light skin.

Some people have dark skin.

Midori has green skin.

We are all different, and that is wonderful." The children nod.

They do not look worried.

They just look curious.

"Can I sit next to Midori?" a boy asks.

"Me too!" says a girl.

Miss Tanaka laughs.

"Midori can sit here," she says.

She points to an empty desk.

"Kenji, you sit on her right.

Hana, you sit on her left." Midori walks to her desk.

She sits down.

Kenji smiles at her.

Hana smiles too.

"I like your hat," Hana says.

"It is very pretty." Midori touches her hat carefully.

"Thank you," she says.

"My mother gave it to me." "The flowers are beautiful," Hana says.

"I love yellow." Kenji leans over.

"Do you know how to read?" he asks.

Midori shakes her head.

"No," she says.

"I want to learn." "I will help you," Kenji says.

"Reading is fun." Midori smiles.

These children are nice.

Maybe school will be good.

Miss Tanaka claps her hands.

"All right, everyone.

Let us start our lesson.

Today we will practice writing our names." She gives everyone a piece of paper and a pencil.

Midori looks at her paper.

It is white and clean.

"First, watch me," Miss Tanaka says.

She writes on the board.

Big letters.

Clear letters.

Midori watches carefully.

She wants to learn.

"Now you try," Miss Tanaka says.

Midori picks up her pencil.

It feels strange in her hand.

She tries to write.

The letters look messy.

They are not like Miss Tanaka's letters.

Hana looks at Midori's paper.

"It is okay," she says.

"My first letters were messy too.

You will get better." Kenji shows Midori his paper.

"Look," he says.

"My letters are also a little messy.

But Miss Tanaka says practice makes perfect." Midori feels better.

She tries again.

This time, the letters look a little better.

Miss Tanaka walks around the room.

She looks at everyone's work.

When she comes to Midori, she smiles.

"Good job, Midori," she says.

"You are doing very well for your first day." Midori feels proud.

She is learning!

She is really learning!

The lesson continues.

The children practice writing.

They write their names many times.

Midori's hand gets tired, but she does not stop.

She wants to write perfectly.

After a long time, Miss Tanaka claps her hands again.

"Good work, everyone," she says.

"Now it is time for recess.

You can go outside and play." The children jump up.

They run to the door.

They are excited to play.

Hana turns to Midori.

"Do you want to play with us?" she asks.

Midori's heart feels warm.

"Yes," she says.

"I want to play." "Come on then!" Hana says.

She takes Midori's hand.

They run outside together.

The school yard is big.

There is a sandbox.

There are swings.

There is a jungle gym.

Many children play everywhere.

Hana takes Midori to the sandbox.

Kenji comes too.

Two other girls are already there.

They are building a castle.

"This is Yuki and Sakura," Hana says.

"This is our new friend, Midori." "Hello, Midori," Yuki says.

She has long black hair.

She smiles.

"Nice to meet you," Sakura says.

She has short hair and dimples.

"Do you want to help us build a castle?" Yuki asks.

"Yes, please," Midori says.

The children sit in the sandbox.

They use their hands to make the castle.

They make walls.

They make towers.

They make a door.

Midori is very happy.

She is playing with friends!

Real friends!

The wind blows a little.

Midori's hat moves.

She quickly puts her hand on it.

She must be careful.

Her horns cannot show.

"Are you okay?" Hana asks.

"Yes," Midori says.

"The wind almost took my hat." "Hold it tight," Hana says.

"I lost my hat once.

The wind took it far away." Midori holds her hat carefully.

She will not let the wind take it.

They continue building the castle.

It gets bigger and bigger.

It looks beautiful.

"Let us make a flag," Sakura says.

She finds a stick and a leaf.

She puts the leaf on the stick.

"There!

A flag!" They put the flag on top of the castle.

Everyone claps.

"It is the best castle ever," Kenji says.

Just then, two boys run past.

They are chasing each other.

They do not look where they are going.

One boy trips.

He falls toward the sandbox.

