Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-03
The Dance of the Raindrops
BY CARL HOLIDAY.

Once upon time all the raindrops said
to one another. Lets have a dancer SO
they asked Thunder to call out the figures
or changes-for he has a pretty good voice,
You know-and Lightning said he would do
the fddling For the rain drops do not like
the fashionable slow dances. No sir. they
like the fast kind. where everything goes
with a rush and a whrl and you have to
watch out or get tramped upon. And they
called to the Clouds, Come on, Clouds,
were going to have dance. and we want
you 20 see how It goes!' They tried to
find the Wind but he was off somewhere
in the desert, raising sand" as one might
say. and they couldn't wait till he came
back
So Thunder took his seat on top Of the
mountain IN order that he might see Just
when 10 call out the different figures, While
lightning got out his old Scared fiddle,
borrowed some rosin from his friend, the
pine tree rubbed his bow. took of his
coat and got ready To furnish his best
music. And the Clouds-what about them?
Why, you may just believe they hurried
from far and near to see the fun! They
all sat down around the mountain; for, of
course. they wanted to hear Thunder show
off his voice. and, besides, Lightning said
that he was going to stand there, too.
"All ready?" asked Thunder
yes. yes" shouted the raindrops-
away Lightning, fiddle away
Lightning drew his bow like fash, and
the loudest sound you ever did hear burst
forth from that fiddle. Down leaped the
randrops from the sky. How they danced!
patter. patter! their tiny feet sounded upon
the root Patter! patterl they pounded
upon every shed and fence. S-s-s-cratch!
went Lightning with his big fiddle Swing
your pGrtueTsW roared- Thunder.
What n commotiou out in the road the
dust iew the horses broke into furious
run. people ducked their heads and fed 10
shelter, women screamed and took Off
their new hats and bent double over them
and sCurrcd away. Men turned up their
coat collars and tried to shrink into their
coats and made themselves as small as
possible in order that 50 many drops might
not soak them. Boys and girls shouted
with surprise, and their mothers stood at
the doors and cried to them to come in
Immediately. And all this time the rain
drops were shrieking with laughter and
dancing for all they were worth, while
Thunder took in long bTeaths and beloved
the changes In his biggest voice. And Light
ning-my, my you could see his bow fash
Ing for miles and miles Oh. 1 tell you
things happen when the raindrops have
dance,
They tripped all over the roof: they
formed little circles and danced I'm the bot
tom of the rein barrel they jumped into
the Kitchen and out again through the
open windows they swung their part
ners' around the treetops and In the fence
tNllaHlSr lltN NllIltu through the Nafu ana
over the Woodpile; they even jumped down
the chimney and Kissed at the fire. And
Thunder called louder, and Lightning
played on
And the Wind. having heard the noise
from afar I'm the desert, came rushing in
and exclaimed ''Whcw-w-w-w. What's all
this But The TaindrOps answered only
as they Whirled on.
We're having a dance. Don't get I'm the
way Yet the wind of course. just
couldn't stay out, and he shouted to the
Clouds.
Here. here. 1oin in, And. clumsy as he
was he leaped into the midst of the laugh
ing drops and drove them helter-Skeltcr.
And seeing some OF them falling down
tie chimney upon the hot Goals, no thought
them Ga danger. and down the chimney he
lCuad. The SCOT flew out into the room
OF course it did-aud then there was cough
ing and sueeziug, let me tell you. But the
NaiU0TDus were in no Canger-nOt at all;
for what cared they for the mad old fire?
Tley simply Missed at Il and hurried back
ny with the wind.
by his time the dance should have ended;
for the calls had all been given many
times; but no. the drops shouted. GO onl
Go on" And the clouds and The wind said
'Ges. yes, this is fun, This IS fun while
lightning declared that he was just get
ting warmed Up! So the connection went
on, and Thunder called so loudly that all
the children on earth were frightened and
ran 90 their mothers. and Lightning played
tunes lNHt the world had never heard De
fore Ave, that was a dance worth seeing!
but how suddenly IL ended! Thunder
Yves holding his sides with laughter; the
Clu1Is. ugt of breath, had fallen all over
tho mountain; the Wind was trying TO
make the old pine tree dance with him,
and the raiudrOps had Joined arms and
were sliding, with gurgles OF delight, down
the once dry creek beds on the hills, when
suddenly lightning, getting too excited.
drew his bow too FAR and struck his elbow
against a great rock and almost broke 1t.
Broke what? Why his eblow-his crazy
bone or coursei And what happened? Why,
I couldn't begin to tell you. He danced
around that rock for ten minutes and fairly
shrieked with pain. He tore that poor
stone into little pieces. And what he said l
sust wouldn't dare repeat, and you must
not try TO imagine il, either
That dance ended right there. The rain