This came about because I'm trying to use some umbrellas in the barn as portable domes for building small planetariums, I've got three up at present and I imagined what I'll say to childrens groups when using them to demonstrate various homemade devices - it came out something like this!
------------------------------
Once there were three umbrella brothers - all young, and going out into the world to seek their fortunes.
But what did life mean for an umbrella? The very name itself was funny - um sounded tentative .. ummm - umbra meant shadow, or darkness. Not very promising to a young umbrella. Elle - french, meant small. Small shadow was the meaning of 'umbrella', and the brothers weren't sure they liked it. But the smallest of the three decided that's what an umbrella was for, to be a small shadow, and he said 'I'll spend my life sheltering folks from the rain'. Surely THAT'S what an umbrella's destiny must be. Nobody could disagree - most umbrellas only came out on rainy days. But the next biggest brother wasn't so sure. Being somewhat of a linguist (umbrellas went to school), he knew that another name for umbrella was 'parasol'. THAT'S what I'll do in my life he boasted - no rain for ME - 'para' means shielding against', and 'sol' means sun - I'll only come out on SUNNY days, and keep folks cool in hot weather! And everyone thought that was a worthy goal - the only thing better than coming out on rainy days was to be useful on sunny ones! But then the two brothers looked up at the biggest and asked him... well, what about you?
The biggest brother patted his two smaller siblings on the back (umbrellas have backs), and encouraged them in their worthy if somewhat traditional umbrella pursuits. 'I think I'll do something a little different', he said thoughtfully. I want to be something more than a small shadow in my life. I want to hold up something for others, all others, to share - to gaze in wonder at. I want to hold up the stars! His two smaller companions laughed at first, but then gasped when he slowly and majestically spread his arms and rose into the sky. The sun went down and the rain stopped and slowly, one by one, the stars came out and reflected their glory on his shining outspread white face. Like his brothers, the biggest umbrella had found his destiny - he would be a reflector of the glory and wonder shining above in the stars!
And so, throughout their long and useful lives, the three umbrella brothers were happy in their callings. I hope everyone listening to this tale of three umbrellas can do the same!
------------------------------
Once there were three umbrella brothers - all young, and going out into the world to seek their fortunes.
But what did life mean for an umbrella? The very name itself was funny - um sounded tentative .. ummm - umbra meant shadow, or darkness. Not very promising to a young umbrella. Elle - french, meant small. Small shadow was the meaning of 'umbrella', and the brothers weren't sure they liked it. But the smallest of the three decided that's what an umbrella was for, to be a small shadow, and he said 'I'll spend my life sheltering folks from the rain'. Surely THAT'S what an umbrella's destiny must be. Nobody could disagree - most umbrellas only came out on rainy days. But the next biggest brother wasn't so sure. Being somewhat of a linguist (umbrellas went to school), he knew that another name for umbrella was 'parasol'. THAT'S what I'll do in my life he boasted - no rain for ME - 'para' means shielding against', and 'sol' means sun - I'll only come out on SUNNY days, and keep folks cool in hot weather! And everyone thought that was a worthy goal - the only thing better than coming out on rainy days was to be useful on sunny ones! But then the two brothers looked up at the biggest and asked him... well, what about you?
The biggest brother patted his two smaller siblings on the back (umbrellas have backs), and encouraged them in their worthy if somewhat traditional umbrella pursuits. 'I think I'll do something a little different', he said thoughtfully. I want to be something more than a small shadow in my life. I want to hold up something for others, all others, to share - to gaze in wonder at. I want to hold up the stars! His two smaller companions laughed at first, but then gasped when he slowly and majestically spread his arms and rose into the sky. The sun went down and the rain stopped and slowly, one by one, the stars came out and reflected their glory on his shining outspread white face. Like his brothers, the biggest umbrella had found his destiny - he would be a reflector of the glory and wonder shining above in the stars!
And so, throughout their long and useful lives, the three umbrella brothers were happy in their callings. I hope everyone listening to this tale of three umbrellas can do the same!
