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“Hey, Cloud! Move your shadow,” shouted the Mountain. “You’re blocking the sun.”
“It’s not me,” replied the cloud. “It’s the angle the sun is shining.”
“O sure, blame your incompetence on the sun,” yelled the Mountain. “Thanks to you clouds I haven’t seen the sun in days. And what happens on the first sunny day in awhile? Why you get in the way, and all I can see is your shadow!”
“You don’t have to be so mean about it,” responded a tearful cloud.
“O God, now he’s crying,” said the Mountain in disgust. “I haven’t dried out from the last cloud that couldn’t hold his water. And what does this one do? He starts crying! For the love of God!”
“Did you see that Momma?” asked the little cloud named Ruthie. “That mean old Mountain made that cloud cry.”
“Yes, I did, Ruthie,” replied the Mamma cloud. “Not everybody is as nice as they should be.”
“I hope you get infested with people mites!” yelled Ruthie.
“Hey, don’t joke about that,” replied the Mountain. “That’s not funny.”
“Well, you’d deserve it!” shouted Ruthie.
“Come on kid, that’s not nice,” responded the Mountain. “You don’t know what those people mites will do to you.”
“Well, look who’s trying to be nice now,” said the tearful cloud.
“Yeah, but you get infested with people mites and you start losing your trees,” observed the Mountain. “Before long there’s nothing left. You’re as bald as you can be.”
“Well, no one deserves that,” replied the tearful cloud. “I’m going to try and move over there and stop crying. You’re not worth dissipating myself over.”
“Thank you,” replied the Mountain. “And I’m sorry if I was a little rough with you.”
“Well, in that case, you’re welcome,” said the tearful cloud.
“Hey, hey, what’s up Sis?”
“Why hello, Sid,” replied Momma cloud.
“Uncle Sid!”
“Hello, kid,” responded Uncle Sid. “You’re getting bigger.”
“I just don’t want her to get too big,” observed Momma cloud. “I always have the fear of MCD.”
“What’s MCD, momma?”
“That’s Mad Cloud Disease, kid,” replied Uncle Sid.
“It’s where a cloud gets way too big and just goes mad,” explained Momma cloud. “It’s something we want to avoid if we can.”
“I just want to be a big old fluffy cloud,” replied Ruthie. “Just float and float and see the world.”
“It’s the only way to be, kid,” suggested Uncle Sid. “Wait a minute! Wait just one minute! I’ve got to count.”
Ruthie cloud and Momma cloud looked with amusement at Uncle Sid.
“Let’s see here! Let’s see here!” exclaimed an excited Uncle Sid. “1—2—3—4—5. Darn! I’m only Cloud 5!”
“Well, keep trying Sid,” smiled Momma cloud. “You’ll get there.”
“That I will do,” replied Uncle Sid. “Take care, Sis. Hey kid, keep it hanging.”“Bye Uncle Sid.”
As Ruthie and Mamma cloud watched Uncle Sid float off into the distance, they could faintly hear a roaring approaching from the east. As it continued to become louder, Mamma cloud suddenly recognized the sound.
“Quick, Ruthie, come over here!” demanded Mamma cloud.
“Why Mamma?” asked Ruthie.
“Get over here now!” yelled Mamma cloud.
Ruthie floated over to her mother just as an airplane flew by. If Ruthie had not moved, the plane would have flown through her.
“That was too close for comfort,” declared Mamma cloud.
“Oh, it was just a people plane,” shrugged Ruthie. “It can’t hurt me.”
“Well, we’re not going to take any chances,” offered Mamma cloud. “You never know what can happen with all those people mites in it.”
“I’m OK, mamma,” reflected Ruthie.
“I know you are, dear,” replied Mamma cloud. “You just listen to me and stay away from those people mites. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“OK, I will, mamma,” promised Ruthie.
“Hey, Ruthie, you wanta play?” shouted Judy cloud.
“Oh, momma, can I go play with Judy?” asked Ruthie.
“All right, but please be careful,” replied Momma cloud. “I don’t want you going near a desert!”
