The Little Garlic Who Saved the Day

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In the corner of Mrs. Chen's kitchen counter lived a community of vegetables. There were proud red tomatoes, cheerful orange carrots, and elegant purple eggplants. But tucked behind the salt shaker sat Zumo, a small garlic with papery white skin. He watched the other vegetables chatting and laughing together. "I wonder," Zumo whispered to himself, his voice barely louder than the tick of the kitchen clock, "why does everyone move away when I come near? What makes me so different from my friends?"

Zumo had noticed something strange happening for days now. Whenever he rolled closer to join a conversation, the other vegetables would wrinkle their faces and scoot away. Even friendly Carrot, who usually talked to everyone, would suddenly remember something important to do elsewhere. "There must be a reason," Zumo thought, his small garlic heart feeling heavy. "Maybe if I understand what's wrong, I can fix it and finally have friends to share stories with."