25.7.2007
THE SINGING ROOF-Solveig Einars
http://www.netsaga.is/media/files/In_Dark_Places.mp3
THE SINGING ROOF
Solveig Einars
I. The Rainbow Girl
In the sunshine-country Australia, very far up in the country far away from the ocean there lives a little girl called Yuluwirree.
Yuluwirree is neither thin nor fat.
Her hair's chocolate-brown and the eyes black as coal.
In school she wears a light-blue, checkered frock just like the other girls.
At home most often she has on shorts and a t-shirt.
Her harmonious name originiated from the aborigines- yellow, red, green and blue- meaning with our word:
Rainbow.
In other words the vault of heaven was robed with a magnificient rainbow when she was borne into this world.
Her daddy calls her his Rainbow-girl and sometimes Unruly-girl- especially when she's not able to keep still, running in and out.
Then daddy says he becomes tired just by looking at her.
She halts for a minute or so.
Then she disappears as a tornado.
Yuluwirree lives with her daddy and mum in a peculiar wooden house.
On top of it there's corrugated iron.
When it rains there's no way to chat inside the house.
So extremely high is the rain's pounding on this unusual roof.
The people inside stop and listen when it rains.
Gigantic drops fall heavily down on the corrugated iron which sings- ding, dong, ding, dong- when they touch.
This Yuluwirree finds amuzing but it rains very seldom in the sunshine-country.
It's almost a major event each time it rains and then everybody becomes glad.
Daddy says that the rain brings money to his pockets.
Yuluwirre doesn´t really understand that, but she doesn´t care because when daddy's happy everything is good.
Yuluwirree's daddy and mama are farmers who work hard.
The family devides the farm along with their live-stock and the animals in the forest;
kangaroos, lizards, anteaters, foxes, rabbits and snakes.
Then there are insects, like flies, spiders and ants running everywhere in the nature.
The grain doesn't grow in the fields unless it gets water.
Neither do the trees and flowers.
Sometimes Yuluwirre's daddy looks into the sky hoping to see a grey cloud, a lot of them, best them being black, because then rain might be coming soon and then the water in the preserve-lagoon will grow.
In this warm country the sun shines almost every day of the year.
There's no need for a jumper or a jacket but during the coldest weeks.
Then the horses get blankets on their backs just to prevent them becoming cold.
The horse stays outdoors- in the winter- and summertime- just as other beasts on the farm.
II. A Kangaroo Rat on the Roof
Yuluwirree's farm is surrounded with grasslands, fields and heights overgrown with wood.
In the troll-trees colourful parrots make their homes.
The most beautiful of them wave bright-red wings og are called redwing-parrots.
Around there kangaroo-rats and koala-bears are also to be found.
Kangaroo-rats always travel at night or after dusk.
They are alike monkeys and cats in size.
A brownish kangaroo-rat is a regular guest at the farm.
The kangaroo-rat appears in the evening and runs on the roof.
Then the noise becomes so great that the roof seems about to tumble down.
Everyone knows who's up there and then Yuluwirree hurries out.
She puts a piece of an apple on a stick and hands it up toward the rat where it sits in a tree.
On some occasions she uses her alluring voice:
"Come on down, come on down, my long-tailed kangaroo-rat.
Have a bite!"
Then the kangaroo-rat cheers up.
Smells the scent of the apple.
Climbs down slowly.
Weaves the tail around a thin twist and takes a bite each time.
Puts it between its front paws and munches.
Yuluwirree tries to talk to the kangaroo-rat and thus alluring her to come closer, but it doesn't say much, cocks the ears, but doesn't like to be patted.
Has only interest in the food.
Nevertheless it always forgets to thank for the meal!
In the twilight after work in the afternoon the family sits down out on the verandah and chats about the day's events.
Sometimes the mosquitos become so annoying that they had to flee inside.
One doesn't notice it easily when they are biting, just for the small red spot that appears on the skin from where there's an itch for many days.
Mum puts a few drops of tea-tree-oil on the spot.
In its succesion the itch disappears.
Yuluwirre finds it interesting when mum and dad tell her about some mysterious and amuzing phenomena which she has never seen.
The ocean, snow and sledges just to name a few.
Mum shows her pictures or sometimes she draws these phenomena.
Then Yuluwirree finds it easier to understand them.
When the night comes over, it´s exactly like a black carpet's been laid over nature.
Only the sparkling stars on the vault ot the heaven bring some light through the thick pitching dark.