“I’ll be careful, momma,” promised Ruthie.
“You know what happens to clouds over a desert?” quizzed Momma cloud.
“Yes, momma, they dissipate,” replied Ruthie in her humblest voice. “We’re not going near a desert.”
“All right, have fun, dear,” smiled Momma cloud.
“Hey, Judy! Wait up! I can play,” shouted Ruthie.
“I believe of all the mother clouds, you worry the most about your little one,” said the Sun as he smiled at Momma cloud.
“Well, hello, Mr. Sun,” replied Mamma cloud. “I know I’m a worrywart. But I can’t help it with so many dangers in this world.”
“But we all have to die sometime,” observed the Sun. “It is all living creatures destiny.”
“Well, I know that’s true, but I want it to be later than sooner for Ruthie,” declared Momma cloud.
“May all living creatures have a mother as good as you,” remarked the Sun.
“Why thank you for such a kind remark,” replied Momma cloud. “Are you feeling well today, Mr. Sun?”
“Why yes, I am,” declared the Sun. “Why do you ask?”
“You seem to have an orange glow to you,” observed Momma cloud.
“Oh, that,” laughed the Sun. “It’s just I’m wearing Human Block. HPF 25.”
“HPF?” wondered Momma cloud.
“Yes, Human Protection Factor,” explained the Sun. “It’s recommended that you wear at least HPF 15, but I’m not taking any chances.”
“Is it that serious?”
“Well, it is summertime in the Northern hemisphere,” remarked the Sun. “That’s where most of the humans exist, so my exposure to them is greatest at this time of year.”
“I never knew you were so allergic to them,” observed Momma cloud.
“Oh, I don’t think I’m allergic,” replied the Sun. “It’s just a study that was done by Mercury, and backed up by a report from Venus, suggest that long term exposure to humans is unhealthy. So I wear the Human Block just to be safe.”
“I wonder if it’s something I need to be concerned about,” wondered Momma cloud. “Ruthie is so little and vulnerable.”
“I can’t answer that for you, ma’am,” replied the Sun. “But it is something to think about. Besides, I believe I look good with an orange tint.”
“Yes, you do,” observed Momma cloud. “It highlights some of your finest features.”
“Why, thank you, madam,” replied the Sun. “I might suggest you speak with the Moon about the dangers of human exposure.”
“Does he know much about it?” asked Mamma cloud.
“He might,” observed the Sun. “He still shudders when he thinks of the time he was infested with people mites.”
“That’s right,” reflected Momma cloud. “I had forgotten about that.”
“At least in his case it was a temporary condition that went away,” replied the Sun.
“I will speak with him tonight,” responded Momma cloud. “Thank you for letting me know about it, Mr. Sun.”
“My pleasure, madam,” replied the Sun. “You have a wonderful evening.”
“Thank you. And you do likewise.”
“Momma, I’m back,” laughed Ruthie.
“Did you have a good time playing with Judy?” asked Momma cloud.
“Oh, yeah. She’s the best friend you could have,” replied Ruthie.
“My, my. You look all hot,” observed Momma cloud. “Now you rest a bit and cool down. I don’t want you to overheat.”
“OK, mamma.”
“I’ve got a surprise for you,” beamed Momma cloud.
“Oh, what is it, mamma?”
“Judy, Wendy, and Shirley are coming over to sleep with you tonight,” revealed Momma cloud.
“Oh, mamma that is great! We’ll have so much fun!” cried an exuberant Ruthie.
“And Uncle Sid is going to come by and tell you one of his famous bedtime stories,” added Momma cloud.
“Oh, we’re gonna have so much fun,” laughed Ruthie. “Thank you mamma. You’re the best in the whole wide world!”
“You rest for now,” ordered Momma cloud. “You know how your Uncle Sid can be. He’s got as much energy as you little ones do, and if you try to keep up with him, you’ll wear yourself out.”
“I’m going to rest, momma,” replied Ruthie. “I’m kinda tired anyway.”
