The Great Big Rain Cloud

Once upon a time, a little boy noticed a dark gray cloud and began to frown.

“Hello, down there,” shouted the cloud. “Can you hear me?”

The little boy nodded, too polite to ask the cloud to please go away.

“How are you feeling today?” the cloud asked.

“Well, I was feeling happy…”

“Oh… I see. What happened?”

“Well, forgive me for being rude, but I was hoping for clear skies so I could play outside a bit longer.”

The cloud began to frown.

“Oh, no,” said the little boy. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s ok,” the cloud went on. “It happens all the time. As soon as I show up, people get upset.”

“It’s not personal,” said the boy. “It’s only because you block the sun.”

“I know I do, but I can’t help it. It seems wherever I go, I’m in its way.”

“Maybe push yourself a little to the right?”

The cloud did his best, but still, he was blocking the sun.

“What about to the left?”

It was no use.

“I’ll never find a friend. I’ll never make people happy.”

And with that, the great big cloud began to cry, sending streams of tears down onto the little boy’s head.

“Oh no!” the little boy begged, covering his head. “Please don’t cry. Please!”

“Now you’re even more upset. Woe is me!”

“No, no I’m not,” the boy insisted.

But the cloud continued to cry. Harder and harder, in fact. So hard that children and grown-ups were forced to run home in a hurry. And birds had no choice but to fly back to their nests.

But the little boy knew he couldn’t leave. His mother taught him to always be kind to anyone who’s sad.

“It’s ok, Cloud. I will stay here with you until you get this all out of your system.”

“Thank you,” the cloud whimpered.

And so he cried and cried and cried until the whole playground was drenched, until finally, he ran out of tears.

“Oh, that sure felt good.”

“I’m glad,” said the boy, emptying out his boots.

“I don’t think anyone’s ever kept me company this long.”

Just then, the little boy noticed something in the sky, right next to the cloud.

“Look, Cloud!”

“What?”

“Right over there! You made a rainbow!”

“I did?”

Sure enough, the last of his drizzles caught the sun’s rays and the most beautiful rainbow lit up the sky.

The boy smiled from ear to ear.

“Oh my,” said the cloud. “I think you’re the first person to ever be happy with me!”

“Well, if it wasn’t for you, Cloud, I would have never gotten to see such a beautiful rainbow.”

“Well if it wasn’t for you,” said the cloud to the boy, “I would have never known I could make one!”

The End.

-JLK