The Sue Atkins Wednesday Story To Ponder

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 Here is a lovely story from my never ending notebook and everlasting coloured pencil from my new friends http://www.ParentingExtra.com  that I met on Twitter http://twitter.com/ParentingExtra

The Colour of Friendship

“This story teaches us to recognise that we are different, and that it is our differences that give us the ability to take on different jobs. Each person has a place in our community. However, the story comes with a warning. We will never be happy, or do our jobs as well, unless we work together. Encourage your child to see that respect, peace, love and harmony are the basic tools we should use with everyone. Equality for all- plus a little extra respect for your elders! 

Once, a long time ago, all the colours of the world began to argue. They each claimed they were the best and most important colour. Here is what they said:

Green said: “I am obviously the most important, because there is more of me than any other colour. I am the colour for the grass, the leaves, the trees and mosses. All the animals would die without me. Clearly, I am the colour of life and hope.

Blue frowned: “Green, you have it wrong. The Earth is more than just the ground. I am the colour of the sea and sky. I am water, the starting place of life. All of your grass, trees and leaves depend on the rain from my sky. Without me, the earth would be scorched and barren.

Yellow  laughed: “You need me to be able to rain, Blue. My heat draws the waters of the sea up into the clouds in the sky and it is when I let the clouds cool that the water comes down. I bring heat and light into the world through the sun, moon and stars. None of you bring Daffodils into the world, to show the end of winter, or sunflowers to start summer. I bring smiles and laughter, so without me, there would be no fun.

Orange smirked: “I am the one who is most important, because I am not everywhere, so when I’m seen, I’m special. At sunset and sunrise, my colour fills the sky and everyone forgets the other colours. I am the colour of health and strength. The orange fruits and vegetables bring precious vitamins that are found nowhere else.

Red shouted: “I am the most important, for I am the colour of blood. Without me, there would be no animals. I am the colour of love, danger and bravery.

Purple stood up: “I am the colour of Leaders and power. The robes of all the great leaders were coloured with me. I am not questioned, people hear and obey!

Finally Indigo spoke, very quietly. “I am the colour of silence and thought. You don’t notice me, but without me, you are just loud and showy. I am the colour of twilight and deep water. You need me to give balance and peace.”  

The colours didn’t stop there; they just continued arguing about who was best until…

FLASH

CRASH BOOM

The thunder rolled, the lightning flashed and the rain poured down. As the rain fell on each of the shouting colors, he heard what they were saying.

“Foolish colours” he said. “Don’t you know that you are each created for a different special reason, and that all of you are needed for the world to work? You each have your purpose to fulfill. Each of us will miss out if you don’t all work together. Shake hands and say you are sorry.”

The colours were ashamed of themselves and were soon apologising, and back to being friends. After a time, the rain stopped. The dark clouds rolled away. All the colours worked extra hard, and the world seemed much brighter, much more full of beautiful colours than before.

A few days later, the rain started again, and once again, the colors were quarrelling. The rain was shocked. He said “ But you know that each of you is special and has a purpose, and that each of you are different so that all the different jobs can be done. What is there is fight about?”  

Rain realised that there was no point in just asking them to say sorry. They had to do something together, that needed all of them, so they could each see that there was a place for everyone. So, rain asked them to form a bridge of colour across the sky after each heavy rainfall. They still weren’t perfect, and weren’t nice all of the time, but the colours got along much better, because they had a regular reminder that their differences were needed.

Every time you see at a rainbow, remind your child that each of the colors has their job to do in the rainbow, and while the rainbow could still be formed with one of them missing, it would not be as beautiful. It’s the same with our world. If one of us decides not to contribute, not to do everything they can, the world still is there, but it’s not as special as it could be.”

Read more: Teaching Diversity: The Crayon Box that Talked  
From: http://www.ParentingExtra.com (http://twitter.com/ParentingExtra)  
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution


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