"Watch out!" Yuki shouts.

But it is too late.

The boy falls into the sandbox.

He lands on the castle.

The castle breaks into pieces.

Everyone gasps.

Their beautiful castle is gone.

The boy sits up.

His face is red.

"I am so sorry," he says.

"I did not mean to." The boy looks very sad.

Midori can see tears in his eyes.

Hana looks angry.

"You broke our castle!" she says.

"We worked so hard!" "I am sorry," the boy says again.

He starts to cry.

Midori feels bad for the boy.

He did not break the castle on purpose.

It was an accident.

"It is okay," Midori says.

"We can build another castle." Everyone looks at Midori.

"But we worked so hard," Sakura says.

"I know," Midori says.

"But the boy did not mean to fall.

It was an accident.

We should not be angry at him." The boy looks at Midori.

"Thank you," he says.

"You are very kind." Hana thinks for a moment.

Then she nods.

"You are right, Midori," she says.

"It was an accident." "We can build an even better castle," Kenji says.

The boy wipes his tears.

"Can I help you build it?" he asks.

"I want to say sorry." "Okay," Yuki says.

"You can help." The boy's face lights up.

"Thank you!" he says.

"My name is Takeshi." "Nice to meet you, Takeshi," Midori says.

They all start building a new castle.

This time, Takeshi helps.

He works very hard.

He wants to make up for breaking the first castle.

The new castle is even bigger than the first one.

It has more towers.

It has more walls.

It looks like a real castle.

"This is amazing!" Takeshi says.

"This is the best castle I have ever seen!" Everyone agrees.

The new castle is beautiful.

A bell rings.

Recess is over.

It is time to go back to class.

"That bell means we must go inside," Hana tells Midori.

Midori looks at the castle one more time.

She feels happy.

She made friends.

She had fun.

School is wonderful.

The children run back to the classroom.

Midori runs with them.

She holds her hat with one hand.

She does not want it to fall off.

Inside the classroom, everyone sits down.

They are a little tired from playing.

But they are happy.

Miss Tanaka smiles at them.

"Did everyone have a good recess?" she asks.

"Yes!" the children say.

"We built a castle," Hana says.

"Midori helped us." "How wonderful," Miss Tanaka says.

"I am glad you are all making friends." Midori smiles.

She has friends now.

Real friends.

This is the best day of her life.

After more lessons, it is lunchtime.

Miss Tanaka tells everyone to take out their lunches.

Midori opens her red bag.

She takes out her lunchbox.

It is green with flowers on it.

Her mother painted the flowers.

She opens the lunchbox.

Inside are rice balls.

They are big and round.

There are also some strawberries.

And there is the surprise.

Small cookies!

Her mother made them.

Hana looks at Midori's lunch.

"Your rice balls are so big!" she says.

Midori looks at Hana's lunch.

Hana has a sandwich and an apple.

"Do you want to trade?" Hana asks.

"I give you half of my sandwich.

You give me a rice ball." Midori nods.

"Okay!" she says.

They trade food.

Midori tries the sandwich.

It is delicious.

It has egg inside.

"This is good!" Midori says.

"Your rice ball is good too," Hana says.

"What is inside?" "Plum," Midori says.

"My mother makes the best plum rice balls." Kenji leans over.

"Can I try one?" he asks.

"Sure," Midori says.

She gives him a rice ball.

Kenji takes a big bite.

His eyes open wide.

"This is amazing!" he says.

"Your mother is a great cook!" Soon, all the children want to try Midori's rice balls.

Midori is happy to share.

She gives everyone a piece.

In return, the children share their food too.

Sakura gives Midori some grapes.

Yuki gives her a piece of cake.

Takeshi gives her some crackers.

Midori tries everything.

All the food is delicious.

But she likes her mother's rice balls the best.

"What are these?" Hana asks.

She points at the small cookies.

"My mother made them," Midori says.

"They are a surprise.

Do you want to try?" "Yes, please!" Hana says.

Midori gives cookies to all her friends.

