One day in class, the teacher held up an apple, stood in front of the class and said, “Please smell the smell in the air!”

One student raised his hand and answered, “I can smell it. It is the smell of an apple.”

The teacher stepped off the platform, passed by each of the students and said, “Smell again to see if (是否) the smell of the apple is still in the air.”

Half of the students raised their hands to show that they could smell it. The teacher returned to the front of the classroom and asked again if the students could smell the apple. Everyone raised their hand except one student. The teacher came to the student and asked, “You really can’t smell the apple?”

The student answered, “No, I can’t smell it. I don’t think it’s a real apple.”

The teacher smiled at the student and said to the class, “He is right! This is not a real apple.”

All of the other students had been tricked. They may have thought that maybe the apple was not real, but they didn’t have the courage to speak up. They just “followed the leader” and went along with the first student.

Long long ago, the colors of the world started to have a fight about how important they are. All said that they were the best and the most important.

Green said, “Clearly I am the most important. I am the symbol of life and of hope. Grass, trees and leaves choose me. Without me, all animals would die.”

Blue said, “Think about the sky and the sea. It is the water that is the basis (基础) of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea.”

Yellow said, “I bring gaiety and warmth into the world. The sun is yellow; the moon is yellow; the stars are yellow. Every time you look at a sunflower, the whole world starts to smile.”

Orange started, “I am the color of health and strength. Think of carrots, pumpkins, oranges and mangoes.”

Red shouted out, “I am the ruler of all of you. I am blood—life’s blood! I am the color of danger and of being brave.”

Purple rose up to his full height, “I am the color of royalty and power. Kings, chiefs, and bishops (主教) have always chosen me for I am the sign of authority and wisdom.”

Suddenly there came a heavy rain. The colors were all in fear, standing close to one another for comfort.

Rain began to speak, “You foolish colors, don’t you know that you were each made for a special purpose (目的), unique and different? Join hands with one another and come to me.”

Doing as the rain said, the colors united and joined hands. And so, whenever a good rain washes the world, and a rainbow appears in the sky. Let us remember to admire (钦佩) one another.