III. Erik the Red Enters the Story
When entering the house one first comes into a large hall which gets divided in two with an oven and a low barrel, a container of fire-wood.
The barrel and oven lie open before the eyes of the newcomer.
The kitchen is to the left and the livingroom the right.
Out from the livingroom there's a small room where the parents sleep.
Another small room is by the outdoor where Yuluwirrie sleeps.
Instead of doors in these rooms there are movable colourful curtains.
Above the beds there are white mosquito-nets.
In a projection in the kitchen there is a shower-room, a mirror and a basin.
A lantern hangs in the entrance because an outdoor wc is in the vicinity.
Once mum was working in the kitchen.
She got this strange feeling someone was staring at her.
Had a tiny mouse creeped inside?
You couldn't leave a bite of food anywhere, then the mice smelled it and came crawling in.
But there was no mouse to be found this time.
To her sheer dismay mum spotted a poisonous snake that had nestled quietly amongst cans and glasses on one of the shelves.
Mum didn't know what to do.
"From where did you actually come?"
The snake looked at her calmly, just as it were saying:
"I feel comfortable in this spot!
This is a fine place!"
Mum kept her calmness but said:
"This is some kind of a misunderstanding.
This is no place for you.
Now please leave and return to your home before my husband comes along.
He will do something if he sees you here inside!"
Mum waited patiently for the snake to leave on its own accord.
And of course it left just as quietly as it had appeared.
Probably having reached the conclusion that better opportunities were out on the fields than in the kitchen.
Snakes don´t have to eat much.
Perhabs a single mouse per week.
Later mum talked about how pretty and colourful she had found the snake to be!
With a red stomach.
She gave it the name Erik the Red!
The people in the country are used to the animals.
If you just don't disturb them, they are usually harmless.
Otherwise mum and most others in the country aren't very fond of snakes.
Their bites can be harmful- especially for young children.
Dad wasn't very amused hearing about Erik the Red.
He took his gun from the locked steel-closet.
Searched for Erik all around the house but didn't find it anywhere.
Poisonous snakes happen to be geniouses when hiding themselves, simulating to be tree-branches or whatever because they are concolourous to the troll-trees' trunk.
Dad didn't think positively towards Erik the Red.
Beneath the corrugated-roof on the farm-house there are tree-logs.
On one of them a very old iron-pan is hanging and a black pot in style.
Yuluwirree believes that both the pot and the pan are certainly over a thousand years old.
Brown strikes cover the timber-floor giving the home a ridiculous shade.
There is an old sofa in the livingroom, covered with a colourful blanket to hide its high age.
On a low table infront of the ratchet sofa there is a beautifully woven cloth.
An antique sewing machine's table with three drawers stands out in a corner.
Family-photos are hanging on walls, as well as a yellowish fox-skin- and dad's guitar also.
A blueish-green iron-candlestick reaches almost to the ceiling.
Seven blue candles are standing in it- almost having the same colour as the stick itself.
The candles are seldom lighted because of the hot weather.
IV. Living Alarm-Clocks
The family awakes very early each morning hearing the laughter of the laughing-bird.
"Aha, ha, ha," gets resounded in such a way that the forest reverberates and the roaring laughter can be heard far away.
The laughing-bird is the bird that first awakens in the troll-forest.
When its laughter resounds, people automatically put up a smile.
Sometimes the whole laughingbird-family join in when laughingbird-dad starts laughing and the people rejoice and try to copy this humorous, living alarmclock.
Only if each and everyone could be so good-tempered that early in the morning as those blessed laughing-birds.
Then other birds awake.
Rose-cockatoos shriek, black and white echo-crows cry and everyone wakes up.
No-one's able to sleep in all this racket and of course the incredibly bright sunshine pours and into the house.
"Yet another sunny day", mom announces when she enters Yuluwirree's room, lifts up the mosquito-net and opens the blinds thus giving the Rainbowgirl a glare in the eys.
"Early to bed and early to rise" mom says with a smile and adds:
"No sleepyheads in this house, thank you!"
And Yuluwirree is very quick putting her clothes on and eating her breakfast.
She's not about to miss anything that might happen today.
A short distance from the house there is a white-painted water-tank.
Into it goes prescious rainwater.
Dad often gives the tank a knock for the purpose of seeing how high is the waterlevel.
Sometimes dad takes a ladder, climbs up and lights up the tank with a lantern just to check better on the water.
