KD ~j~
(dashed lines indicate a two-page picture book style spread)
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Let Droplet Drop
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This particular adventure begins in the watery world of beautiful River.
Droplet, one of River’s many such inhabitants, flows freely about.
“This is fun,” says Droplet.
Many many others in the river come together in agreement with Droplet and declare their joy in unison.
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After a while, Droplet’s joy is interrupted.
“Help!” cries Droplet. “What is happening to me? I am afraid!”
“Get ready Droplet. You are coming to be with me.”
“But I do not want to go with you!” cries Droplet.
“You are close to the surface, so you must leave River and come to me,” says Sun.
Droplet starts to feel very different while stretching quite thin and becoming lighter and lighter.
“I am very afraid!” cries Droplet. “What is happening to me?”
Then, effortlessly, Droplet leaves River and floats up toward Sun.
Droplet rises slowly toward Sun, looks down and cries, “Oh no! River, you are getting so small and far away. I want to come back to you where I belong!”
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Gradually, Droplet becomes aware of many many others gathering together.
“You have never been here before, have you?”
Droplet turns and sees brilliant light shining everywhere off a myriad of sparkling new companions.
“You are here with us now, Droplet,” says Cloud.
“I like it here,” says Droplet. “I feel so very light and free, and there is so much more to see from here.”
“Yes,” says Cloud as the myriad of others come together in agreement with Droplet and declare their joy in unison.
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Droplet is very content with Cloud, but soon begins to feel another change in the wind.
Cloud becomes colder and more crowded. Droplet gets pushed around quite a bit and starts to feel heavier and heavier.
“Time to go Droplet,” says Cloud.
“What is happening to me? I am starting to feel like I did before I came up here to be with you,” says Droplet.
“You must learn to fall Droplet,” says Cloud.
“What is fall? I do not want to fall. I am afraid to fall!” cries Droplet.
“We all must fall to Earth, Droplet. You will see,” says Cloud.
Then, effortlessly, Droplet leaves Cloud and falls down toward Earth.
“Falling is very very scary!” cries Droplet. “It is much faster than rising and I am going to hit Earth hard if I do not stop this falling!”
“Cloud, help me! Please help me! I want to come back to you where I belong!” cries Droplet.
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On the way down, Droplet joins a myriad of other companions creating a beautiful arched spectrum of color.
“This is all very beautiful,” says Droplet. “But, I am still going to hit Earth hard if I do not stop this falling!”
“Do not worry Droplet! I will catch you!” says Earth.
Beautiful green leaves reach out and bend gently as they carefully deliver Droplet to Earth.
“That was not so scary,” says Droplet. “In fact, it was quite fun.”
“You are in Meadow now, Droplet,” says Earth.
Droplet notices that Meadow life is still instead of moving around like River and Cloud.
Every morning, Droplet is quite content being one small part of an orchestra of others who greet each day in the shimmering brilliance of dawning Sun.
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One day, Deer walks cautiously in Meadow to eat lush green Grass.
Droplet is quite taken with Deer’s beauty, but gets a little fearful as Deer walks closer and closer.
“Watch out Deer! You are going to step right on me!” says Droplet.
Suddenly Deer stops and bends closer to give Droplet a kiss.
“Thank you,” says Droplet.
But instead of a kiss, Deer eats Grass with Droplet right on it.
“Help! Deer, what are you doing? I am not Grass! Stop this right now!” cries Droplet.
Suddenly, it is very dark and Droplet is very afraid and lonely.
“Meadow! Where are you Meadow? I want to come back to you where I belong!” cries Droplet.
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A long time passes and Droplet is quite sure that life will always be dark and lonely.
Then, something next to Droplet gets bigger and bigger and closer and closer.
Every day it looks more and more like Deer, but much smaller.
“Hello,” says Droplet. “You are very cute, but it is getting crowded here. Would you please move over?”
Then Droplet gets pushed around quite a bit and feels everything all around squeezing tighter and tighter.
Suddenly, Droplet sees Deer nuzzling and kissing Fawn.
Fawn gets up, frolics about and gives Droplet a ride in late afternoon Sun.
Droplet nestles into the fur around Fawn’s neck and says, “This is fun! Oh, Fawn, I love you so much.”
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Suddenly, Fawn stops and Deer cries out in alarm, “Wolf is in Meadow!”
Droplet sees Wolf running very fast toward Fawn.
“Wolf looks very mad, Fawn!” cries Droplet. “Run quickly back to Deer, now!”
Wolf leaps and takes a big bite into Fawn’s neck.
Droplet is terrified and bloody and hears Fawn cry out while everything around gets darker and darker.
“Don’t leave, Fawn!” cries Droplet. “I want to go back to you where I belong.”
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Once again, Droplet is in a dark and lonely place.
“I do not like it here!” cries Droplet. “Wolf is mean and horrible. I will not stay here.”
Droplet works very hard and by mid evening moves into Wolf’s throat.
“You let me out of here now, Wolf!” cries Droplet. “You are mean and I will not stay with you.”
Suddenly, Droplet feels vibrations and hears beautiful sounds coming from all around as Wolf howls at Moon.
Droplet looks through Wolf’s mouth during each long howl and sees Moon gloriously surrounded by twinkling stars. Other wolves join in harmony and create the most beautiful sound that Droplet has ever heard.
