by Rajesh Muthuraj | A Talesmith Short
In the jungle of Chandivan, every chameleon could change colors.
Every chameleon… except Cham.
He was born green and stayed green.
Papa Camo fainted when he saw him.
Mama Camo said, “He’ll grow into it.”
He didn’t.
At school, everyone disappeared into branches.
Cham climbed on and just looked like… a leaf that forgot its software update.
“Camouflage is our pride!” Papa said.
“I’m trying!” Cham groaned.
He rubbed in mud, hugged tree trunks, even wore sunglasses once.
Still green.
Aunt Lizarda sent him to Cloak & Lizard Academy.
The teacher hissed, “You must fade, dear.”
Cham tried so hard his tail got a cramp.
Still green.
Miss Slitha sighed, “Perhaps you’re allergic to success?”
Cham sulked under a tree until a squirrel named Mimi zipped by.
“Whoa! You’re like a walking highlighter!” she said.
“I’m a failure,” Cham sniffed.
“No, you’re unmissable! That’s a superpower!”
Cham blinked. “Wait… visible is good?”
“Absolutely! You’re the only one I can find in this green mess!”
Then came Family Day, the jungle’s big talent show.
Every chameleon vanished perfectly.
Then Cham stepped up.
He froze.
Everyone laughed.
So he did the only thing left, he started talking.
“Ladies and gentle-lizards,” he said, “did you know our ancestors once glowed in the dark?”
He did voices, danced terribly, and told the story of Larry the Loud Lizard who invented camouflage by accident.
The crowd howled with laughter.
The owl laughed so hard, it fell off its branch.
Even Papa clapped once (which was the emotional equivalent of a standing ovation).
From that day, nobody asked Cham to blend in.
They asked, “When’s your next show?”
He became Cham the Storyteller, the one who couldn’t hide, but could make the entire jungle happy.
The Uncamouflaged Lesson:
So here’s what Cham taught the jungle, and maybe the rest of us too:
If you can’t blend in, start your own show.
Seriously, some of us are not meant to be background material. Some of us were born to look like we swallowed a highlighter. And that’s okay!
Cham spent half his life trying to disappear… until he realized disappearing is overrated.
Because let’s be honest: if everyone blends in, who’s left to make things interesting?
Imagine a jungle full of invisible animals. The parrots would be shouting to trees, lions would be roaring at thin air, and elephants would keep bumping into each other. Pure chaos.
Cham figured it out:
When you stop trying to match the wallpaper, you become the art.
He couldn’t change colors, but he could change the atmosphere.
He couldn’t hide, but he could shine.
And most importantly, he couldn’t blend in, but he could make everyone blend together in laughter.
So next time life tells you,
“Hey, tone it down!”
just smile and say,
“Sorry, I’m on Cham mode.” 😎
Because it’s better to be the one everyone notices for the right reasons…
than the one nobody remembers because you tried too hard to disappear.
In a world full of camouflage, be the color that tells the story.
And if you love stories that remind you to laugh at life’s bright spots, you’ll find more of them at Talesmith, where every tale hides a smile waiting to be found.
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