Everyone loves them.

"These are so good!" Sakura says.

"They are sweet but not too sweet." "Your mother is the best cook in the world," Kenji says.

Midori feels proud.

Her mother worked hard to make her lunch.

Now everyone loves it.

While they eat, the children talk.

They talk about their families.

They talk about their pets.

They talk about their favorite things.

"I have a dog," Hana says.

"His name is Pochi.

He is small and white." "I have a cat," Yuki says.

"Her name is Mimi.

She sleeps all day." "I have a fish," Kenji says.

"His name is Goldie.

He is gold and shiny." Everyone looks at Midori.

"Do you have a pet?" Sakura asks.

Midori thinks.

She does not have a pet.

But she has the birds on the mountain.

"I have bird friends," she says.

"They live near my house.

I give them food.

They sing for me." "That is so nice," Hana says.

"I love birds." "Me too," says Yuki.

"Where do you live?" Kenji asks.

Midori points toward the mountain.

"Up there," she says.

"On the mountain." "Really?" Takeshi says.

"That is far.

Do you walk to school every day?" "Yes," Midori says.

"I walk with my mother." "You must be very strong," Hana says.

Midori smiles.

She is strong.

Oni are strong.

But she cannot tell them she is an oni.

They continue eating and talking.

Midori learns many things about her new friends.

She tells them about the mountain.

She tells them about the trees and the flowers.

She tells them about the beautiful sunsets.

The children listen with interest.

They think the mountain sounds wonderful.

"Can we visit you sometime?" Hana asks.

Midori feels worried.

If her friends visit, they might see that she is an oni.

They might see that her mother is an oni too.

"Maybe," Midori says.

"I will ask my mother." "That would be fun," Sakura says.

"We could have a picnic on the mountain." Midori thinks about it.

A picnic with friends.

That would be nice.

But it would also be dangerous.

What if they find out the truth?

The bell rings.

Lunchtime is over.

"Time to clean up," Miss Tanaka says.

The children put away their lunchboxes.

Midori closes her green lunchbox.

It is almost empty.

She shared most of her food with her friends.

She feels happy.

Sharing food with friends is wonderful.

This is what school is about.

Learning and making friends.

Miss Tanaka begins the next lesson.

But Midori keeps thinking about her friends.

They are kind.

They are fun.

She hopes they will always be friends.

She touches her hat to make sure it is still in place.

Everything is going well.

She just needs to be careful.

She must keep her secret safe.

The afternoon lessons begin.

Miss Tanaka teaches them numbers.

She writes numbers on the board.

One, two, three, four, five.

"Can everyone count to ten?" Miss Tanaka asks.

"Yes!" the children say.

They count together.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!" Midori counts with them.

She knows numbers.

Her mother taught her at home.

"Good job, everyone," Miss Tanaka says.

"Now let us count to twenty." They count to twenty.

Then they count to thirty.

Counting is fun.

Next, Miss Tanaka teaches them a song.

It is a song about numbers.

The children sing together.

Midori learns the song quickly.

She has a nice voice.

"Midori, you sing beautifully," Miss Tanaka says.

Midori feels happy.

She likes singing.

At home, she sings with the birds.

After the song, Miss Tanaka reads them a story.

It is about a rabbit and a turtle.

The rabbit is fast.

The turtle is slow.

They have a race.

The children listen carefully.

Midori loves the story.

She wants to know who wins.

At the end, the turtle wins.

The rabbit was too confident.

He stopped to rest.

The turtle kept going slowly but steadily.

"What can we learn from this story?" Miss Tanaka asks.

Hana raises her hand.

"We should not give up," she says.

"That is right," Miss Tanaka says.

"Even if you are slow, you can succeed if you do not give up." Midori thinks about the story.

She is learning so much today.

Not just numbers and letters.

She is learning about life.

The afternoon continues.

They draw pictures.

Midori draws the mountain.

She draws trees and birds.

She draws her cave.

But she makes the cave look like a house.

