It was an early moring on the shore of the Wanahoo Lake. Squirrels were looking for nuts and birds were stealing bread crumbs from the cafès. All of a sudden the sky turned purple-greyish and it started raining but it was not ordinary water rain it was PINK! Some joggers stopped, stared at the sky and turned back looking for a shelter, the people of the cafès closed the beach umbrellas and shut themselves inside pretty scared.
A child on a bicycle stopped, licked his arm and giggled:”It’s strawberry rain!” He opened his mouth hoping to drink from that strawberry water but his grandma told him off and they hurried back to the car.
Also the birds and squirrels were a bit confused and they did not like that sticky pink rain. It was ruining their feathers and furs. “We have to stop it!”, reasoned a blackbird with all the feathers glued with that juice,
“I cannot fly!” sobbed another
“I don’t like strawberries!” said a fatty and grumpy old squirrel
The pink rain was soaking the soil and the trees were in trouble too, because that sticky juice prevented them to breathe. They would have died if this rain had not stopped soon.
Suddenly a woman raised from the waters of the lake. She was the Maid of the Lake and took care that the water and the nature nearby the lake was always flourishing and happy. She usually did not make herself manifest but all the animals and plants knew about her and they asked her for advice. Unfortunately only a bunch of people still know about her existence and they have forgotten how to summon her and her power. The Maid was glad not to have to deal with people, because they had become unrespectful of nature but, at the same time, she missed the fishermen’s wives offering her flowers. She loved the flowers of the wisteria and the jasmine, but she did not mind roses, orchids and other wild flowers as well.
She raised from the waters and looked up to the purple-greyish clouds, she licked the strawberry rain and she started to chant in a forgotten language. It was like all the powers from the elements were helping her and chanting with her. A ball of golden water appeared in her hands and she made it bigger and bigger and then she launched it to the sky.
When the golden ball reached the grey clouds it exploded like fireworks and dispersed the storm. The sun came out but the sticky ground, trees and animals were still suffering and they needed help to survive. So the Maid of the Lake chanted again and called the power of water to heal and purify. A soft rain came down from the sunny sky and washed the ground, the trees, the birds and the squirrels.
As she came, she disappeared in the lake waters. Only an old woman with white hair and a knowing smile was watching from behind a tree. “Goodbye Maid!” She was the granddaughter of one of those fishermen’s wives worshipping the Maid of the Lake, but this is another story…
Storiupole 