Usually the rainwater turns out to be enough for the family's domestical use.
But when this story takes place, there's a drought.
For many, many weeks there hasn't been any rain.
Not even a drop.
The water-shortage is imminent in the region.
The family has to safe and safe the rainwater in the tank as much as possible.
Mum takes care of each drop of water and when Yuluwirree brushes the teeth, she doesn't let the water run-just while she wets the brush.
V. The History-Village
In a considerable distance from Yuluwirree´s house the highway coils just like an endless Danish pastry.
There gigantic transport trucks travel also.
In the evening they are lighted up with yellow lights all around and rush on through the night like decorative christmas-trees.
The roars from the trucks can be heard from far away- almost over mountains and wildernesses.
Sometimes Yuluwirree gets the chance to travel with her mum to the next village.
Then Yuluwirree puts on her pink strawhat, her white blouse and a rosy skirt.
In those clothes the Rainbow-girl drives with her mum to the town.
When they meet the transport trucks, Yuluwirree feels like these monsters are going to toss them off the road.
They rush along like modern-dragons that could blow fire and brimstone when least expected.
Often the mother and daughter witness one interesting thing or another in their shopping trips.
At springtime colourful flowers cover the sides of the roads- bright yellow, purple or violet.
Pink rose-cockatoos and black crows paddle frequently on the road, bright white tuft-parrots with yellow dusks like crowns on their heads can also be seen.
Sometimes a rabbit or a fox runs over the road and once a whole kangaroo-family came jumping infront of the car.
Then disappeared instantly into the thick forest.
Then Yuluwirree became happy.
She called out:
"Mamma, mamma, did you see the little kangaroo-baby in her mother´s bag?
Mamma smiled at the eagerness in her daughter's voice.
"Yes the little ones live comfortably in a warm bag and let the mums fly them through the air.
But your father isn't as happy when they jump over the fences and make damage on the fields!"
Yuluwirre knows that the kangaroos are able to jump over almost any fence.
The fence has to be more than two meters high just to come of use against all this kangaroo-jumping.
Once the mother and daughter saw a dead snake.
A fat, brown poisonous snake was lying on the road.
The Rainbowgirl didn't exactly like that.
The brown ones are the most dangerous snakes in the sunshine-country.
Then it's better being in a safe haven in the car with one's mother, eventhough the snake's dead.
"Erik the Red is a lot better than those brown worms!"
Mamma said calmly:
"You must remember to watch out, dear Yuluwirree!"
During this dry season there aren't any flowers to be seen.
All the growth is downcast and wretched for there hasn't rained for such a long time.
The grass is yellowish, withered and half-dead in the heat of the sun.
The leaves on the trees have become bluegreen in the drought, the trees are in some kind of a coma.
Yuluwirre said she could almost hear the troll-trees whisper:
"We are so thirsty.
Oh , please give us a drink, give us a drink!"
Eventhough the village doesn't have many people it is the largest town that Yuluwirree has gone to.
An ancient, respectable mail office with white souls is standing face to face with a richly glit bank.
Old taverns are standing on two street-corners having pictures of foaming beerjugs on the doors.
Besides this there's a hotel with a fabulous verandah, appartment houses and a few stores by the mainstreet.
This village is historically unique because all the old houses have been preserved.
Cars can hardly meet on the narrow streets and any driving is forbidden on the mainstreet.
Therefore many prefer to visit the town on two feet.
Yuluwirree likes this arrangement.
No-one's able to speed and life just runs on quiet and peacelike just as were it a big river.
VI. Goldnuggets
Yuluwirree likes visiting the History-Village as she calls it tremendously.
Especially because of all the stories that can be heard about it.
To boot it all there's one about its origin- more than a century ago:
Once upon a time there was a sheep-herder driving sheep an the red Hill.
Suddenly he sees a goldnugget on his trail.
He takes a closer look.
Notices more golden nuggets.
He doesn't care about the sheep anymore but runs to the next city where he gets a permit for gold-digging.
As time went by the story about the gold spread out in the vicinity and all the way to the city by the ocean.
A great number of people came to the site, both rich and poor.
Even poor people from Ireland, Italy, China and other countries.
Everybody wanted to try their luck and find gold.
The town was created in the next few years.
To begin with the inhabitants were many- many thousands- but when the mine was dry and nobody was able to find any more nuggets everybody moved away.
Wishing to try their luck elsewhere in the world.
