Rosie and the Little Lost Cloud

Rosie loved her bright yellow boots. They went stomp, stomp, stomp down the garden path. Right behind her trotted Marmalade, her fluffy orange cat. Marmalade’s tail stood straight up in the air like a fuzzy question mark.

But someone else was following them too.

Rosie looked up. Floating right over her red hat was a little cloud. It was round and puffy, like a ball of wool, and colored a soft gray-blue. It bobbed when Rosie walked. It stopped when Rosie stopped.

"Look, Marmalade," Rosie said, pointing up with one mitten. "That little cloud has no rain."

The cloud gave a gentle wiggle, but not a single drop came out. It had simply forgotten how to rain.

"We can help you remember," Rosie said.

First, Rosie found a big, shiny puddle on the path. She jumped right in the middle with her yellow boots. Splash! Cool water went flying up in little drops. Marmalade tapped the ripples with one soft orange paw.

Rosie looked up at the sky and smiled. "See, little cloud? Water drops go splash, splash, splash!"

The gray-blue cloud leaned down to peek. It gave a puff and a wobble. It made a tiny noise like a hiccup, but no water came out. Not even one drop.

"That is okay," Rosie said sweetly. "We can try something else."

Next, Rosie picked up her green watering can. It was full of fresh water. She walked over to the sleepy garden flowers by the fence. Tip, tip, tip went the green spout. Out came a gentle shower. Swish, went the water, falling across the green leaves. Marmalade sniffed a wet leaf and sneezed one soft cat sneeze.

Rosie called out, "See, little cloud? Water falls like this. Pitter-patter, pitter-patter on the ground."

The cloud drifted lower, smelling the sweet, wet dirt. It spun in a slow, woolly circle. It tried to sprinkle. It tried to squeeze. But still, no drops fell from its fluffy gray tummy.

"Do not worry," Rosie told the cloud. "Come inside with us."

They walked up the porch steps. Stomp, stomp went the yellow boots. Patter, patter went the orange paws. And float, float went the little gray-blue cloud, right through the open door and into the kitchen.

Mom set down a big blue mug on the wooden table. Inside was warm, sweet cocoa.

"Look," Rosie whispered.

Above the mug, a ribbon of white steam curled up into the air. It danced in loops. It rose up, up, up, and tickled the bottom of the little cloud.

Marmalade sat on the rug, purring like a tiny motor. The kitchen smelled like warm milk and chocolate.

The gray-blue cloud hovered over the warm cocoa steam. It felt so cozy. It felt so moist and full. The cloud began to swell, getting rounder and puffier by the second.

Suddenly, the cloud gave a happy little shake.

Plink.

One drop fell.

Plink, plink, plink.

A tiny shower of bright water sprinkled down, sparkling in the warm kitchen light. The drops splashed right on Rosie’s yellow boots and made Marmalade flick his orange ears.

"You remembered!" Rosie cheered, clapping her hands. "You made your rain!"

The little cloud was so pleased. It had shared its sweet, cool drops, and now it was very, very light. It floated softly up to the open kitchen window.

Outside, the sun was going down behind the houses. The evening sky was turning deep blue.

Rosie took off her bright yellow boots and set them by the door. She tucked Marmalade into his soft basket by the hearth. Marmalade closed his eyes and curled his paws under his chin.

Out above the chimneys, the little cloud drifted higher. It tucked itself between two chimney pots on a cozy brick rooftop.

It was no longer heavy. It was completely empty and wonderfully sleepy.

The little cloud gave one last, soft wiggle, closed its misty eyes, and drifted happily off to sleep above the quiet roofs.