Sugar blinked away the morning sunlight. Puffin was sitting with Tiger outside the cave with a mouse beside her.
"Why do we have to wait for Sugar to wake up, Mama? It's unfair! Can you tell me a story while she sleeps?" Tiger moaned.
"Tiger, for the millionth time--" Puffin began.
"'Morning!" Sugar cried as she exited the cave.
"Sugar! You're awake! Mama was going to start a story without you, but I stopped her! You are in my dept now!" Tiger ginned.
Puffin stifled an amused purr. "Yes. You stopped me all right."
Tiger opened his jaws to say more, by Sugar spoke first. "Can you tell another story now Mama?" she asked.
"Okay. Ask me a question. How about the question that you wanted to ask me last night?" Puffin inquired.
"Okay! Why are there--" Sugar started excitedly.
"But Mama!" Tiger protested. "She got to ask the last one! It's my turn! I didn't get to ask a question yet!"
"Okay, then. It's always good to be fair. What is your question that you have in mind?" Puffin meowed.
"Um, how...No...Why...No...What...? No."
"How about we listen to Sugar's question. Then, after I tell you two the answer, we can hear your question. Deal?" Puffin bargained.
"Okay," Tiger sighed, giving in.
"Deal!" Sugar cried enthusiastically.
"Okay. Now, Sugar, what is the question that you wanted to ask me?"
"Why are there clouds in the sky? How did they get there?" Sugar wondered.
"Well, when the world was still new, all of the first animals wanted to make the world colorful. When more animals came to earth, they wanted to have a part to play. Some wanted it for the better, to make the world more beautiful. Others did it for selfish reasons.
"One, Swan, wanted to make the world an even more blissful place. She loved the earth as it was and she was very shy and did not like to be around a crowd. No one thought that she would ever make an effort to change the way the world was. Yet, she did.
"Swan loved to swim and fly. One day, while Swan was swimming near a small river, she saw a tuft of Sheep's wool. She swam over to it and picked it up in her beak. It was beautiful and warm. It was soaked with water, but was still soft as ever. Swan was amazed with its beauty.
"She looked up at the sky. It was cloudless and empty. Just a vast expanse of blue. Swan sighed. She looked back at the wool. An idea began to form in her head. Swan started to push it away. How would she even get it up there?"
"She could fly!" Sugar suggested.
"Hush, my love. Let's continue the story. Then, she realized that she could fly up into the sky and put some wool there. But how, she wondered, could she get more of Sheep's wool? She couldn't just have on tuft of wool in the whole sky.
"Then an idea flashed through her mind. She could ask Raccoon! He was like the ninja of the new world.
"So, she called to Raccoon, who was fishing nearby, 'Raccoon! Can I ask you something?'
"'Okay,' Raccoon replied hesitantly. 'What is it?'
"'I was wondering if you could ask Sheep for some wool and bring it back for me,' Swan said hopefully.
"'Okay!' Raccoon said eagerly. He liked having something to do with the day, especially as when it was a fun mission.
"'Thank you, Raccoon,' Swan said gratefully. And off Raccoon went.
"When Raccoon found Sheep, who was grazing in her favorite pasture, he bounded over and asked, 'May I have some of your wool? I see that there is plenty in this field, and I am sure that you can spare it.'
"Sheep felt nervous. She was fearful of what Raccoon would use the precious wool for. She was afraid to ask and sound rude, so she just said, 'I am sorry, but you can't.' This is something that Sheep looks back on with regret, for it sounded much more rude than asking for the use of the wool was."
"But Mama! Why are there so many clouds in the sky if Sheep didn't give any to Raccoon?" Sugar asked.
Puffin purred. "You will find out at the end of the story. Raccoon turned away, growling. He turned back just as Sheep looked away. He began to take bits of wool from the sweet grass. He did not want to return to Swan empty-pawed.
"Once he had as much as he could carry, he hurried over to the river where Swan waited for him.
"'Raccoon! I see that Sheep let you have some of her wool!' Swan welcomed.
"'Er, yes, she did. She was...generous,' Raccoon replied uneasily.
"Swan didn't notice. 'Thanks, again, Raccoon. It was very kind of you to bring me the wool.' she said.
"'No problem. Good-bye!' Raccoon said, relieved to leave.
"'Good-bye!' Swan called after him.
"Then, Swan pondered the next part of her plan. She knew that she would have to pick up the wool, fly into the sky, and put it in bunches up there.
"So, she grabbed the wool. She gracefully walked up to the muddy bank, and spread her wings. She took to the sky.
"Up and up she flew. Swan flew high up and began to leave tufts of wool in her wake. Soon, the sky was covered in clouds.
Swan flew down to admire her work. Soon, many of the second and first lines of animals were crowded around, looking up at the soft white clouds. Swan was happy, she had made a difference. She had helped make the world a better place."
"Yay! Swan didn't get trapped in the sky forever!" Sugar cried happily, remembering the last story.
Puffin chuckled. "Yes, she didn't."
"So that's why there are clouds in the sky? Clouds are really sheep wool?" Tiger asked, binking.
"Yes, that is why. And yes again."
"What is another bird tried to take the clouds from the sky?" Sugar asked worriedly.
"Well, they can't undo the early animal's doings, so they can't take clouds from the sky," Puffin meowed in reply.
"Okay," said Sugar, reassured.
"Time for me to ask a question!" Tiger chided eagerly.
"We must eat first, Tiger. Then you can ask your question," Puffin explained.
"Okay," Tiger muttered begrudgingly.
And so, they ate their prey.
-KittyLover8
© 2012
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