Many of those who stayed became farmers and started to grow corn.
Yuluwirree's dad said that the dark dirt was the best gold that was to be found thereabouts.
A remarkable souvenir-museum is to be found in the village.
Most often the mother and daughter find time to visit the museum.
The fact is that they always notice something new en each visit.
VII. Nine Children and Peculiar Shoes
A very old man with a gray beard is the museum´s caretaker.
Yuluwirree believed to begin with that he was one of the antiques.
Told her mother so with a high voice.
She hushed on her daughter with an unusually harsh voice.
The man took this lightly being used to every kind on his long life.
"She's is young and playful!"
Nothing seemed to be able to disturb his tranquility.
In the museum one could see an old-fashioned little house with four tiny rooms.
"This shows people´s accomodations- more than a century ago," said the bearded man.
"Times have been changing."
Yuluwirree didn't dare giggle even though she found his way of talking very funny.
She waited a moment in the doorway to the childrens' room.
A rope had been stretched before it thus keeping the guests from entering the room.
There stood a cradle which some dad had made from a wooden box;
two children beds;
on the beds dolls were sitting that little girls had played with
"in a different time"
and a homemade doll-carriage with wooden wheels was standing in the corner.
"There nine children were brought up,"
mum said.
"Will my doll sometime be put on a museum?"
Yuluwirree murmurred in a low voice.
Mum focused on the hearth-kitchen, where coalblack pots were hanging over the fire.
In her mind she was thankful for having her kitchener.
"Yes, they didn't always have much to put in their pots, these blessed women!"
said the old timer just as he was able to read mum's mind.
Or the clothes they had in those days.
"How awfully warm they must have been wearing those long skirts and frocks- a lot better being in shorts!
And considering all the washing - !"
Mum was astonished every time she looked at the clothes.
"And the girls having to wear these long dresses also!
How were they able to run and play?"
"Well, probably they weren't always running all around like a calf I happen to know!"
mum said.
The women's better shoes had narrow toes and were high-laced.
Mum laughed out when she was looking at them.
I wouldn't have liked putting my toes in shoes like that!
Yuluwirree became impatient when mum didn't seem to be able to stop looking at them shoes.
"Let´s walk into the modern era in our comfortable shoes, mum!"
Yuluwirree said.
After the roundtrip through the museum the mother and daughter bid farewell to the ancient museum-keeper.
Walked outside and into the modern era that seemed framed into the past having all these old houses all around.
And they had themselves icecreamcones in the wake of their trip's adventure.
Sat down comfortably on a bench and licked nutflavoured icecreamcones.
"We might as well being on a play,"
mum said.
"Watching the world go by!"
Yuluwirree said.
Consistantly new-fangled persons are to be seen.
Not ever had Yuluwirree seen so many people like here in the history-village.
Men in striped shorts having ancient-looking, stained hats on.
Women in leave-light summerfrocks with flowerhats or strawhats.
Even the children had broad-brimmed hats on their heads.
Everybody had to seek refuge becuse of the strong sunrays.
There were some strange people to be seen.
People who mum called "toorists".
With cameras around their necks, sunglasses and in jeans.
"They have travelled a long distance just to learn about the history of the village,"
mum said.
And Yuluwirree became proud of her History-Village.
At least it was almost hers.
VIII. The Kangaroo-Baby
Once when the mother and daughter were driving home and Yuluwirree opens the gate to the drive to their farm for her mum she notices a brownish animal that nuzzles in its shelter by a tree-trunk.
Only for the reason Yuluwirree lives in the country, she's able to notice this animal.
The mother and daughter are used to keeping an eye on everything around themselves.
Their eyes have come adjusted to this living and constantly changing environment.
Yuluwirree approaches the tree.
"What is it now?"
mum asks out through the car-window.
"I think it is a small Wallaby-young,"
Yuluwirree answers over her shoulder.
Mum steps out of the car.
They take a closer look.
A darkbrown kangaroo-baby, a Wallaby cowers itself.
Almost without any movement.
Just as it were sick or even dead.
Yuluwirree closes carefully in on it:
"Mamma, mamma!
They are moving.
The ears are moving.
The baby is alive!"
"An awful problem that is,"
mum says and turns it over in her mind.
"Mother Kangaroo has deserted her baby.
What are we to do.
Perhabs she 's in the neighbourhood?"
The mother and daughter look all around but aren't able to find mother kangaroo.