She cannot draw an oni cave.

Miss Tanaka looks at her picture.

"This is beautiful, Midori," she says.

"You are a good artist." "Thank you," Midori says.

Finally, Miss Tanaka claps her hands.

"All right, everyone," she says.

"It is time for our last activity of the day.

Physical education!" The children cheer.

They love physical education.

They get to run and play.

"Everyone line up," Miss Tanaka says.

"We are going to the gym." The children line up at the door.

Midori stands between Hana and Kenji.

They walk down the hallway to the gym.

The gym is very big.

It has a high ceiling.

The floor is shiny and clean.

"Today we will play a ball game," Miss Tanaka says.

She holds up a big red ball.

"We will throw the ball to each other.

When I blow my whistle, whoever has the ball must sit down." The children nod.

They understand the rules.

"Let us begin!" Miss Tanaka says.

The children stand in a circle.

Miss Tanaka gives the ball to Kenji.

The game starts.

Kenji throws the ball to Hana.

Hana throws it to Yuki.

Yuki throws it to Sakura.

The ball moves quickly around the circle.

Miss Tanaka blows her whistle.

Takeshi has the ball.

He sits down.

The game continues.

The ball goes faster and faster.

The children laugh and shout.

Midori is having so much fun.

She catches the ball and throws it to Hana.

Hana throws it to someone else.

The gym is getting warmer.

The children are running and moving.

Midori feels hot.

Her head feels hot under her hat.

She wants to take off her hat.

But she cannot.

She must keep it on.

The ball comes to her again.

She catches it.

She throws it hard to Kenji.

But she throws it too hard.

The ball goes over Kenji's head.

It flies across the gym.

"I will get it!" Kenji shouts.

He runs after the ball.

Midori runs too.

She wants to help.

They both run fast.

Kenji reaches the ball.

He picks it up.

He turns around quickly.

He throws the ball back to the circle.

But he does not see Midori.

Midori is right behind him.

The ball hits Midori on the head.

Not hard, but it surprises her.

Midori stumbles backward.

She loses her balance.

She falls down.

And her hat flies off her head.

Everything happens so fast.

Midori lands on the floor.

Her hat lands a few feet away.

Her horns are showing.

Her two small green horns.

Everyone sees them.

The gym becomes very quiet.

Midori sits on the floor.

She cannot move.

Her secret is out.

Everyone can see her horns.

The children stare at her.

Their eyes are wide.

Their mouths are open.

Midori feels tears in her eyes.

She knew this would happen.

She knew people would be afraid of oni.

"I am sorry," she whispers.

"I am so sorry." She stands up slowly.

She wants to run away.

She wants to hide.

She reaches for her hat.

But before she can pick it up, Hana runs to her.

"Are those horns?" Hana asks.

Her voice is full of wonder, not fear.

Midori nods.

She cannot speak.

She is too scared.

"They are beautiful!" Hana says.

Midori looks up in surprise.

"What?" she says.

"Your horns are beautiful," Hana says again.

"They are small and cute." Kenji comes closer too.

"Can I touch them?" he asks.

Midori does not know what to say.

She thought everyone would be afraid.

She thought they would run away.

"They are real horns," she says quietly.

"I am not a human girl.

I am an oni." The children gasp.

But they do not run.

They come closer.

"An oni?" Sakura says.

"A real oni?" "Yes," Midori says.

"I live in a cave on the mountain.

My mother is an oni too.

I wanted to come to school so badly.

So I hid my horns with a hat.

I am sorry I lied." Tears run down her face.

She waits for the children to be angry.

She waits for them to tell her to leave.

But instead, Yuki starts to smile.

"That is so cool!" she says.

"Cool?" Midori says.

"Yes!" Yuki says.

"You are an oni!

That is amazing!" "But oni are scary," Midori says.

"People are afraid of oni." "You are not scary," Hana says.

"You are kind and nice.

You shared your lunch with us.

You forgave Takeshi when he broke our castle.

You are a good friend." "Hana is right," Kenji says.

