Two Clouds and Four Drops of Rain
Five good friends were playing together under the bright circle. Kicking a pinecone around, branches and flowers blowing in the breeze, the nearby Thundering Falls showering down in all its glory, and the grownups grazing and socializing with each other all created a rhythm that carried the day with warm smiles and joyful hearts. Neither team was winning, being all tied up, but that made no difference to them. Each side achieved ultimate victory every moment by having fun. The children’s laughter caused an occasional, tranquil glance from their loving families who couldn’t be happier at the peace that the Great Valley was experiencing.
Climbing the mountain…
Exhausted but grinning from ear to ear, the kids plopped onto the ground and looked up into the sky. They only saw clouds, but they noticed so many things. A swimmer treading water and splashing gleefully, a tree star blowing in the wind, and two flyers hugging were only a small portion of the images that danced before their eyes. Despite lying directly on their backs, none of them got cramped or felt any sort of discomfort. They didn’t feel bored at all either. Enjoying each other’s company on the warm day in the cool grass was like a paradise. Spike didn’t leave the others for food, but thoughtfully remained by his friends’ sides, enjoying every moment of their company over any possible snack.
Almost at the top…
“Guys, what would you like to do next? I’m fine with anything,” Littlefoot told his friends, at last sitting up. He watched as his companions straightened up with him and thought about his question carefully.
“Would you guys like to play hide and seek?” a voice wondered.
Littlefoot smiled and looked down somewhat. No longer did Cera force her desires and inclinations, but instead, sincerely made everything a group decision. No more bossiness, ordering around, or even being blunt. When she wanted something, she both hoped the others would like it too and asked to find out. Cera had been a dear friend of Littlefoot’s almost from the beginning, and he cared about her even before that, but with her new softness and thoughtfulness, she was like the perfect pal. With a small noise of happiness escaping his lips, he expressed his opinion.
Standing on the peak…
“That sounds great, Cera. Do the rest of you agree?” he asked them, looking at their faces.
Ducky just gave one, “Yep,” Spike nodded cheerfully, and Petrie flew up into the air and replied, “I agree for sure.”
Littlefoot almost laughed at how different but good it sounded that Petrie had begun saying “I” and not “Me” like everyone else. He had always admired his flying friend’s unique way of speaking, but hearing the proper way of talking from him was pleasant as well. It was like having a new Petrie while keeping the old one intact. With everyone’s hearts the same, they got to their feet, let Cera begin counting, and started to conceal themselves. Before hiding, however, Littlefoot gazed lovingly at his home and at the wonderful friends and family he had in it. Hearing the count going up, he at last took a place behind a bush. When she got to twenty, she opened her eyes and began to search.
Looking over the edge…
Cera looked for only a short while and found most of her friends. Ducky had been on top of Spike behind a boulder, and Petrie was nestled up in a tree. Littlefoot, however, had not yet been discovered. Be that as it may, Cera did not get mad or discouraged, but instead continued to do her best. She searched high and low, behind trees, throughout tall grass, even in a cave, but she did not find him. Sitting down and focusing her eyes, she scanned the area that she hadn’t examined much yet, and smiled when she saw the tip of a tail emerging from a bush. She walked over, the others following, and reached his hiding place to tell him the game was over.
Just noticing how slippery it is…
The four of them continued to look at Littlefoot in utter silence. The shock was too much for them to bear, and at last, their tears broke the silence for them. Ducky and Petrie hugged each other tight, and Cera buried her head in Spike’s shoulder. They had all been sad at various points throughout their lives, but here was true grief. Their wails filled the Great Valley with great misery, and nothing could console them.
High up in the sky were many clouds. Some looked like dinosaurs, others like plants, and the imagination provided an endless list of more. Most of them could be perceived in several ways, but two of them were undeniable in appearance. One clearly resembled a giant longneck, and another was unmistakably a little one. The smaller one drifted closer to the other until the part that looked like a head had brushed up against the side. Remarkably, there was no wind, but it didn’t matter. No one could see the two clouds anyway.
“Why, oh why, did you show me those things? They didn’t really happen and can never happen again.”
“My dear, sweet Littlefoot. Where I’m taking you, things like that will happen every day.”
The clouds started to dissolve, but not before a single drop of rain fell on each of the children’s heads. Finally, just before the larger one was gone, a gentle wind blew their tears away and parted the remaining clouds to let the bright circle bring them what they had nearly forgotten.