"Why has she deserted him?"
Yuluwirree asks.
"Sometimes kangaroos decide to leave their babies behind in time of drought like now."
Yuluwirree realizes the danger the young is facing.
Foxes and crows could attack him.
Also the giant-eagle that lives in the cliffs on top of the mountains will like to have such a young prey.
"I don't want the fox to eat the young.
Can't we save him in some way, dear mamma.
"Yuluwirree my dear!
Thousands of kangaroos are annoying farmers and their staff allover because of the drought.
There are actually much too many kangaroos in the sunshine country.
We must be realistic.
We really can't..."
"Oh, let´s take him home with us.
He's so awfully tiny.
Does one more young make a difference?
Mamma, mamma, huh, please?"
"Do you realize how much trouble it is having to care for a kangaroo-baby, Yuluwirree?
And I don't think your father will be very pleased!
Kangaroos will eat about anything when times are hard like now.
The water-shortage brings them closer to our farm by each day."
"I will take care of the young,"
Yuluwirree says seriously.
She is very determined.
Mamma doesn't really know what to do.
Coils a lock in her dark hair with a finger.
A fly sits on the Rainbowgirl's nose.
Doesn't want to leave.
However Yuluwirree tries to blow it off or shake her head.
The fly moves to the other eyecorner.
The girl waves it away and moves herself but the fly followes her!
"Fetch the paperbox and the wool-rag in the backseat!"
Mamma has obviously taken a decision.
Yuluwirree jumps along, eventhough she's not able to fly in the air like a kangaroo.
Brings back the two items.
Mamma picks up the baby very sensitively, weaves the rag around him and puts him in the clumsy bow.
The young is so weak that he's perfectly still.
The mother and daughter put the box with the young into a corner in the kitchen.
Dad is much too tired for making a fush about the mother and daughter's scheme.
When he returns home he's all covered with the red/brown dirt that is raised when he's in the field.
Nevertheless he says:
"I believe the fox will eat this poor wretchet before long!
If you'll manage to keep it alive!"
Before dad goes to bed he reconnoiters the state of the weather.
Dad speaks into the air:
"Come along Hui!
Show us what you are able to do!"
"Mum, to whom is he talking?"
Yuluwirree whisperes to her mum.
"He's talking with our weather-god here in Australia.
The farmers call him Hui and often ask him to pee greatly on their fields."
But there wasn't anything to be seen in the air and no signs on whether this Hui was going to help the farmers in this terrible drought.
IX. The Cosset Grows
During the next coming weeks the mother and daughter had to wake up about three times each night just for feeding the young a special milkblend.
The kangaroo babies don't stand having cow's milk and therefore the caring is quite troublesome.
"This is just like having a young human baby,"
mum said and moaned.
But the young was thankful and licked his "mums'" faces.
He recognized their voices.
He looked at them with affectionate, brown eyes when they approached him with the milkblend.
And the young grew and became stronger.
In some time he had become rather good looking.
The mother and daughter became terribly happy when he was able to be outside, eat without assistance and they didn't have to wake up any more in the black of night.
Yuluwirree found it humorous looking at the kangaroo's ears that turned in circles non stop and always seemed to be cocked, just as they were listening for something.
The young's fur changed slowly.
Became darker and bushier.
The tail was remarkably long.
"They use the tail to keep their balance,"
dad said.
"The ears are a kind of a radar,"
he then added.
Yuluwirree didn't know what a radar was.
Yuluwirree had often seen and heard kangaroos jump in large groups.
The rhytmical thumps when the kangaroos' strong legs touch the ground just as they were numerous drums being beaten.
Boo boomm, boo boomm and the ground trembles.
When the mother and daughter drove to the village, they left the kangaroo behind.
It was calm and easy.
Stayed in the dark most of the day.
Stayed quite still.
Those who didn't know about it standing there, probably would have believed it were a brown treetrunk.
The young kangaroo didn't seem to have any interest in running away.
In the evening it was lively.
Wanted to play with Yuluwirree.
The girl didn't find the kangaroo very eager to learn.
She tried to teach the kangaroo various skills but of no use.
"She just doesn't want to learn anything,"
Yuluwirree complained.
Nevertheless the kangaroo seemed very attracted to Yuluwirree.
Yuluwirree feeded the kangaroo with various stuff.
Some things the kangaroo just didn't like at all but ate other kinds just like it were candy.
For example the nuts of the tree in the their garden.