“Look, Ruthie, it’s getting late,” observed Momma cloud. “Some of the clouds are slowly falling to the earth.”
“Why are they doing that?” asked Ruthie.
“It’s their way of resting for the night,” replied Momma cloud. “Instead of floating in the air, they’ll lie on the ground.”
“Aren’t they afraid of people mites?” wondered Ruthie.
“I’ve never tried it myself,” replied Momma cloud. “But the ones that have, tell me they’ve had no problems. They call it ‘fogging’.”
“Can I try it sometime, momma?”
“We’ll see, Ruthie. We’ll see.”
“Uncle Sid, all the girls are waiting for you to tell them a bedtime story,” yelled Mamma cloud.
“Wait a minute! Wait just one minute! I’ve got to count,” declared an excited Sid. “Let’s see here! Let’s see here! 1—2—3—4—5—6—7. Darn! I’m only Cloud 7!”
“Uncle Sid!” yelled all the girl clouds.
“I’m coming! I’m coming!” replied Sid. “Well who all do we have here?”
“I’m Judy.”
“I’m Wendy.”
“I’m Shirley.”
“And just who is this little cloud here?” smiled Sid.
“Oh, Uncle Sid, it’s me, Ruthie,” replied Ruthie cloud.
“O my, it’s so dark I almost didn’t recognize you,” laughed Sid. “Are you girls ready for a story?”
“Yes!!”
“OK. Once upon a time, when I was a little whisper like you girls, I decided to go sleep by myself,” explained Sid. “My mother told me not to do it, but I thought I was big enough to go out on my own. I got so far away from my mother that I couldn’t see her anymore. The night was dark and creepy. It looked a lot like the way it looks tonight.”
The girl clouds did not move as their attention was fixed on Uncle Sid.
“I was about to fall asleep,” continued Uncle Sid. “When I heard this eerie noise. It was a low moaning sound. I had never heard any sound like it before. It sounded like: ‘Ohhhh-hhh’.”
The girls looked at each other and then back at Uncle Sid.
“I looked around and I couldn’t see where the sound was coming from,” explained Uncle Sid. “I thought at first my mother was playing a trick on me, but she was too far away. Before long, I heard the sound again. This time it was a little louder and a little closer. Ohhhh-hhh!”
The girls moved closer to each other.
“I looked to my left. I looked to my right. I looked up. I looked down,” continued Uncle Sid. “I just could not see where the sound was coming from. I was about to fall asleep when I heard the moaning very loud and very close to me! Ohhhh-hhh!”
The girls were holding each other and trembling.
“I slowly, but surely turned to my back, and there staring me in the face,” Uncle Sid said in a slow deliberate manner. “Was a Weremoon!”
Uncle Sid moved a little to reveal a full moon staring at the girl clouds. The moon shining through Uncle Sid made its face look like it had hair all over it.
“Run girls! The Weremoon is going to eat you! Run for your lives, girls,” shouted Uncle Sid as the moon let out a bone-rattling howl.
The girls were so terrified they could not move. They just floated and screamed as loud as they could.
“Sid! What are you doing to those girls?” asked a startled Mamma cloud.
“Oh, I was just having some fun with them,” replied a chastised Sid.
“Fun? You call that fun?” replied Mamma cloud. “Look at them. You’ve upset them so much they’ve wet themselves!”
“O I’m sorry, sis. I didn’t mean for them to do that,” answered a humbled Sid. “Come on girls, quit raining. The moon and I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I’m sorry too, girls,” replied the Moon. “We thought it would be funny, but I guess it’s not.”
Slowly the girl clouds quit crying and turned to Uncle Sid and the moon.
“That was a great story, Uncle Sid!” offered Ruthie. All the other girls agreed with Ruthie.
“What?” asked Mamma cloud. “You liked being scared like that?”
“Sure, mamma,” replied Ruthie. “Uncle Sid tells the best stories.”
“Well, I just don’t know what to say,” reflected Mamma cloud. “OK, you girls try and get some sleep now. I don’t know how you can after a story like that, but please try.”
