AUDIO STORY: THE PERSISTENT RAIN CLOUD

The boy was soaking wet. He was standing in a puddle of water. His clothes hung heavy on his body. Suddenly, a sharp razor-like slither of white light blazed above his head and a gravelly rumbling echoed in his ears. Then came another downpour. He pulled his jacket tightly around his body and sneezed noisily.

“Haha! This is fun!” chuckled Nimbus, his fluffy bluish grey body laden with icy cold water. He puffed up his cheeks, inhaled deeply and blew hard! Again, the boy below was showered with rain!

“Oh, it’s great being a rain cloud!” cried Nimbus. He clapped his hands and did a little dance. Thunder echoed through the skies and lightning flashed all around as he rumbled and tumbled, the rain gushing out of him like a giant waterfall!

“Hey, c’mon let’s play hide and seek!” called Nimbus to the other clouds. But the other clouds turned their backs on Nimbus and started floating away, whispering among themselves.

“Such spoilsports! Well, I guess I’ve just got to find someone else to rain on then!” said Nimbus as he smiled a naughty smile and scanned the earth for someone to drench.

“This has got to stop!” said a wise old cloud shaking his head.

“Nimbus is going out of control! He just can’t keep picking on innocent people and soaking them with rain!” said another baby-blue cloud, her eyes filled with worry.

“He is giving us clouds a bad name!” growled a big burly cloud.

“But how do we make him stop?” squeaked a wispy little cloud as she floated around in circles.

Suddenly, a brilliant golden yellow light filled the sky.

“Hello there, Mr. Sun!” said the clouds in chorus.

“I overheard you’ll talking about Nimbus. Would you like me to help?” asked the sun his eyes blazing.

“Oh yes, Mr. Sun! Please do something! Nimbus refuses to act according to the seasons!” said the clouds.

“He loves being a rain cloud too much! He doesn’t want to be anything else, I’m afraid!” said the wise old cloud.

“Let me see what I can do,” said the sun, as he soared higher into the sky, his cloak of sunbeams rippling around him.

The next day, Nimbus was as usual unleashing his rain on anyone he saw. Just then the sun came along and stopped right in front of Nimbus.

“Oh my! Oh my! How thirsty I am!” panted the sun, “How I wish I could have some rain to quench my thirst!”

Nimbus stood upright, his eyes lighting up at what he just heard!

“I can give you some rain, Mr. Sun! I’ve got lots of it!” said Nimbus patting his belly.

“Oh thank you Nimbus! How kind you are!” said the sun leaning in close for a drink of water.

Nimbus showered the sun with rain. But as soon as the drops reached the sun, they evaporated and disappeared into thin air.

“I shall need some water, Nimbus! I’m still so thirsty!” said the sun.

So Nimbus showered the sun again, this time spurting out more rain that before.

But still the sun’s thirst was not satisfied. Nimbus continued to rain on the sun. But his thirst just could not be quenched!

“I’m tired, Mr. Sun! And I’m sunning out of rain too!” gasped Nimbus.

“Oh, but I’m still very much thirsty! Please can you spare me some more rain!” pleaded the sun.

Nimbus exhausted the last drops of rain he had inside him. He tried and tried, but not a droplet of rain came out.

His body started feeling lighter and he started to take on a light blue hue.

“Oh, Oh, what’s happening to me!” cried Nimbus in fear, “I’m turning a sickly blue!”

“You’re looking like a normal cloud again, Nimbus!” said the sun kindly.

“But I’m a rain cloud!” moaned Nimbus, trying hard not to float away.

“Well, you can’t be a rain cloud all the time. There is a time for everything. There is time to be all dark and gloomy like a rain cloud and there is time to be bright and happy like a normal cloud,” explained the sun.

Nimbus wanted to cry, but there was no water left in him even for that!
“Now go on, Nimbus! Go play with the other clouds. They’ve all been so worried about you!” said the sun, “and remember I shall be keeping an eye on you!”

So Nimbus floated away and joined the other clouds who were overjoyed to have their old friend back!

Now, whenever Nimbus thinks of being naughty again, a very thirsty sun promptly turns up, in search of a drink of water!