Yuluwirree picked them, broke them with a hammer, cleaned the shells away before she gave the fruit to the kangaroo.
The kangaroo held out the nut between the frontlegs.
Then gazed on Yuluwirree.
Was she begging for more?
"It only loves you for its table's sake,"
mum said obviously enjoying herself.
Yuluwirree had to be careful when she handed a bite to the kangaroo.
If the kangaroo was very hungry, it sometime to grab the food out of the girl's hands.
They were about the same height but the danger lay in the sharp claws on the kangaroo's frontlegs.
It wasn't nice to be scratched in the face by a kangaroo!
The cosset-kangaroo had now become a regular part of the family.
But the roof was silent for still not a drop was coming down.
The cosset didn't know what was rain.
Had never heard the roof sing.
X. What Can Be Done?
The drought became worse with every week.
Each morning the sky was clear and blue.
The sun poured its rays mercilessly over the dry land.
Animals and humans moaned in the heat - even the house in the troll-forest seemed to be tired and sweatty.
Not even a hair moved on a head.
The anxiety wrinkles became deeper and deeper in dad's sunburned face.
The dirt was shrunk.
Cracks were formed in the earth.
The crop was at stake if it didn't start raining soon.
The rainwatertank was almost empty.
One evening the Rainbowgirl heard her dad say that they would have to buy some water if the rain didn't come soon.
Water was expensive.
Actually terribly expensive.
The family listenes to the weather report both in the evening and morning.
"Sorry to say,"
said the announcer,
"there's no rain to be seen in the forecast tomorrow or the next coming days."
The Rainbowgirl sprang around and checked on and on into the sky whether there wasn't a cloud to be seen.
She wanted to be the first to see a raincloud.
She would have liked to bring her father the news.
Only if the roof got a chance to sing for them soon!
Only if it started to rain!
"A little shower of rain won't be enough, my dear Rainbowgirl,"
dad said.
He was agitated.
"We must get a great deal of rain.
Best would it be to get a real downfall for a few days.
The soil is so thirsty that it would gulp down decades of millilitres."
The Rainbow girl wished she could let the sky cry.
The kangaroo-cosset lay under the nuttree like a shadow on guard.
One evening the small family was sitting on the verandah as so often before.
Dad discussed the water in the reservoir
which gave him the water for the irrigation system.
The waterlevel went steadily down in the reservoir.
The live-stock was beginning to look bad because of the bad grazing and most of the animals had to be stall-fed.
The animals also needed more water to drink in the warm weather.
There were few resources.
The farmers were going to discuss the situation soon.
Dad was going to go to the meeting.
The kangaroo was sitting dispirited near the steps.
Gazing on Yuluwirree who seemed to be abscent-minded.
"Now I know what to do,"
mum said.
Both dad and Yuluwirree looked expectantly on mum.
She elevated in her seat and said:
"Let's give a garden-party!"
Dad and Yuluwirree were absolutely stunned.
Gaped on mum with question-marks in their eyes.
Perhabs the rain-shortage was making mum mad?
Yuluwirree had noticed that mum re-used the water many times, cooling the potato-broth, took a waterbucket to the shower and utilized the drain-water from the washing-machine on the vegetable-garden.
Mum also looked like she was going mad when Yuluwirree allowed the tabwater to run or poured down water by mistaken.
But mum kept on just as nothing had happened:
"We'll invite our neighbours ---"
"I'm quite dumbfounded! '
We haven't got money for giving a party, if we have to buy water,"
dad said dryly.
"But everybody could bring their own drinks something to eat.
We could put up outdoor lights in the garden.
The kids could have games....."
"Yes, mum, the game where we hide candy-bags in tree and scrubs and the kids will be looking for them."
Dad looked heavy-browed on the mother and daughter.
Shaking the head.
"You just do what you like,"
he said and stood up.
His steps were heavy in his boots.
Disappeared into the livingroom.
Mum looked afflicted.
Yuluwirree put her hands around her mother´s neck:
"Perhabs it will start raining soon, dear mum."
Mum embraced her Rainbow-girl.
"Yes, let's hope so."
XI. Ballerina-cake
The mother and daughter didn't let anything stop them.
Prepared a garden-party that was to take place next Saturday afternoon.
Mum gave the neighbours a call and invited the people to her home.
One family was going to bake flatcakes, another was to bake bread and the third a chocolate-cake.
Flatcakes with jam and butter are popular in the sunshine-country and each home has its own recipe.
