Once upon a time ….

               ….the colours of the world started to quarrel

Once upon a time the colours of the world started to quarrel:

all claimed that they were the best, the most important, the

most useful, the favourite.

GREEN said: "Clearly I am the most important. I am the

sign of life and of hope. I was chosen for grass, leaves,

trees--without me, all animals would die. Look out over

the countryside and you will see that I am in the majority."

BLUE interrupted: "You only think about the Earth, but

consider the sky and sea. It is the water that is the basis

of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea. The

sky gives space and peace and serenity. Without my peace,

you would all be nothing."

YELLOW chuckled: "You are all so serious. I bring

laughter, gaiety, and warmth to the world. The sun is

yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars are yellow. Every

time you look at a sunflower, the whole world starts to

smile. Without me, there would be no fun."

ORANGE started next to blow her temper: "I am the

colour of health and strength. I may be scarce but I am

precious for I serve the needs of human life. I carry the

most important vitamins. Think of carrots, pumpkins,

oranges, mangos, and pawpaws. I don't hang around all

the time, but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my

beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought

to any of you".

RED could stand it no longer: He shouted out: "I am the

ruler of all of you! I am blood! Life's blood! I am the colour

of danger and of bravery. I am willing to fight for a cause.

I bring fire to the blood! I am the colour of passion and of

love, the red rose, the poppy and the poinsettia. Without

me, the earth would be as empty as the moon!"

PURPLE rose up to his full height. He was very tall and

spoke with great pomp: "I am the colour of royalty and

power. Kings, chiefs, and bishops have always chosen me

for I am a sign of authority and wisdom. People do not

question me, they listen and obey".

Finally, INDIGO spoke, much more quietly than all the

others, but with just as much determination: "Think of me.

I am the colour of silence. You hardly notice me, but without

me you all become superficial. I represent thought and

reflection, twilight and deep water. You need me for

balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace."

And so all the colours went on boasting and quarrelling, each

convinced of their own superiority. Soon, their quarrelling

became louder and louder. Suddenly there was a startling

flash of bright lightening! Thunder rolled and boomed!

Rain started to pour down relentlessly. The colours crouched

down in fear drawing close to one another for comfort.

In the midst of the clamor,

RAIN began to speak: "You foolish colours, fighting amongst

yourselves, each trying to dominate the rest. Don't you know

you were each made for a special purpose, unique and

different? Join hands with one another and come to me."

Doing as they were told, the colours united and joined hands.

The rain continued: "From now on, when it rains, each of

you will stretch across the sky in a great bow of colours as

a reminder that you can all live in peace.

The rainbow is a sign of hope for tomorrow". And so,

whenever a good rain washes the world, and a rainbow

appears in the sky, let us remember to appreciate one another.

Author Unknown

Based on a Native American Legend 

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