Nola’s Storm-Cloud Gift — Every day, Nola raced through the meadow before the bees woke, tying bright pollen flags to the tallest flower stems. Read the full story →
Every day, Nola raced through the meadow before the bees woke, tying bright pollen flags to the tallest flower stems. She wanted every bloom to know which way the wind was charging, and the dry grass hissed against her ankles as she ran. Until one day, two huge clouds climbed over the hills, grumbling like empty wagons, and every flag snapped the wrong way at once.
Because of that, Nola ducked under the bent thistle where nobody bothered to look, hoping for one quiet knot of air. Instead, her fingers found a hollow stem packed with cool silver rainseeds, hidden there by last spring’s storm. Because of that, she shook the seeds over the far ridge while everyone watched the sky, not her. “Go fast,” she whispered.
The rainseeds burst with a peppery wet smell, pattering first on the farmhouse roof, then along the thirsty rows. By sunset, the clouds rolled on, the flowers stood taller, and Nola had no ribbon left for her own flag. Next time you spot the tallest stems leaning into the wind, can you guess where her bright pollen flags began?