The girls all said “Goodnight” and slowly drifted off to sleep.
“Sis, I believe they’re a lot tougher than you give them credit for,” remarked Sid.
“You may be right,” replied Mamma cloud. “I guess it’s just the mother in me.”
“They’re some good children, Mrs. Cloud,” observed the Moon. “I’ve watched Ruthie from when she was just a wisp of moisture. Look at her now. I know you’re proud of her.”
“Yes, I am, Mr. Moon,” replied Mamma cloud as she beamed with pride. “If you have a moment, Mr. Moon, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Why certainly, I have all night,” offered the Moon.
“I was speaking today with Mr. Sun,” revealed Mamma cloud. “He was concerned about too much exposure to humans. He said it was not healthy for him, and so I was wondering what about us clouds? He suggested I speak with you since once you were infested with people mites.”
“Yes I was,” revealed the Moon. “But it was a very mild case. I only found two at a time and they didn’t last long at all.”
“I just hope we’re not being overexposed to them,” worried Mamma cloud.
“I don’t believe you have anything to worry about,” observed the Moon. “When clouds go fogging they come in direct contact with people mites and it hasn’t hurt them.”
“I suppose you’re right, Mr. Moon,” conceded Mamma cloud. “I still can’t help but worry.”
“Well, I’m afraid you have far more to worry about than exposure to humans,” offered the Moon.
“What’s going on?” asked Uncle Sid.
“Out over the ocean, just off the coast, there’s a gang forming,” explained the Moon.
“A hurrigang?” asked an alarmed Mamma cloud.
“I’m afraid so,” replied the Moon. “A bunch of clouds have got overheated and have joined together to form a hurrigang.”
“Are they headed this way?” inquired Uncle Sid.
“It appears to be so,” answered the Moon. “They’re sucking in every cloud that gets in their way. If I were you two, I’d be trying to float up the coast to get away from them.”
“Quick, Sid, help me wake the children,” ordered Mamma cloud. “We have no time to waste!”
Sid and Mamma cloud awoke the children clouds and sent Judy, Wendy, and Shirley back to their parents with the warning of the approaching hurrigang. Mamma cloud, Sid, and Ruthie started making their way up the coast to escape the coming storm.
“Mamma, this wind is making it hard to float,” complained Ruthie.
“Hang in there, kid,” reassured Sid. “Just a few more miles and we’ll be in the clear.”
“I’m right here with you,” said Mamma cloud.
Suddenly, off in the east, came a tornado heading directly for the three clouds.
“Run, Ruthie, run!” yelled Mamma cloud. The three clouds scattered as they ran for their lives away from the approaching tornado. Once Ruthie was away from danger she turned and found she was out over the ocean. She looked and looked but could not see her mother or Uncle Sid.
“Mamma!”
“Mamma!”
“Uncle Sid!” cried Ruthie as she realized for the first time in her life she was alone.
Finally Ruthie realized she had to stop crying or she would dissipate herself. She gathered the courage to stop raining and made up her mind that she would find her mother, no matter what or how long it took.
When the morning came and the sun rose in the sky, Ruthie took a long look around her. All she could see was ocean. She could feel the water vapors from the ocean rising and joining her to make her bigger. This made her feel stronger but how could she find the shoreline of the coast. In the middle of the ocean every way looked the same. Ruthie realized she needed someone’s help in determining which way she should go.
Looking way up in the sky she saw a thin, wispy, feather-like cloud floating high in the sky. Maybe he was high enough to see the coast and could help her find her way.
“Hello!” yelled Ruthie. “Hello! Mr. Cirrus.”
“H-Hello, little c-cloud,” replied Mr. Cirrus. “H-How are you, t-today?”
“I’m OK, thank you, but I am a little lost,” reflected Ruthie. “How are you today?”
“O-Oh, it’s c-cold up here,” revealed Mr. Cirrus. “It’s always c-cold up here.”
“Why don’t you come down here where it’s warmer?” asked Ruthie.
