HOW
R
A
I
N
B
O
W
WAS CREATED!
~~~~COLORS~~~~
Once upon a time the colors of the world
started to quarrel: all claimed that
they were the best, the most important,
the most useful, the favorite.
GREEN said: "Clearly I am the most
important. I am the sign of life and of
hope. I was chosen for grass, trees,
leaves - without me, all animals would
die. Look over the countryside and you
will see that I am in the majority."
BLUE interrupted: "You only think about
the earth, but consider the sky and the
sea. It is the water that is the basis
of life and drawn up by the clouds from
the deep sea. The sky gives space and
peace and serenity. Without my peace,
you would all be nothing."
YELLOW chuckled: "You are all so
serious. I bring laughter, gaiety, and
warmth into the world. The sun is
yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars
are yellow. Every time you look at a
sunflower, the whole world starts to
smile. Without me there would be no
fun."
ORANGE started next to blow her trumpet:
"I am the color of health and strength.
I may be scarce, but I am precious for I
serve the needs of human life. I carry
the most important vitamins. Think of
carrots, pumpkins, oranges, mangoes, and
pawpaws. I don't hang around all the
time, but when I fill the sky at sunrise
or sunset, my beauty is so striking that
no one gives another thought to any of
you."
RED could stand it no longer. He shouted
out: "I am the ruler of all of you - I
am blood - life's blood! I am the color
of danger and of bravery. I am willing
to fight for a cause. I bring fire into
the blood. Without me, the earth would
be as empty as the moon. I am the color
of passion and of love, the red rose,
the poinsettia and the poppy."
PURPLE rose up to his full height. He
was very tall and spoke with great pomp:
"I am the color of royalty and power.
Kings, chiefs, and bishops have always
chosen me for I am the sign of authority
and wisdom. People do not question me -
they listen and obey."
Finally,
INDIGO spoke, much more quietly
than all the others, but with just as
much determination: "Think of me. I am
the color of silence. You hardly notice
me, but without me you all become
superficial. I represent thought and
reflection, twilight and deep water. You
need me for balance and contrast, for
prayer and inner peace."
And so the colors went on boasting, each
convinced of his or her own superiority.
Their quarreling became louder and
louder.
Suddenly there was a
startling flash of bright lightening -
thunder rolled and boomed. Rain started
to pour down relentlessly. The colors
crouched down in fear, drawing close to
one another for comfort.
In the midst of the clamor, rain began
to speak: "You foolish colors, fighting
amongst yourselves, each trying to
dominate the rest. Don't you know that
you were each made for a special
purpose, unique and different? Join
hands with one another and come to me."
Doing as they were told, the colors
united and joined hands. The rain
continued:
"From now on, when
it rains, each of you will stretch
across the sky in a great bow of color
as a reminder that you can all live in
peace.
The rainbow is a sign of hope for
tomorrow."
And so, whenever a good rain washes the
world, and a rainbow appears in the sky,
let us remember to appreciate one
another.
¬¬¬Based on a Native American Legend¬¬¬
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