"It does not matter if you are an oni or a human.

You are our friend." Takeshi nods.

"You are the nicest person I met today," he says.

"You did not get angry at me.

You helped me feel better." Midori cannot believe what she is hearing.

The children are not afraid.

They are not angry.

They still want to be her friends.

"Really?" she asks.

"You really do not mind that I am an oni?" "Of course not," Sakura says.

"We like you, Midori.

We do not care if you have horns." Miss Tanaka walks over.

She has been watching quietly.

She picks up Midori's hat and gives it to her.

"Midori," she says gently.

"Why did you hide your horns?" "My mother said people are afraid of oni," Midori says.

"She said they do not understand us.

I wanted to come to school so much.

So I hid my horns.

I wanted to be like everyone else." Miss Tanaka kneels down so she is at Midori's eye level.

"Midori," she says.

"You do not need to hide who you are.

You are special.

Your horns are part of you.

They are beautiful." "But what if people are afraid?" Midori asks.

"Some people might be afraid of things they do not understand," Miss Tanaka says.

"But the best way to help them understand is to be yourself.

To show them that oni can be kind and good." Midori thinks about Miss Tanaka's words.

They make sense.

"Can I keep coming to school?" Midori asks.

"Even without my hat?" "Of course," Miss Tanaka says.

"You are welcome here.

Hat or no hat.

Horns or no horns.

You are our student." The children cheer.

"Midori can stay!" they shout.

"Midori is our friend!" Midori smiles through her tears.

These are happy tears now.

She has real friends.

Friends who accept her for who she is.

She looks at her hat.

The yellow hat with flowers.

It is a beautiful hat.

But she does not need it anymore.

"I do not think I will wear my hat tomorrow," she says.

"Good," Hana says.

"Your horns are too pretty to hide." Everyone laughs.

Midori laughs too.

She feels free.

She does not have to hide anymore.

She can be herself.

Miss Tanaka claps her hands.

"All right, everyone.

Let us finish our game.

Midori, are you ready to play?" "Yes," Midori says.

"I am ready." They continue the game.

This time, Midori plays without her hat.

Her horns show proudly.

And no one is afraid.

When the game ends, all the children are tired but happy.

They sit on the floor to rest.

"Midori," Kenji says.

"Can you tell us about being an oni?

What is it like?" Midori thinks.

"Well," she says.

"Oni are very strong.

We can carry heavy things.

We can run fast.

We can see very well in the dark." "Wow!" the children say.

"That sounds amazing," Yuki says.

"What else can oni do?" "We live a long time," Midori says.

"My mother is very old.

She knows many stories." "Can you come to school tomorrow and tell us stories?" Sakura asks.

Midori smiles.

"Yes," she says.

"I can tell you stories my mother told me." The children are excited.

They cannot wait to hear oni stories.

Miss Tanaka looks at the clock.

"It is time to go home," she says.

"Everyone did a wonderful job today.

I am very proud of all of you.

You showed kindness and acceptance.

That is the most important lesson." The children stand up.

They get their bags.

They get ready to go home.

Midori picks up her bag.

She also picks up her hat.

She will keep it.

But not to hide.

To remember this special day.

The day she learned that true friends accept you for who you are.

The children walk out of school together.

Midori walks with Hana, Kenji, Yuki, Sakura, and Takeshi.

They talk and laugh.

Outside the school, parents are waiting.

Midori looks for her mother.

She sees her standing across the street.

Her mother looks worried.

"That is my mother," Midori tells her friends.

"Can we meet her?" Hana asks.

"Yes," Midori says.

"Come with me." They all walk to Midori's mother.

When her mother sees Midori without her hat, she gasps.

She can see Midori's horns.

"Midori!" her mother says.

"Your hat!

What happened?" "It is okay, Mother," Midori says.

"These are my friends.

They know I am an oni.

And they do not mind." Midori's mother looks at the children.

The children smile at her.

They do not look afraid.

"Hello," Hana says.

"I am Hana.