“Oh, Wolf, I could listen to this forever!” says Droplet. “Your music and the sight of evening Sky bring me such contentment and peace.”
Then Wolf takes a few steps down a rocky bank, bends down, laps up a drink of cool flowing water and delivers Droplet once again to River.
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“Hello River. It is good to be with you again,” says Droplet. “I have missed you so.”
But River has no time for Droplet. River is very very busy.
“River! What are you doing?” cries Droplet. “You are hurting me! Please slow down!”
“I can not slow down! The banks of Earth are narrow here, and I must pass through!” cries River. “You had better hold on Droplet. This is going to be a rough ride!”
Through rapids and waterfalls Droplet gets crashed around quite a bit and is very very sorry about ever being back in River.
“I want you to be like you were before, River. You are too rough now, and I am feeling very very dizzy.”
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After quite a while, Droplet feels River finally slow down.
“Thank you for slowing down, River. I was getting awfully sick,” says Droplet.
Slowly, Droplet notices more and more salt in River.
“What is happening River? This salt stings a bit,” says Droplet.
“We are at the end of the journey and embracing Ocean,” says River.
“Do not worry Droplet. Ocean will take good care of you. You will see.”
Eventually, Droplet gets used to the salt and enjoys the vast wonders of Ocean.
One day, however, Droplet hears the familiar voice of Sun saying, “You are close to the surface, so you must leave Ocean and come to me.”
Droplet remembers rising to Sun before and says, “I am not afraid. Rising to Cloud is fun.”
Then, effortlessly, Droplet leaves Ocean and floats up toward Sun.
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“Hello Cloud. It is good to be with you again,” says Droplet. “I have missed you so.”
But Cloud has no time for Droplet. Cloud is very very busy.
“Cloud! What are you doing?” cries Droplet. “You are hurting me! Please stop rumbling”
“I can not stop rumbling! The winds of Sky are moving, and I must flow with them!” cries Cloud. “You had better hold on Droplet. This is going to be a rough ride!”
Through upwelling and billowing Droplet gets crashed around quite a bit and is very very sorry about ever being back in Cloud.
“I want you to be like you were before, Cloud. You are too rough now, and I am feeling very very dizzy.”
Cloud gets colder and colder and Droplet starts to feel very different while becoming stiff and crinkly all over.
“I am very afraid!” cries Droplet. “What is happening to me?”
Then, effortlessly, Droplet leaves Cloud and falls back down toward Earth.
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“I remember falling before, but this time it is fun! I am floating more gently to Earth.”
“And look at me! I am sparkly and shiny and quite geometrically striking,” says Droplet.
Droplet spins and flurries toward Earth in floating abandon.
Many many others enjoying their unique brilliant and sparkling beauty come together in agreement with Droplet and declare their joy in unison.
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Then, Droplet looks down and notices Boy walking in snow covered Meadow below.
Boy skips about and jumps with arms raised to embrace the gentle snowfall.
Droplet happily watches Boy all the way to Earth and is eager to meet Boy and join all the fun.
Boy moves side-to-side and matches Droplet’s swaying movement toward Earth.
Droplet and Boy dance in unison until suddenly Droplet lands right in the middle of Boy’s tongue.
“That is not fair, Boy! What are you doing?” cries Droplet. “You have ruined all the fun. It is dark in here. I want to be in Meadow where I belong!”
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Winter turns to Spring and Spring to Summer.
It is dark inside Boy and Droplet is quite sad and lonely.
Suddenly, Droplet notices more and more light coming quickly.
Droplet is moving toward Boy’s eye and sees Meadow.
“Yes, Boy, yes! There is Meadow. I want to go back to Meadow!” cries Droplet.
But Droplet hears a painful cry as the pocketknife cuts deep into Boy’s finger.
Droplet falls from Boy’s eye and lands on the pocketknife as it falls to Earth and Boy runs away.
“Boy! What is happening, Boy?” cries Droplet. “This is your blood next to me and I am very very afraid!”
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Droplet tries to leave the pocketknife but is unable to move and becomes affixed with brown rust.
Many years pass and Droplet gives up all hope of ever leaving the pocketknife.
Gone are all the pleasant memories of River, Cloud, Ocean, and the joyful times of rain, snow and morning dew.
Confined to rust and dirtiness, Droplet gives in to utter loneliness and despair.
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One day, Earth begins to tremble, but Droplet is not interested.
Earth trembles more and more and says, “River is on the move.”
“I do not care about anything anymore,” says Droplet.
“River is getting wider and wider, Droplet,” says Earth. “There is a storm in the North.”
Slowly and gradually River begins to mix with Earth and make its way toward Droplet and the pocketknife.
“I am starting to move, Earth. I am afraid. What is happening to me?” cries Droplet.
“Do not worry about Mud, Droplet. You will see,” says Earth.
Then, effortlessly, the pocketknife sweeps into River, sinks and bounces on the rocky bottom.
After many bounces, Droplet finally releases from the rusted pocketknife.
“River, River! You came for me River!” cries Droplet. “I thought I would never see you again.”
“Welcome back, Droplet!” says River. “I have missed you so.”
And, this particular adventure ends in the watery world of beautiful River.
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