Kids and Teens ( The Day It Didn't Rain )
Long ago in the faraway sky lived a coward little cloud named Poppy.
Poppy was the youngest of Mama Whiff and Papa Whoop's five children. He was a funny and friendly little cloud in Cottonalley, so there was never a dull moment when he was around.
Unfortunately, there was one thing about Poppy that annoyed not only his parents and siblings but also their neighbors in Cottonalley.
Poppy was a coward cloud who refused to jump off the sky and make rain on the earth. He would always tell his parents that an invisible monster might get him and never return him home. Oftentimes, he would imagine a big black hole sucking him out to a far-flung universe.
Poppy's fear kept him from helping other clouds bring rain to the earth. One day, Papa Whoop decided that it was about time to have a serious talk with his son.
"Poppy, you have to jump off just like the rest of us or else people, animals and plants will die of heat and thirst. You wouldn't want that to happen, would you?" Papa Whoop asked him.
"Pa, that will never happen because there are more than enough clouds in Cottonalley to water the earth," Poppy said in his usual carefree tone.
Papa Whoop had more to say to Poppy, but the latter had already gone out to play with the little clouds.
The rainy season finally arrived. All the clouds except Poppy prepared to leap from the sky because it was time to water the dry earth.
"This is my first time to jump off the sky and I can't wait to see the earth! I heard there are many pretty white flowers down there that look like us," Poppy's best friend, Cloette, told the other clouds excitedly.
"Those flowers are called Poppies, Cloette. Unfortunately, our own Poppy here will never get to see those beautiful flowers," teased Neo, who had been to the earth three times despite being the same age as Poppy.
As the clouds formed a single line on the sky's runway, each one of them inspected his pouch every now and then to see if he has enough water balloons for all the living creatures of earth.
"Divide yourselves into three groups. One group should focus on the rivers, oceans, and other bodies of water. Another group should water the mountains, trees, and the rice and corn plantations. The third group should make sure that all the animals and human beings get enough rainfall," announced Señor Cumulo, the oldest cloud and Cottonalley's great leader.
Poppy prayed for his family's safe return as he watched the clouds jump off the sky one by one.
At the end of the day, only twenty clouds returned to Cottonalley to the dismay of Poppy, as more than fifty of them went down to the earth. Poppy worried that something bad might have happened to his family.
"What happened down there? Where are my parents? What about my brothers and sisters?" Poppy asked nonstop without giving the tired clouds a chance to speak.
"The earth is so dirty. It is dirtier than it was the last time we were there, so the older clouds decided to stay a little longer to clean it up. Unfortunately, the dirt on the ground and water made them very sick. Now they are too weak to travel back here. What's worse, they're all out of water, so it looks like the earth will experience a drought in the coming days, " chorused the clouds when they finally got the chance to speak.
"That's bad news! Mr. Sunshine has to help the clouds come back immediately, or something terrible could happen to all of them," Poppy said worriedly.
Mr. Sunshine is responsible for bringing back the clouds to the sky once they are done watering the earth. Poppy searched everywhere, but could not find Mr. Sunshine. The latter took the time off to visit his nephews, and won't be back until the next day.
"Poppy, you have to go down. Please Poppy, for it is the only way that you can save the other clouds. Besides, you're the healthiest among us because you have never experienced the dirt of earth," pleaded Cloette.
Despite his uncertainty, Poppy knew that he had to do something to rescue his family and friends; or he might never see them again.
The following day, Poppy asked Cloette to help him fill his pouch with water balloons. When it was halfway filled, Poppy whispered to himself, "I can do this. I will bring back my family and the rest of the Cottonalley clouds."
All twenty clouds cheered for Poppy as he approached the sky's runway and prepared to jump off.
"You can do it, Poppy! We will wait for your return right on this spot," they said.
"I promise to come back with all of them," Poppy said and he was gone in a second.
The clouds that were left in Cottonalley peered down through a narrow slit in the sky to see Poppy bursting his water balloons while on free fall. Meanwhile, the earth creatures happily danced and played in the rain.
As soon as Poppy touched the earth, he used the rest of his water balloons to wash the filth off the ground and to clear the oceans, rivers, lakes, and falls of all kinds of pollutants.
Once his pouch was empty, Poppy helped the weary and almost dry clouds of Cottonalley up onto his lumpy body. He then jumped very high in the hope that his momentum would be enough to get him and the other clouds back to Cottonalley.
Suddenly, Mr. Sunshine's big golden hands appeared and scooped them up.
"It's you! Oh, thank you for coming, Mr. Sunshine! You're just in time," Poppy said with a surprised look.
"I cut my vacation short when I heard that the rainy season isn't going so well. Hold on tight now for this swift journey to Cottonalley," Mr. Sunshine said in his usual jolly tone.
Once all the clouds were back in Cottonalley, a big party was held for Poppy's success in not only rescuing the clouds but also for cleaning the earth thoroughly.
"You are Cottonalley's bravest cloud and I am so proud of you my son," Papa Whoop beamed at Poppy.
Poppy's tale of bravery lives on to this day. Poppy requested, however, that his story be told in a slightly different manner to the new cloud generation.
"Children should not grow up with fear in their hearts, so can we please skip the monster part?" Poppy asked Inklow, Cottonalley's famous storyteller.
Of course, that small wish of the bravest cloud was granted.
Moral Lesson
Courage will help you accomplish even the most impossible thing in the world.
