Rainbow and the autumn leaves

Rainbow and the autumn leaves

In ancient times, when the animals still talked to each other and gathered every summer for the Great Council, Turtle was considered the oldest and wisest among them.

She knew a lot about rivers, clouds, rain and roads, which the others did not even notice.

One day Turtle looked up at the sky for a long time.

“I wonder what is there, above the clouds?” she said.

The animals raised their heads.

“Perhaps it is all winds up there,” Wolf suggested.

“Or maybe big lakes,” said Beaver.

“Or maybe meadows,” said Deer dreamily.

Turtle decided to find out.

The old tale says Thunder Spirit heard her wish. The sky rumbled, and a dark rain cloud sank low, wrapped itself around Turtle, and carried her upwards.

When the cloud dispersed, Turtle was no longer on the ground.

In the evening, the animals saw a dark cloud high in the sky, slowly floating between the golden rays.

“It’s her!” Deer cried. “Turtle has found a way!”

Turtle made her home in the sky. She loved the great dark cloud best, for the tale says it held heavenly ponds, streams, and the drops of rain still to come.

But every year, when the time came for the Great Council, Turtle returned to earth.

She arrived in her cloud, listened to the news and again ascended into the sky.

And each time the other animals asked:

“What is it like up there?”

“Spacious,” Turtle replied.

“And beautiful?”

“Very.”

“And how do you get there?”

At this, Turtle only smiled.

“Some roads should not be sought in haste.”

The sky interested Deer the most.

He often wandered through the forest alone and one day after the rain he saw Rainbow.

She arched above the lake, vast and bright: red, gold, green, blue, and violet.

Deer froze.

“Rainbow! You touch both the earth and the sky. Take me to Turtle.”

Rainbow replied:

“I can’t just lead someone along the heavenly road. I have to ask permission first.”

Deer stamped his hooves impatiently.

“And when will you return?”

“When the fog comes to the lake and I come to disperse it.”

Many days passed.

Deer waited.

Every morning he ran to the lake.

But Rainbow was not there.

He was already starting to get angry.

“Perhaps she has forgotten.”

Finally, one morning, a thick white fog enveloped the entire shore.

The lake disappeared. The distant trees became like shadows.

And suddenly a ray of light broke through the fog.

A colored arc grew over the water.

“Rainbow!”

“I remember,” she replied. “I have permission. But walk calmly. My road is high.”

She stretched from the lake, across the hills, and straight into the sky.

Deer stepped onto the red band.

It turned out to be strong, but light, like the warmth of the sun.

He moved on.

Pine crowns drifted below him. Rivers became slender silver threads, and lakes became little blue mirrors.

At last, Deer reached the sky.

Turtle was delighted.

“So you found the way.”

“Rainbow helped me.”

Deer loved the wide spaces of the sky so much that he stayed a little longer.

Day after day he ran among the clouds, looked down at the earth from above and completely forgot that the Great Council was approaching.

Autumn had come.

The animals gathered on the earth.

Bear arrived.

Wolf arrived.

Woodpecker flew in.

Fox bounded up.

But Deer was missing.

“Where is he?” everyone asked.

They searched in the forest, by the river, in the meadows.

Nowhere.

Finally, a black cloud descended from the sky, and out of it came Turtle.

“Are you looking for Deer?”

“Yes!”

Turtle raised her head.

“He is there.”

A golden cloud flashed high in the sky.

“Rainbow showed him the way.”

The animals chattered.

“Why didn’t he say anything?”

“We wanted to see the sky too!”

“And the Council? He always came!”

Bear was the angriest.

“You can’t just disappear and make everyone worry.”

Turtle raised a paw.

“Then tell him that. But first listen.”

The animals decided that next time they would rise to the sky together.

In late autumn, Rainbow once again spread her great road above the earth.

Bear went first.

“I am heavy,” he said. “If it holds me, it will hold everyone.”

He carefully placed his paw on the colored stripe.

Then the other.

The road held.

Bear moved up.

Almost at the very sky he met Deer.

“At last!” Deer cried. “Welcome!”

But Bear did not smile.

“Why did you leave without a word? We were looking for you. We were waiting at the Council.”

Deer immediately frowned.

“I don’t owe anyone an explanation for where I’m going.”

“When your friends expect you, you should let them know.”

“You’re just angry that I saw the sky first!”

“And you’ve become too proud!”

They both spoke at the same time.

Deer stamped his hoof.

Bear stamped his paw.

The rainbow road swayed.

“Be careful!” Turtle called from below.

But the arguers didn’t hear her.

Deer took a sharp step to the side and touched the red stripe with his hoof.

Poof!

A cloud of red light rose into the air.

Bear stepped back and stepped on the gold one.

Whoosh!

Golden sparks showered down.

“Look!” the animals below cried.

Bear and Deer finally fell silent.

And colors were already pouring from Rainbow.

Red.

Yellow.

Orange.

Crimson.

The wind picked them up and carried them over the forest.

Colored dust settled on the leaves of maples, birches, aspens and bushes near the lake.

The green leaves changed before everyone’s eyes.

“What have we done?” Deer whispered.

Bear looked down.

The forest shone as if a sunset had fallen on the ground.

Turtle rose to meet them in her cloud.

“Fortunately, your quarrel left colours rather than harm. Next time, begin by speaking more gently.”

Deer lowered his head.

“I should have told my friends that I was staying in the sky.”

Bear nodded.

“And I could have asked before I accused.”

They didn’t become best friends in an instant. That rarely happens in life.

But they didn’t try to argue on the narrow heavenly road anymore.

After them, other animals climbed Rainbow.

They say some of them can still be seen in the shapes of clouds as they rush across the sky.

And on earth, autumn comes every year.

First, one leaf turns yellow.

Then the second turns red.

The third turns copper.

And soon the whole forest remembers the day when the colors of Rainbow first scattered from the heavenly road.

When autumn leaves blaze red and gold, you can imagine Rainbow sharing a little of her colour with the trees.

Not forever.

Only until the first snow, so that the earth too can have its short colored road to the sky.

May this story leave a little light in your heart ✨