“B-Because I, uh, uh, I n-never t-thought of t-that,” responded Mr. Cirrus. “I-I’ll have t-to t-try t-that sometime.”
“It’s really nice down here,” revealed Ruthie. “But I was wondering if you would be kind enough to help me find my way?”
“W-Where you t-trying to g-go?” asked Mr. Cirrus.
“I got lost from my mother in last night’s storm,” replied Ruthie. “We were making our way up the coast.”
“T-That gang of t-thuds s-sure made a n-nasty s-storm last n-night,” reflected Mr. Cirrus. “B-But if you head s-straight, you’ll f-find the sh-shore.”
“Why, thank you so much, Mr. Cirrus,” exclaimed an exuberant Ruthie. “Stay warm!”
“I-I’ll t-try, k-kid,” replied Mr. Cirrus. “G-Good l-luck.”
It seemed like it took forever, but finally Ruthie found herself back at the coastline. Ruthie looked to her left and then her right trying to determine which way her mother had been going when the storm came. Slowly she begin to realize how lost she was. Feeling a surge of panic she began to cry.
“Hey, little cloud, you don’t need to be raining too much. You’re too little and if you’re not careful, you’ll wash yourself away.”
Ruthie turned to see the dirtiest and smelliest cloud she had ever seen. Trying not to be rude, she quit crying and smiled at the dirty cloud.
“I’m trying to be brave,” replied Ruthie. “But I’ve got lost from my mother and I’m getting scared.”
“Well, you look like a pretty brave cloud to me,” replied the dirty cloud. “Let me introduce myself. My name is Smoggy.”
“Nice to meet you Smoggy. My name is Ruthie.”
“Well, Ruthie, how did you lose your mother?” asked Smoggy.
Ruthie explained about the hurrigang and the tornado and how they had to run to escape from the storms.
“Well, those storms scare me, and I’m a lot bigger than you are,” reflected Smoggy.
“Is it possible that you might have seen my mother or my uncle?” asked Ruthie.
“I’m sorry, Ruthie, but I haven’t seen them,” replied Smoggy. “I don’t get out into the country much. I usually stay close to where the people mites bunch together.”
“Aren’t you afraid of them?” asked Ruthie. “I’ve been told to stay away from people mites.”
“Oh, they ain’t that bad,” replied Smoggy. “They’re usually too busy doing what people mites do, to pay much attention to me.”
“I didn’t know that,” reflected Ruthie. “I always thought they were trying to hurt us clouds.”
“Well, I guess sometimes they do,” reflected Smoggy. “But I don’t think they do it on purpose. They just get caught up in their own little lives and don’t see much going on around them.”
“So they’re not really bad after all,” mused Ruthie.
“Excuse me, but I-I-I’m g-g-going to, Ahhh-Choooo,” said Smoggy as he sneezed.
Ruthie moved a little to her left to avoid the dirt flying her way from Smoggy’s gigantic sneeze. More dirt flew as Smoggy shook himself to keep from sneezing again.
“Bless you.”
“Why thank you, Ruthie,” replied Smoggy. “Look, I’m going to float south. Why don’t you head north? If I see your mother, I’ll send her your way.”
“That is really kind of you Smoggy,” reflected Ruthie. “Thank you very much.”
“You’re welcome,” replied Smoggy. “And remember, you don’t have to be afraid of anything but deserts. After all you’re a cloud!”
Ruthie bid Smoggy farewell and headed north in search of her mother. Before long she came to a mountain range. As the sun was setting she moved closer to the mountain so as not to be out in the open. She was about to fall asleep when she noticed a people path on the side of the mountain. Ruthie had never been so close to a people path. Her mother had always warned her to stay up in the sky safely away from people mites. Curiosity made her move closer to the path and lightly touch it. The path was the hardest thing she had ever touched. It was not soft and fluffy like her and the rest of the clouds.
Suddenly, from around the side of the mountain came a people carrier. It pulled right up close to Ruthie and stopped. Ruthie knew she should run away, but for some reason, she did not feel afraid at all. Out of the carrier came three people mites. Two of them were big and the third one was smaller. They were making noises while looking toward Ruthie.
