You, my friend, are totally not trendy. Boring, gray! said Foxy to Wolfie one day.
Trendy? What's that? asked Wolfie in surprise.
Oh, you're such a dinosaur! Foxy laughed brightly. You don't even know the modern slang?
I know some words: "hello" and "please." Are those the kind you mean?
What a hopeless case! Foxy waved her paws dramatically. But you're in luck: I'm going to take care of your image!
My image? But everyone already calls me Wolfie.
You really amaze me! Foxy rolled her sly eyes. Image means your look. You know, how you look!
Why didn't you just say so! First it's some weird name, now it's a leek... Wolfie said, offended.
Foxy brought her fashion magazines and boldly began to makeover Wolfie. But, to be honest, he didn't want to change. He liked his gray fur, but he kept quiet, thinking that a fashionable fox couldn't be wrong and knew better how he should look.
The makeover took the whole day. In between, Foxy taught Wolfie trendy words.
Remember this, she said insistently, look means your style and appearance, and chill means to relax.
Do I really have to say chill? Wolfie sighed. Can't I just say: I'm relaxing?
Silly, Foxy objected, that sounds way too plain. I want the best for you. You'll be the most stylish!
Foxy, Wolfie tried to argue, but you don't talk like that yourself!
I don't need to! I'm already dazzling! Not everyone is blessed with fur like mine. But you need this. You're so plain and gray, at least you'll stand out!
The next day, Wolfie was unrecognizable. His fur had turned multicolored, because Foxy had tried her best and dyed it in different colors. The stylist couldn't pick just one shade, so now Wolfie looked like some fairy-tale creature with red, yellow, green, purple, and even pink stripes.
He also talked in a very strange way. Many animals preferred to hide from him. Wolfie wondered why his friends scattered in all directions when they saw him.
He stopped by the vegetable patch of old Uncle Bunny to say hello and try out his new words.
Hey, Uncle Bunny, what do you think of my new look?
Uncle Bunny was so surprised he dropped his shovel and, blinking, said:
Sorry, I don't grow leeks, and I only grow carrots.
I'm not selling leeks, I'm asking about my look, Wolfie tried to explain.
Look? Uncle Bunny asked, puzzled. I don't know any vegetables by that name!
It's not a vegetable... It's...
Listen, kid, go on your way, I don't understand you. You're a strange one! Uncle Bunny finally snapped.
Wolfie was a bit upset, but then he thought: Uncle Bunny is getting old, that's why he didn't understand. He should chat with one of his friends. Then he spotted little Molly the mouse:
Hey, Molly!
Molly looked at Wolfie in confusion.
It's me, Wolfie!
Wolfie? You don't look like yourself at all.
Is it the trendy look? Wolfie smiled.
More like weird, Molly said quietly.
Wolfie decided to impress his friend with new words. He wanted to invite her to the river, so he said:
Let's go to the river and chill?
Chill, as Foxy had already explained, meant to relax, but Molly didn't know that! Tears welled up in her eyes:
How mean you are, Wolfie! You know I'm allergic to pepper, especially hot ones like chili!
Wolfie was baffled: Molly was crying, and he didn't know how to calm her down.
Luckily, Aunt Hoot the owl was flying by:
Kids, what happened? Wolfie, is that you? What's with the look?
It's the latest trend, said Wolfie.
More like strange, Aunt Hoot said sternly. And you, Molly, why are you crying?
He wanted to feed me chili pepper, and he knows I'm allergic! Some friend he is! Boo-hoo...
I didn't want to feed you anything! Wolfie said, confused. I invited you to the river to relax.
But that's not what you said!
I said the same thing: Let's go chill at the river. Those are trendy, modern words.
Wolfie, Aunt Hoot said sternly, Molly doesn't know these words. And honestly, neither do I. Where did you get them?
From fashion magazines, Wolfie said sadly. Then he told her how Foxy had changed his look, and how he had tried talking with old Uncle Bunny, who didn't understand him at all.
Molly stopped crying and began to laugh out loud. Aunt Hoot laughed too:
Wolfie, do you actually like your new look? And those trendy words?
Honestly, no, Wolfie said, smiling as he realized how silly he looked. I love my gray fur more, and these words are confusing to me. I keep mixing them up and forgetting what they mean.
The dye washed off after a couple of days, and Wolfie went back to being Wolfie. He talks normally again, because it's much nicer when people understand you.
Yes, my dear children, that's how it goes. It's good that we are all different. We don't need to become someone else, because each of us is unique!