"What are you going to bake, mum?"
"Pavlova - of course!"
"Bravo, my favourite cake!"
It was the best that Yuluwirree knew of.
Pavlova is a marenge- cake, decorated with berry and fruit.
"Why the strange name, mum?"
"The reason is that once upon a time a famous Russian ballerina came for a visit to the sunshine-country.
The chef wanted to give the ballerina something especially delicous.
Baked marenge, snowwhite just like a ballerina-dress, decorated beautifully with fiery red strawberries and called it Pavlova."
"Was Pavlova her real name?"
"True.
Those who saw her dancing didn't forget it."
The mother and daughter put up the colourful lighseries up on the veranda.
Put a little candy into bags- a bag for each child- closed it well with a string.
When that had been done Yuluwirree was to hide the bags on the day in question.
In Yuluwirree's opinion mum put too little in each bag, but didn't make a fuss about it.
The Rainbowgirl started to look forward to the coming Saturday.
There hadn't been a birthdayparty for a long time or anything been happening at all.
Then she got an idea:
If it started to rain!
What then?
That would spoil the gardenparty!
But you couldn't wish for it not to rain.
These wishes were pulling against each other in the Rainbowgirl's mind.
She whispered to her mum:
"But mum, if it starts raining on Saturday?"
Mum embraced her and whispered:
"Don´t worry about that- but I believe that it will be a marvellous gardenparty nevertheless."
That surprised the Rainbowgirl.
The water shortage had obviously made mum a little crazy.
But the girl didn't ask any more questions.
Ran outside.
Chatted with her kangaroo.
Yuluwirree was wondering why the Kangaroo had never tried to leave through the garden´s gate.
It wouldn't have been difficult for it to open the gate with a little pushing.
There was no hook or lock to prevent it from happening.
But either the kangaroo didn't want to leave or it wasn't able to learn such a simple trick.
Yuluwirree told the kangaroo how much fun they would be having on Saturday.
It wouldn't have to be afraid of the guests, nobody would want to do it any harm:
"I'll be taking good care of you.
Oh, I wish Saturday had run up.
Aren't you thrilled too?"
But the kangaroo didn't answer any, just cocked it's ears and listened.
XII. Unexpected Guest
On Saturday the mother and daughter covered a long table with a cloth in the garden.
Yuluwirree fetched the candybags.
Tied the bags carefully here and there on branches in the garden.
She took pains in finding good hiding places.
Each child should only be able to find one bag.
Mum took out very thin veils and used them for covering everything food-like outdoors just for keeping the flies from it.
The house was quite clean but the garden didn't look its best because of the draught.
Piteous straws bent their heads.
The heat was unusually high and there was humidity in the air.
In a short time the house was full of scantily clad guests wearing hats.
Some chatted about the draught and the outlook of a bad harvest.
Others helped along with the catering.
One lady told about a little boy that had become so much afraid seeing rain for the first time that he ran crying to his mum.
At the time he was three years of age.
The kids giggled hearing the tale but everyone was aware of how serious the case was really and how seldom it rained in the sunshine-country.
The Kangaroo got attention from all the guests.
It smelled at each and everyone.
The grown ups bent their knees until they came eye to eye with the kangaroo.
"The kangaroo prefers that,"
Yuluwirree said.
"The kangaroo is smelling what was your last meal,"
mum said.
The children were examining the kangaroo quite thoroughly.
They weren't used to be able to come so close to such a gentle kangaroo.
Yuluwirree told them the whole story.
How it came about that she had a kangaroo as a pet.
The children listened closely.
Probabably everyone wished that the kangaroo was their pet.
Soon there was time to enjoy daintries.
Yuluwirre noticed that they had forgotten to put the cakeforks on the table in the garden.
The Rainbowgirl was nimble, ran inside and fetched them.
When she had put the forks carefully in their spots and looked yearningly at the dainty-filled table, she noticed that the kangaroo seemed disturbed and anxious.
The girl closed in on the animal.
Then she noticed that the cosset was trembling allover.
Yuluwirree didn't understand what was happening.
Patted the beast and stroked softly the rough fur.
In Yuluwirree's opinion the reason for its state must be all the fuss and all these new people - or might there be a snake or a fox in the vicinity?
Erik the Red!
Could it be that he had returned and was crawling around somewhere?
They had not seen him for a long time.
Now Yuluwirree spoke calmly to her kangaroo.
