Natalia Nigay English 1, Section 3 Mr.

Rothstein 9 November 2011 The Dove and the Albino Squirrel Vice- Envy Every day, Donna the white dove would sit on a tree branch, singing beautiful songs as other animals would fawn over her beauty and amazing voice. Oh Donna, they would ask her constantly, how DO you get your feathers so white? She would flash a smile and say, Well, that's just my little secret. Then she continued singing and showing off her feathers like there was no tomorrow. Day in and day out, birds, mice, rabbits all the little creatures from the forest would come to watch Donna sing and twirl. Until one day, they didn't. Donna woke up that particular morning feeling happier than normal. As she flew onto her branch and began to sing, no one was coming. Well, Donna said to herself, maybe they're all still sleeping. Donna pondered over this thought for a minute and then smiled tentatively. Yeah, that's it. They're sleeping, she repeated, This will give me a chance to stretch my wings. Aphrodite knows how long it's been since I got any exercise. Donna flew way out to the river, where she stopped to rest for a little while. As she began to fly away, she noticed a rabbit, hopping someplace with so much excitement it seemed like he would jump up all the way to the heavens themselves. And it wasn't in the direction of Donna's home. What could it be that this stupid rabbit is so excited for, Donna though. She made up her mind, and flew after the rabbit, making sure not to be seen. After about a minute or two, Donna could hear cheering. She landed on a tree branch too high to be seen by anyone gathered at the base of the big oak tree. She squinted, trying to see what it is they were all looking at, and what she saw made her furious. A white squirrel, whiter than snow, was putting on an acrobatics show. Donna flew over in a rage, and demanded to know exactly what was going on.

Who are you?! she shouted at the squirrel, who had frozen mid-somersault. I-I-I'm S-Sam, the squirrel stammered. Did I-I do something wrong? Donna's eyes glowed with envy and hatred. How dare this squirrel show up in her turf and steal away all her admirers. How dare she steal Donna's Fairest of them All banner, which was hanging up nearby. That banner had always hung on Donna's tree. In the crowd, someone whispered, This squirrel is amazing, she got her fur whiter than Donna's! But Donna heard. If she could, she would have turned a violent shade of purple. Instead, she fixed Sam the Squirrel with another icy glare and flew away. I will get my banner back you squirrel! she vowed, You will only have it over my dead body! When Donna got back to her tree, she turned everything upside down trying to find something, ANYTHING, that would make her feathers whiter than Sam's fur. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something through the window of a nearby house. It said 'Bobby's Bleach: The Whitest Whites You've Ever Have! Guaranteed or your money back.' As she read, her sinister smile grew. She was about to take a swim in a bucket of bleach. No one takes my banner, she mumbled again under her breath, and dove in. Donna never came out of that bucket alive. The rabbit that she had followed found Donna in the bucket, and she had a perfect even-whiter-than-the-squirrel coat. Too bad she wasn't alive to see it. Sam arrived, and looked upon the dead dove sadly. I can't help that I'm albino, it's in my genes. If she wanted me gone, all she had to do was ask. Sam the albino squirrel shook her head, and walked away, leaving Donna as the snow began to fall.

Moral: Envy can lead someone to do really crazy things before thinking about the entire situation.