Up to the Sky and Back

One day, just a little while ago, the great sun far up in the sky said to his little helpers, the sunbeam fairies, "Dear fairies, I shall need a great many clouds next week, and I should like to have you help me make them." This made the fairies very happy. They were so happy that they ran back and forth from the sun to the earth a great many times.

They were very helpful little fairies, and they were always happy when they were helping some one. The sunbeam fairies had helped the sun so many times that they knew just how to go to work. Some of the fairies ran down to a great, hot city, and they found some drops of water on the stones and on top of some of the houses and they carried them right up to the sun, just as fast as they could.

Some of the other fairies went down into the country early in the morning, and they gathered some drops of dew in the fields and some drops of water that were down by the grasses' feet.

The rest of the little fairies ran down to a little brook and carried just as many drops from it as they could.

By and by, the great sun said: "Dear little sunbeams, you have brought me so many drops of water that I have enough to make a great many clouds," for you know that the clouds are made of a great many drops of water.

After the great sun had the clouds all ready, he thought: "Now if the wind were here, I am sure that he would blow the clouds just where I want them to go."

Soon the sun heard the wind coming, and then he said: "Can you help me to-day? I have a great many clouds to send out and I want them to go to different places."

The wind said that he would be very glad to go. Then the sun said: "Away over in the city, the streets are very hot and the trees are thirsty, so please take these clouds over there and give the city a drink."

By and by, the clouds were right over the city, and soon the little raindrops began falling down on the houses and the trees and the streets; and they were all glad to have a drink. And the same little drops of water that the sunbeam fairies had carried from the city were now back in their old places, just where they had been before.

Then the wind went back to the sun and said: "Dear sun, I have taken those clouds to the city; now where shall I take the others?" And the sun said: "The farmers in the country would like the rain to make their grass grow; so take these clouds over into the country." The wind blew very hard and soon the clouds were over the fields. In a few minutes the raindrops were hurrying down on the fields. And, do you know the same raindrops that the fairies carried from the fields fell on the same fields again! So the little drops of water were again just where they had been before the fairies touched them.

While the wind was away this time the sun looked down upon the earth and saw a little brook in which there was just a little water, and he thought: "The fishes in that brook need more water, so I will send a cloud over there." When he heard the wind, he said: "Please take these clouds over that brook." The wind did so, and the rain fell down into the brook, and the fishes had plenty of water. And it was so strange! those same little drops of water that the fairies took from the brook fell right back into it again.

So, you see, the little drops went up toward the sun and then came back again. And this was all because the little sunbeam fairies carried the drops of water up toward the sun, and because the wind blew the clouds just where the sun thought they ought to go.

So you see we have to thank the sun, the sunbeam fairies, and the wind for giving us, and everything on the earth, a drink.