Before she could react, the littlest one came right up to Ruthie. They both took a moment to stare at each other. This little people mite was one of the strangest looking creatures that Ruthie had ever seen.
Smiling, the small creature reached out to touch Ruthie. Fighting the urge to pull away, she let the little one touch her. The touch did not feel bad to Ruthie. In fact, it felt like a tickle. Ruthie smiled to herself as the little people mite turned and ran back to the bigger ones. Smoggy had been right. There was nothing to fear from the people mites.
As the mites returned to their people carrier, Ruthie could hear the gentle snoring of the clouds as they settled down for the night. One of the snores sounded very familiar. Ruthie headed in the direction of the sound.
“Uncle Sid!”
“Hmmph?!?”
“Uncle Sid, wake up!” yelled Ruthie.
“What?!? Is it time to count?” asked a sleepy Sid.
“No, it’s me, Ruthie!”
“Ruthie?!? Oh, Ruthie,” responded Sid. “Kid I’ve been worried about you. I thought we had lost you.”
“I was lost,” replied Ruthie. “But my cloud friends help me find my way back.”
“That’s great, kid,” observed Sid. “You’ve grown some since I last saw you.”
“I know,” reflected Ruthie. “I was out over the water and I soaked up some moisture.”
“Well, I’m very proud of you,” smiled Sid. “My little niece found her way back home and has grown up to be a nice fluffy cloud.”
“Uncle Sid, do you know where mamma is?” asked Ruthie.
“Uh, I hate to be the one to tell you, kid,” responded Sid. “But your mother has taken sick.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, she was very worried about you,” explained Sid. “When she couldn’t find you, she started imagining all types of terrible things happening to you.”
“But, Uncle Sid, nothing terrible happened to me,” reflected Ruthie.
“I can see that, kid,” responded Sid. “I tried to reason with your mother, but she wouldn’t listen to me or anyone else.”
“What happened?”
“She worried herself sick,” explained Sid. “She kept on until she started heating up and gathering moisture. Nobody could stop her. She got bigger and bigger and now, she’s, uh, well, the fact is, kid, she’s gone mad.”
“Mamma’s got mad cloud disease?” asked a startled Ruthie.
“I’m afraid so,” replied Sid. “And it’s not a pretty sight either.”
“I’ve got to help her, Uncle Sid,” declared Ruthie.
“Look, kid, there’s nothing that can be done,” reflected Sid. “Once a cloud goes mad, they stay that way until they dissipate.”
“Where is she?”
“You see that lightning in the distance?” asked Sid. “That’s your mother.”
“I’m going to go and help her,” declared Ruthie.
“No, kid, it’s not safe,” warned Sid. “She’s mad. She won’t recognize you.”
“I don’t care,” replied Ruthie. “My mamma is not going to dissipate!”
“Kid, come back here. Please,” begged Sid. “She doesn’t know you anymore. She’ll just suck you up and then both of you will be gone.”
Ignoring Sid’s pleas, Ruthie headed toward the thunderhead cloud. As she approached she could feel the wind blowing stronger. Lightning was striking everywhere and the rain was pouring as hard as Ruthie had ever seen.
“Mamma?!?”
The mad cloud turned and looked at Ruthie. “COME HERE LITTLE CLOUD AND I’LL MAKE YOU PART OF ME.”
“Mamma, it’s me, Ruthie.”
“THERE IS NO RUTHIE,” declared the mad cloud. “SHE IS NO MORE. SHE WAS TAKEN BY A HURRIGANG.”
“No, mama, it really is me!”
“I TELL YOU THERE IS NO RUTHIE CLOUD,” shouted the mad cloud. “QUIT TRYING MY PATIENCE AND COME CLOSER. I NEED YOUR ENERGY!”
“Mamma, you’re scaring me!” cried Ruthie. “I don’t know what to do. Mamma, please don’t be mad.”
The ground rattled from the ferocious lightning coming from the mad cloud. A small river started overflowing its banks as a result of the blinding rain falling. Ruthie could not control herself and started crying rain.
