The stinky onion sits by herself in the big, lonely kitchen, feeling small and sad. She desperately wants to get into the cozy basket with the other vegetables, but they won’t let her in!
When she tries to sneak in in the morning, the carrot says,
“EW!
You stinky onion!
You don’t belong,
You don’t fit in!”
When she tries to sneak in in the afternoon, the potato says,
“EW!
You stinky onion!
Get out of here,
You make me shrink!”
When she tries to sneak in in the evening, the radish says,
“EW!
You stinky onion!
We cannot bear,
Your nasty stink!”
When night finally arrives, the stinky onion huddles in a corner, all alone in the dark.
She says to herself,
“WHO are THEY?
To make me sad?
I won’t give up,
I won’t give in!”
She is a brave little onion, but she cries for a long time before she goes to sleep.
The next day when she wakes up, she hears a fly buzzing around. He jumps on carrot’s head, flies up potato’s nose, and makes the radish go cross eyed, all while dancing and grinning.
When the stinky onion sees all the vegetables upset, she rolls towards the fly and says,
“SHOO away!
You meanie fly!
Don’t bug my friends,
With your nasty grin!”
When the onion opens her mouth, the fly covers his nose and flies away dizzily, promising to never come back. When the onion looks up, the vegetables are all watching her in awe.
Together they say,
“Who were we?
To make fun of you!
We are sorry,
Let’s start again!”
They welcome her into their basket with open arms and accept her for who she is, a kind and brave onion who sticks up for herself and for her friends. And for the nights when she is extra stinky, carrot makes masks out of his leaves, and they all wear them before going to bed.
The stinky onion never hears “EW!” again!
Tasneem Dairywala 