Poppy was the youngest of Mama Whiff and Papa Whoop's five children. He was a funny and friendly little cloud in Cottonalley, so there was never a dull moment when he was around.
Unfortunately, there was one thing about Poppy that annoyed not only his parents and siblings but also their neighbors in Cottonalley.
Poppy was a coward cloud who refused to jump off the sky and make rain on the earth. He would always tell his parents that an invisible monster might get him and never return him home. Oftentimes, he would imagine a big black hole sucking him out to a far-flung universe.
Poppy's fear kept him from helping other clouds bring rain to the earth. One day, Papa Whoop decided that it was about time to have a serious talk with his son.
"Poppy, you have to jump off just like the rest of us or else people, animals and plants will die of heat and thirst. You wouldn't want that to happen, would you?" Papa Whoop asked him.
"Pa, that will never happen because there are more than enough clouds in Cottonalley to water the earth," Poppy said in his usual carefree tone.
Papa Whoop had more to say to Poppy, but the latter had already gone out to play with the little clouds.
The rainy season finally arrived. All the clouds except Poppy prepared to leap from the sky because it was time to water the dry earth.
"This is my first time to jump off the sky and I can't wait to see the earth! I heard there are many pretty white flowers down there that look like us," Poppy's best friend, Cloette, told the other clouds excitedly.
"Those flowers are called Poppies, Cloette. Unfortunately, our own Poppy here will never get to see those beautiful flowers," teased Neo, who had been to the earth three times despite being the same age as Poppy.
As the clouds formed a single line on the sky's runway, each one of them inspected his pouch every now and then to see if he has enough water balloons for all the living creatures of earth.
"Divide yourselves into three groups. One group should focus on the rivers, oceans, and other bodies of water. Another group should water the mountains, trees, and the rice and corn plantations. The third group should make sure that all the animals and human beings get enough rainfall," announced Señor Cumulo, the oldest cloud and Cottonalley's great leader.
Poppy prayed for his family's safe return as he watched the clouds jump off the sky one by one.
At the end of the day, only twenty clouds returned to Cottonalley to the dismay of Poppy, as more than fifty of them went down to the earth. Poppy worried that something bad might have happened to his family.
"What happened down there? Where are my parents? What about my brothers and sisters?" Poppy asked nonstop without giving the tired clouds a chance to speak.
"The earth is so dirty. It is dirtier than it was the last time we were there, so the older clouds decided to stay a little longer to clean it up. Unfortunately, the dirt on the ground and water made them very sick. Now they are too weak to travel back here. What's worse, they're all out of water, so it looks like the earth will experience a drought in the coming days, " chorused the clouds when they finally got the chance to speak.
"That's bad news! Mr. Sunshine has to help the clouds come back immediately, or something terrible could happen to all of them," Poppy said worriedly.
Mr. Sunshine is responsible for bringing back the clouds to the sky once they are done watering the earth. Poppy searched everywhere, but could not find Mr. Sunshine. The latter took the time off to visit his nephews, and won't be back until the next day.
"Poppy, you have to go down. Please Poppy, for it is the only way that you can save the other clouds. Besides, you're the healthiest among us because you have never experienced the dirt of earth," pleaded Cloette.
Despite his uncertainty, Poppy knew that he had to do something to rescue his family and friends; or he might never see them again.
The following day, Poppy asked Cloette to help him fill his pouch with water balloons. When it was halfway filled, Poppy whispered to himself, "I can do this. I will bring back my family and the rest of the Cottonalley clouds."
All twenty clouds cheered for Poppy as he approached the sky's runway and prepared to jump off.
"You can do it, Poppy! We will wait for your return right on this spot," they said.
"I promise to come back with all of them," Poppy said and he was gone in a second.
The clouds that were left in Cottonalley peered down through a narrow slit in the sky to see Poppy bursting his water balloons while on free fall. Meanwhile, the earth creatures happily danced and played in the rain.
As soon as Poppy touched the earth, he used the rest of his water balloons to wash the filth off the ground and to clear the oceans, rivers, lakes, and falls of all kinds of pollutants.
Once his pouch was empty, Poppy helped the weary and almost dry clouds of Cottonalley up onto his lumpy body. He then jumped very high in the hope that his momentum would be enough to get him and the other clouds back to Cottonalley.
Suddenly, Mr. Sunshine's big golden hands appeared and scooped them up.
"It's you! Oh, thank you for coming, Mr. Sunshine! You're just in time," Poppy said with a surprised look.
"I cut my vacation short when I heard that the rainy season isn't going so well. Hold on tight now for this swift journey to Cottonalley," Mr. Sunshine said in his usual jolly tone.
Once all the clouds were back in Cottonalley, a big party was held for Poppy's success in not only rescuing the clouds but also for cleaning the earth thoroughly.
"You are Cottonalley's bravest cloud and I am so proud of you my son," Papa Whoop beamed at Poppy.
Poppy's tale of bravery lives on to this day. Poppy requested, however, that his story be told in a slightly different manner to the new cloud generation.
"Children should not grow up with fear in their hearts, so can we please skip the monster part?" Poppy asked Inklow, Cottonalley's famous storyteller.
Of course, that small wish of the bravest cloud was granted.
Moral Lesson
Courage will help you accomplish even the most impossible thing in the world.
Mary Antonette Valdez-Pua is a website content specialist and a
professional article writer for search engine optimization. She is also a
passionate blogger with inclination for topics on health, fitness, and
fashion. On her spare time, she writes children's stories for her little
girl and hopes to publish them someday.
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