In the center of the pasture, the mothers watched their baby lambs wrestle and play. All but one would play. Alone and rejected, he was left behind by the other lambs. His name is Mahle.

  Unlike the other lambs, Mahle was kind to everyone until the others teased him and made him ashamed of his spots. Everyone called him Mahle the Spotted Lamb. He thought something was wrong with him and became angry, sad, and lonely.

Do you think the other lambs were bullying Mahle when they teased him? Is name-calling or labeling okay? I would feel sad, how about you?

However, Mahle was indeed different; he was adventurous and found ways to entertain himself by climbing high mountains like his cousins, the high-spirited wild sheep. But he longed for a friend who understood and liked him just the way he was. 

One day, as Mahleh and his mother grazed in the open field, he noticed some of his cousins bumping heads and leaping at the top of the hill. His mother saw his sadness and encouraged him to play with the other lambs.

"Why don't you play with the other lambs your age instead of hanging out with us old biddies." His mother said.

"We don't have anything in common, they make fun of my spots." Discouraged, Mahle walks away with his head down.

The pain of rejection makes Mahle angry and embarrassed. The hurt he feels is unbearable, and in anger, he says, 

"I'll go run through that mud patch and splash mud on them, and then they will look like one big spot!" 

"I'll teach them not to make fun of me!"

Was it okay for Mahle to be angry? Of course, Mahle was right to be mad because the others were judging him. But should he take revenge or walk away?

"Mahle, you are different," says his mother, "but that's no excuse. Accept who you are, and believe that you have a purpose."  

How do you think we can handle conflict? 

Do you believe you can make a difference and be kind on purpose?