Week 9: Storytelling: When the Rainbow Was Torn

Coloring Earth 

Long ago before humans and animals roamed the earth it was colorless. The only thing living on earth was plants, shrubs and trees. Along with the natural elements of wind, fire, air, earth, and weather. The elements were special for they could obtain color. The fire was able to burn a piercing red. The wind had a blue tint to it as well as the rain. The lighting was able to hold a glowing yellow. The one that stood out the most was the rainbow. The rainbow held seven outstand colors; radiant red, outstanding orange, great green, yeasty yellow, bold blue,  illusive indigo, and  vast violet. All the other plants and elements were jealous. They wanted to have the color like the rainbow did.

Rainbow: By Barb Ver Sluis

For many years, the rainbow made sure he never touched any other plants on the ground. The rainbow was careful to place his ends in clear open spaces on the ground. The rainbow feared that the other plants would steal his color. 

Until one day the storm clouds were very upset and it rained and rained for days on end. Every time the storm clouds would let up the rainbow would come out. He would shine his bold and brilliant colors. After a month of training, the rainbow grew very tired. He was exhausted after showing himself and letting his colors rain down to earth. It wasn't always easy being a rainbow. He needed his rest as well. 

One day the storm clouds let up for a break to take a rest. It was time for the rainbow to come out and shine. Due to his exhaustion, he was not paying close attention to where he set his ends down. It was too late, though, by the time he noticed he was about to place his end on a bed of flowers. The rainbow was too weak to pull up his end, so he fell on the bed of flowers. The moment his end touched them the flowers broke out into color. 

The rainbow was in a mess, he began to panic that this was the end of him. His color would vanish and the flowers would take it all. There would be no more rainbow to shine after the rain. Or would there?

When it was time for the rainbow to pull up from earth he was shocked. He pulled up and realized he hadn't lost a bit of color. He was ecstatic and joyful once again. He had actually felt better than ever before. For the rainbow had gained energy from the flower he landed on. He also noticed that the flower was now colored. They held as much beauty as the rainbow did. 

Instead of being mad the rainbow was happy. He looked down on the flowers and saw how stunning they looked. It was a much better view then looking down and black and white all day. From that day, the rainbow took the job of painting the world. He asked the rainclouds to continue to rain while he helped add color to the world. He landed in a new spot day after day. He decided to paint the pines green, the water blue and give the flowers the color of their choice. As days went by color flourished over the ground. All the other elements loved the view. 

This is the story of how the color came into the world. With a simple accident, that lead to wonders. 

Colored the Flowers. By, Ian Sane on Flicker

Authors Note: I took the original story of When the Rainbow Was Torn. In the original story, there were cactus flowers that were white. The colors belonged to the rainbow. When the rainbow touched the ground everything around it soaked up its color. The cactus flower always hoped the rainbow would touch down on them. Yet the rainbow was afraid the towns would poke him. In the original story, the rainbow was heavy from all the rain drops and fell down on the cactus flower. It wasn't able to lift up due to the weight of raindrops. This is how the cactus flowers gained their color. In my story, I wanted to take away all color from earth. I gave the rainbow all the color and made him a selfish character, who didn't want to share. Until one day he grew too tired and fell on the flowers. I then turned the rainbows character around and made him giving. Once he realized he wouldn't lose his color and he could share it with everyone. Making earth a beautiful place to look at. 

Story Source: From the Tejas Legends: When the Rainbow Was Torn. Form When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton and illustrated by Berniece Burrough (1936).