A day in Rainbow Land

A short story for Bluebell Books – Story slam week 10 – children’s literature

A day in Rainbow Land

Far, far away in the world of Nod there is a secret place called Rainbow Land.  It is a magical place where animals live in giant mushroom houses.  There is always a twinkling rainbow in the sky and lots of green grass and brightly coloured flowers.

One day Mr Duck decided that he would like to take photographs of this lovely place and all his friends.   Mr Duck began to look for his precious camera and made a lot of noise as he searched and searched around his home.  He made so much noise that all the animals in Rainbow Land started to gather round outside his house.  Mr. Duck was quite grumpy and he gave a loud shout, ‘Where is my camera’?   Mr. Duck had shouted so loud that the mushroom house shook.

The animals outside looked at each other and began to laugh quietly, ‘Oh, Mr. Duck is very grumpy today’, said Roland the racoon.  ‘Yes he is’, replied Sammy squirrel, ‘it looks like we are going to have another fun day with Mr. Duck’.  Everyone laughed; they knew that Mr. Duck liked to think he was the boss of Rainbow Land and that everyone should do what he says. However, things never worked out right for Mr. Duck because the other animals liked to play around and do the things they wanted to do.

Soon, all was quiet in Mr. Duck’s house and Dora deer lifted her head high and said, ‘Here comes Mr. Duck everyone’.  Mr. Duck stood proudly in the doorway of his house; he was holding his precious camera.  ‘Right, everyone, he said, ‘I want all of you in the first photograph together please’. Mr. Duck looked at Dora deer and in a loud voice he said, ‘Dora deer, would you please ask Bella cow to come along and join us, she is in the bluebell field’?  Dora deer sighed, ‘Here we go, she murmured.  ‘Yes Mr. Duck I will go and ask her to join us’. Dora deer walked over to the bluebell field where Bella the cow was grazing.

Bella the cow looked up when she saw Dora deer walking towards her,’Mooooooo, hello Dora how are you today’? She asked.   ‘I am good’ said Dora, ‘Mr. Duck asked me to come and get you; he wants to take everyone’s photograph with his precious camera”.   Bella the cow laughed, ‘Oh now this could be fun, moooooo, let’s go and join in’.  Bella and Dora began walking back to join the other animals in front of Mr. Duck’s house.

Everyone huddled together, to have their photograph taken, well, everyone except Sammy squirrel.  Mr. Duck shouted out in his loudest, grumpiest voice, ‘Sammy squirrel where are you’?   There was no reply from Sammy squirrel he was hiding. All the animals were standing waiting for their photograph to be taken and they were all showing their best smiles.  Mr. Duck looked at the smiling faces and said, ‘Ok, where is Sammy squirrel, you know don’t you?’  No one said a word they all just stood looking at Mr Duck smiling.   Mr. Duck was becoming very angry and he began to walk backwards and forwards to think about the situation.

Suddenly a squeaky voice was heard from the roof top of the giant mushroom house, “Yoo hoo, here I am.’  It was Sammy squirrel and he was waving his paws and swishing his tail.  ‘I don’t want my photograph taken today’, said Sammy squirrel, ‘I just want to paint pictures.’  Sammy squirrel picked up his bucket of pain and his paint brush to let everyone see that he was ready to paint some pictures.  ‘I can paint everyone with smiley faces just like a photograph,’ said Sammy.

Mr. Duck was not happy, he wanted to use his precious camera and take everyone’s picture to hang up on his wall.  He looked up at Sammy squirrel and said, ‘It will only take a minute Sammy, then you can paint your picture afterwards.’   Mr Duck had spoken so loud that Sammy squirrel jumped high in the air and his paint bucket fell out of his hand and slipped all the way down the roof of the giant mushroom house.  “oh no, watch out Mr. Duck,’ shouted Sammy squirrel, but it was too late the bucket of paint landed on top of Mr. Duck’s head and he was covered in light blue paint from head to toe.

Everyone laughed, Mr. Duck looked so funny.   “Grrr, I will get you for this Sammy squirrel, he shouted very loudly, ‘I am covered in paint.’  Sammy squirrel slid down from the rooftop of the mushroom house and started to run. He ran very fast laughing all the way.  Mr. Duck began to chase after Sammy squirrel with his precious camera in one hand and a raised fist in the other.  The rest of the animals were laughing as they watched Mr. Duck chase after Sammy squirrel. It was a funny sight indeed.

Eventually, Sammy squirrel was tired from running and he decided to climb up a tree.  Mr. Duck caught up with him and angrily looked Sammy squirrel in the eye.  ‘Now I have you Sammy squirrel,’ said Mr. Duck, ‘I am going to take your photograph.   Mr. Duck raised his camera and pointed it at Sammy squirrels scared face.  But instead of taking a picture, Mr. Duck began to laugh so hard.  ‘What’s so funny,’ asked Sammy squirrel worriedly.  Mr. Duck could hardly speak for laughing but he managed to say, ‘You look so funny Sammy squirrel with blue paint on the end of your nose.’

All the other animals came to see what Mr. Duck was laughing at and when they saw Sammy squirrel’s nose they started to laugh too. There was a big blob of paint right on the end of Sammy squirrels nose and it made him look very funny.   Sammy squirrel jumped down from the tree and walked away from his laughing friends, he sulked as he walked towards the giant mushroom house.

Soon everyone was gathered round the giant mushroom house still laughing at Sammy squirrel’s blue nose.  Sammy squirrel looked at his paint bucket lying on the ground and he had an idea.   He picked up his bucket of paint and put his paw inside, and then he walked up to Bella cow and dabbed her nose. ‘There you go Bella, now you have a blue nose too.’ Bella cow said, ‘Moo, oh my.’ And then she turned to look at her friends.  They were all laughing so hard that they didn’t notice Sammy squirrel had went round everyone dabbing their noses with his blue paint.  Sammy squirrel was very fast and before long every single animal in Rainbow Land had a blue nose.

Everyone was laughing and jumping around.  Mr. Duck said, ‘Now this will make a grand photograph to hang up on my wall.’ The animals all agreed and huddles together with their very best smiles and bright blue noses to have their picture taken. One the picture was taken Mr. Duck took the photograph and put it in a nice frame, but before he hung it up on his wall he let all his animal friends see it.  Everyone smiled as they looked at the photograph, it was funny everyone had a bright blue nose and a big smile.  Mr. Duck proudly hung the photograph in his best room so that everyone who came to visit can see it.

After the photograph was taken, Dora deer suggested that they have a party; they would call it a blue nose party.  All the animals joined in singing and dancing and having fun. Mr. Duck took lots of pictures. Everyone had a wonderful time and the fun went on for a long time. Soon it was time to go to bed and all the animals wished each other goodnight and then they all went home to go to bed.

The man in the moon looked down on Rainbow Land and all the animals in their beds. He smiled as he saw that some animals had gone to bed with the blue paint still on their noses.  ‘What a wonderful place Rainbow Land is’, he thought, ‘it is always full of fun.’

Jeanie Mcbain September 2011

Bluebell Books

Author

Jeanie McBain

Hello,

I am a retired freelance journalist who has a passion for writing. I am married with three grown up children and three wonderful grandchildren.

I am now enjoying life as a senior citizen.

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