

Lily loved to draw. She drew many things: flowers, animals, stars, and people. She used many colors and made her pictures bright and happy. She wanted to show her drawings to everyone.
One day, her teacher said they would have a drawing contest. The children could display their drawings on the wall and a judge would pick the best one. Lily was very enthusiastic. She thought she could win the contest. She worked hard on her drawing and made it very big and beautiful.
The next day, the children brought their drawings to school. Lily saw that the other children had different kinds of drawings. Some were small and simple, some were dark and scary, some were funny and silly. Lily thought her drawing was the best. She put it on the wall and waited for the judge.
The judge came and looked at all the drawings. He smiled and nodded and said nice things. He said he liked all the drawings because they showed the children's imagination and feelings. He said there was no best drawing, because every drawing was special and unique. He gave every child a sticker and a hug.
Lily felt confused. She thought her drawing was better than the others. She wanted to win the contest. She wanted the judge to say her drawing was the best. She felt angry and sad.
Her teacher saw her face and came to talk to her. She said, "Lily, why are you unhappy? You have a wonderful drawing and a sticker and a hug. You should be proud of yourself."
Lily said, "But I wanted to win. I wanted to have the best drawing. I worked so hard on it."
Her teacher said, "Lily, drawing is not a competition. Drawing is a way to express yourself and have fun. It doesn't matter if your drawing is big or small, bright or dark, happy or scary. What matters is that you enjoy drawing and share it with others. Everyone has a different style and a different story to tell. You can learn from other people's drawings and appreciate their creativity. You can also be happy for them and celebrate their achievements. That is the true meaning of drawing."
Lily thought about what her teacher said. She looked at the other children's drawings and saw that they were all different and interesting. She realized that she had been selfish and rude. She felt sorry and ashamed.
She said, "Teacher, I'm sorry. You are right. Drawing is not a competition. I was wrong to think that my drawing was the best. I should have been more respectful and kind to the other children. I want to apologize to them and tell them that I like their drawings."
Her teacher said, "That's very brave and mature of you, Lily. I'm proud of you. I'm sure the other children will forgive you and be your friends. Go ahead and talk to them. They are waiting for you."
Lily smiled and thanked her teacher. She went to the wall and looked at the other children's drawings. She found something nice to say about each one. She said sorry and gave them hugs. The other children smiled and thanked her. They said they liked her drawing too. They said they were happy to be her friends.
Lily felt happy and relieved. She learned a valuable lesson. She learned that drawing is not a competition, but a way to express yourself and have fun. She learned that everyone has a different style and a different story to tell. She learned that she should respect and appreciate other people's creativity. She learned that she should be happy for them and celebrate their achievements. She learned that drawing is a way to make friends and share joy. She learned that drawing is a wonderful thing.
