Rosie's Umbrella - a lyttlejoe Tale

Chapter 2

Gil flapped his large wings and, taking the tip of the umbrella in his beak, began climbing higher into the sky. "Wreeech! Hang on little girl Rosie."

She looked down and watched as the landscape became smaller and smaller, hidden now and then by wisps of white cloud. It was very scary. Suddenly they stopped climbing and there was a sharp jerk and a bump, and a loud voice that startled her.

"Phooomph! Hey watch out there! Be careful where you're going." "Ooops, sorry Cotton," she heard Gil exclaim, "didn't see you there. I'm taking this little girl to see Mr. Gusty. He got under her wing and lifted her way up and she can't get down."

"Hmmmph! That Mr. Gusty is always bothering somebody," the voice said, "look what he does to me."

"Don't be afraid, Rosie," Gil said, setting Rosie down on a pillow of soft white cloud, "this is my friend Cotton. Cotton Batty. We can rest here for a minute or two."

Nervously, Rosie felt the cloud and found that it was soft and comfortable and it held her quite safely. "Thank you Mr. Batty," Rosie said, as she closed her umbrella and sat back to rest, "my arms were really getting sore and tired."

"Hey, look at that," Gil whooped, "her wing folds right up into a stick."

"Poooph," Cotton chided, "why that's an umbrella. I see plenty of those on the ground when I catch a cold."

Rosie looked up surprised. "How does a cloud catch a cold?" "Hmmph! Easy." Said Cotton, plumping his white billows around him, "Have you never seen me when I'm all grey and heavy looking; or when I'm sneezing and coughing?

Why take today for instance. I had a small cold for a little while. You must have heard me coughing before my eyes started watering so badly; you had your umbrella out didn't you?"

Rosie thought for a moment then said, "You mean the thunder I heard was you coughing, and the rain was from your eyes watering?"

"Phuumph! Thunder shmunder. I don't know what you call it but I surely was coughing and yes, your rain water was from my watery eyes." Cotton puffed some more and looked to Gil for support. "Explain it to her Gil, she doesn't seem to believe me."

Gil strutted around on Cotton's lap flapping his wings. "Oh it's true Rosie. Mr. Hottenbright up there," he said, indicating the sun way off through the clouds, "fills poor Cotton's head with so much moisture, why sometimes he coughs and sneezes for days. And Mr. Gusty just loves to push him around when he isn't feeling well."

Rosie shook her head and thought quietly for a moment, "I think I understand," she said, sitting up and ticking off her thoughts on her fingers, "Mr. Hottenbright is the sun. Mr. Gusty is the wind and noisy thunderclouds and rain come from Mr. Batty when he has a cold!"

"Arrrk! Don't forget sneezing," Gil nodded knowingly toward Cotton. "Lightening!" Rosie cried with discovery. "I bet that's what lightening is - a sneeze!"

"Shooosh! I don't know from lightening," exclaimed Cotton, "but the sky sure brightens up each time I do sneeze, and you don't have to call me mister either. My name is Cotton." Just then he began to shake causing Rosie and Gil to tumble from their comfortable seats.

"What's happening?" Cried Rosie.

"It's Mr. Gusty," moaned Cotton, "I'm breaking up. Mr. Hottenbright is planning on going to bed soon and Old Gusty loves to get me out of the way so the Twinkle family can see better. You'd better unfold your wing and fly away before I completely disappear."