“COME HERE. NOW!” yelled the mad cloud.
“Mamma, stop this now!” ordered Ruthie. “It is me, Ruthie. I love you. Uncle Sid loves you. All the clouds that know you love you. You don’t have to be this way! Look at me, mamma! Look at me!!”
The mad cloud looked directly at Ruthie. A lightning bolt flashed in the sky as hail began pelting the earth.
“RUTHIE?!?”
“Yes, mama,” smiled Ruthie. “I’ve grown some, but I am your daughter, Ruthie.”
“I DON’T KNOW,” reflected the mad cloud. “You’re Ruthie?”
“Yes, I am,” declared Ruthie. “I know you love me, mamma. Look! Over there is Uncle Sid. He loves you, too. See, he’s crying, too.”
“Actually, I’m taking a leak, kid,” whispered Sid.
“Oh, Ruthie, I thought you were gone and I would never see you again,” cried Momma cloud.
“I know,” replied Ruthie. “But I made it back. I’m OK.”
“I couldn’t find you, Ruthie,” offered Mamma cloud. “I couldn’t face living without you.”
“Oh, mamma, it’s all right,” replied Ruthie. “I’ve met some of the nicest clouds, and even the people mites were nice. If you will just stop storming, I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Come on, sis,” pleaded Sid. “I want to hear all about the kid’s adventures. I know you do too.”
“It’s hard, but I’ll try to cool down,” replied Mamma cloud.
Ruthie and Sid looked into the sky to see two bright shiny objects descending toward them. In a few moments they came to rest upon Mamma cloud.
“Uncle Sid, they’re beautiful,” declared Ruthie. “What are they?”
“Well, I’ll be,” marveled Sid. “I do believe they’re angels. Look! They’re floating on a cloud.”
“Oh, Uncle Sid, look, they’re calming mamma down,” exclaimed an excited Ruthie. “She’s stopped storming!”
“I have never seen such a thing in my life,” declared Sid.
“Are you feeling better, mamma?” asked Ruthie.
“Much better,” replied Mamma cloud. “Oh, I’m so ashamed. I acted so bad.”
“Oh, sis, take it easy on yourself,” observed Sid. “Look on the bright side. We got Ruthie back and you’re not sick anymore. What could be better than that?”
“Uncle Sid’s right, mamma,” reflected Ruthie.
“You just need to learn to lighten up, sis,” stated Sid. “Your little cloud is growing up. Don’t fret your life away about what could harm her. If you worry about her all the time, then you’re going to miss the fun of watching her grow up.”
“Well, listen to that,” smiled Mamma cloud. “My brother, Sid, has suddenly become a philosopher.”
“Well, there’s more to me than just thin air,” replied Sid.
“What Uncle Sid is saying is true, mamma,” observed Ruthie.
“I know it is, dear,” agreed Mamma cloud. “It’ll be hard, but I’m going to try my best.”
“Oh, mamma, I love you,” smiled Ruthie.
“And I love you, Ruthie cloud.”
“Wait a minute! Wait just one minute! I’ve got to count,” declared an excited Sid. “Let’s see here! Let’s see here! 1—2—3—4—5—6—7—8—9. O my God! O my God! I’m Cloud 9! Look Sis! Look here, Ruthie! I’m Cloud 9!! I can’t believe it! I just cannot believe it! I’m Cloud 9! I’m so happy! Look out everybody, I’m Cloud 9!!!”
Ruthie and Mamma cloud laughed as they watched Uncle Sid flitter from one cloud to another.
“He finally did it, mamma.”
“Yes, he did,” smiled Mamma cloud. “Everything is right again.”
“And mamma, when you look at it, isn’t this big old world really beautiful?” asked Ruthie.
“Yes, dear, when everything is right, it sure is a beautiful world,” reflected Mamma cloud.
“Even with all those people mites?”
“Yes, Ruthie, even with all those people mites.”
THE END
Copyright ©2003 by Jerry W. Crews
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