Midori is my friend." "I am Kenji," says Kenji.

"Midori is very nice." "I am Yuki.

Midori is a good student." "I am Sakura.

Midori shared her lunch with us." "I am Takeshi.

Midori forgave me when I made a mistake." Midori's mother's eyes fill with tears.

But they are happy tears.

"Thank you," she says to the children.

"Thank you for being kind to my daughter." "Midori is kind too," Hana says.

"We are lucky to have her as a friend." Midori hugs her mother.

"Mother," she says.

"I do not need to hide anymore.

My friends like me for who I am." Her mother hugs her back.

"I am so proud of you," she says.

"You were very brave today." "Can my friends come to visit us sometime?" Midori asks.

"They want to see the mountain." Her mother smiles.

"Of course," she says.

"You are all welcome to visit anytime." "Really?" the children say.

They are very excited.

"Yes," Midori's mother says.

"You can come for a picnic.

I will make rice balls for everyone." "Your rice balls are the best!" Kenji says.

"We loved them at lunch." Midori's mother laughs.

"Then I will make many rice balls," she says.

The children's parents start calling them.

It is time to go home.

"Goodbye, Midori!" Hana says.

"See you tomorrow!" "Goodbye!" the other children say.

"See you tomorrow!" "Goodbye!" Midori says.

She waves to her friends.

Midori and her mother start walking home.

They hold hands as they walk up the mountain.

"How was your first day of school?" her mother asks.

"It was wonderful," Midori says.

"I learned to write my name.

I learned numbers.

I made friends.

And I learned that I do not need to hide." "What happened with your hat?" her mother asks.

Midori tells her the whole story.

She tells her about the ball game.

She tells her how her hat fell off.

She tells her how the children reacted.

Her mother listens carefully.

When Midori finishes, her mother stops walking.

She kneels down and looks at Midori.

"I am sorry," her mother says.

"I was wrong.

I told you to hide your horns.

I told you people would be afraid.

But your friends were not afraid.

They saw your kind heart.

That is what matters most." "It is okay, Mother," Midori says.

"You wanted to protect me.

But I learned something important today.

True friends like you for who you are, not for what you look like." Her mother hugs her.

"You are very wise for a six-year-old," she says.

They continue walking home.

When they reach their cave, Midori looks back at the village.

She can see the school.

Tomorrow she will go back.

And this time, she will go as herself.

A small green oni with two small horns.

An oni who loves to learn and who has wonderful friends.

"Mother," Midori says.

"I cannot wait for tomorrow." "Neither can I," her mother says.

"I want to hear all about your adventures." That night, Midori goes to bed early.

She is very tired.

But she is also very happy.

She holds her yellow hat with flowers.

It is a special hat.

It helped her be brave enough to go to school.

But now she does not need it to hide.

She will keep it to remember this amazing day.

She closes her eyes.

She thinks about her friends.

She thinks about Miss Tanaka.

She thinks about all the things she learned.

Tomorrow she will learn more.

Tomorrow she will play more.

Tomorrow she will be herself, proudly.

As she falls asleep, she smiles.

She is Midori.

A little oni who goes to school.

A little oni who has friends.

A little oni who learned that being different is not something to hide.

It is something to celebrate.

The next morning, the sun rises over the mountain.

Birds sing their morning songs.

Midori wakes up and gets ready for school.

She puts on her clothes.

She looks at her hat.

She decides to leave it at home.

She does not need it anymore.

She eats breakfast with her mother.

Then they walk down the mountain together.

At the school gate, her friends are waiting for her.

"Midori!" they shout.

They run to her.

They see her horns shining in the morning sun.

They think she looks beautiful.

"Good morning!" Hana says.

"Good morning, everyone," Midori says.

"Are you ready for another fun day?" Kenji asks.

"Yes," Midori says.

"I am ready." They all walk into school together.

A little green oni and her human friends.

Different but the same.

All of them ready to learn, to play, and to be kind to each other.

And that is the best lesson of all.

The End