Told her she had no reason to be afraid.
Noone wanted to harm her.
The Rainbowgirl chatted this way for a while but at the same time she looked all around.
Then she happened to look where she had hidden one of the candybags.
She was startled.
There he was lieing!
Erik himself had returned with his red stomach.
He wasn´t to get any of the bags.
What an impudence!
Yuluwirree called out as loudly as she was able to:
"Dad, dad!"
She was not to take her eyes off of Erik the Red.
Not for a moment because then he would disappear instantly, just as he owned a helmet of invincibility.
"Dad, dad come quickly!
Erik the Red has joined the party!"
The guests were all in each other's way.
Mum tried to explain that this Erik wasn't an invited guest but a snake and asked the women and children to stay inside.
The men took anything that could come in handy.
Shovels and sticks.
It didn't take the farmers a long time to kill the long worm.
"This is the longest I've seen in a long long time!"
One of the farmers said and moaned.
And all the others agreed.
Mum was the only one who seemed sad.
Somehow she had rather liked Erik the Red.
XIII. Changes in the Air
When the poisonous worm had been beaten so courageously Yuluwirree stood for a while by the kangaroo that really didn't enjoy all this noise.
Yuluwirree happened to look up into the sky.
She really was amazed.
What might be happening now?
A darkgrey giant cloud came rushing over the sky.
She couldn't believe her own eyes.
Was still as a grave.
Stared.
Where did this cloud come from?
The sky happened to be quite clear just a moment ago!
Yuluwirree blinked the eyes.
Yes, she happened to be right.
The cloud grew and darkened rapidly.
The Rainbowgirl yelled out:
"Come and see!
Just come and see!
There's a thundercloud in the sky".
Farmers looked up into the sky each and everyone.
Women and children came running out.
Is it really going to rain?
Nobody seemed to dare to hope it would be happening.
"Yes, there's no doubt about it!
This is a thunder-cloud!"
"He's springing up,"
someone said.
There were thunders far off and lightning in the vault of heaven.
"Hui, show us your manhood!"
"You must be in a great need.
Let it come!"
There was no lack of challenges.
Only if the sky didn't just go by.
Only if the wind will hold the right course.
Yes, there really was not any doubt about it.
The dark grey cloud grew and grew and the scent of rain was coming with the wind.
Brmm, brmm, could be heard from the thunders that came closer and closer.
Landlords and guests were running out in a real hurry.
Now the party had to be saved into the house!
Everyone was helping along.
Everyone did their best!
Farmers, women and children saved the table-service and foodstuff into the house.
Nevertheless noone wanted to go inside- not right away.
The Rainbowgirl was replexed.
Would everything be abortive?
But they were really with the last ships.
As soon as the delicacies had been moved inside, the first drops came falling.
The Rainbowgirl was amazed when she witnessed all the people embracing and padding one another on the shoulders.
"Rain, rain, bravo, bravo, hoorah, hoorah!"
"That a boy Hui, keep it going.
Let it come!"
Nobody wanted to go inside.
The children were looking amazed at one another, but Yuluwirree understood suddenly that something wonderful had just happened.
That now the grass would become green again;
that the trees could awake from their coma;
that now the harvest would be saved;
that now the watertank and the reservoir-lagoon would become full.
That dad wouldn't have to buy water.
Yuluwirree's heart was filled with uncontrollable joy.
She took the children's hands in hers and they danced around the watertank.
"Rain, rain, rain!
Rain means that goldnuggets will be coming into dad's pocket!"
Yuluwirree was singing and the children were singing along.
"Yes, there's obviously magic in each drop!"
mum said and embraced her husband.
The rain became tighter.
Many were holding their palms open and they were bathing their faces and hands in the teardrops.
One of the farmers looked up into the sky, held his hat in outstretched arms and let rain pour into it.
Yuluwirree wasn't sure whether it were tears or raindrops that came down his cheeks.
Pang!
An enormously loud thunder was to be heard- incredibly close.
The children stopped jumping.
Everybody became quiet.
The people hurried inside and the Rainbowgirl was able to move the kangaroo along with her up to the verandah eventhough it was still trembling.
A moment later it seemed just like countless gigantesses were pouring from gigantic buckets on the roof.
The rain came streaming down in strong torrents.
Everyone was gazing on this wonderful phenomena of Nature.
The turmoil from the thunders and rain that was falling on the roof was so enormous that there was no way to chat- but that wasn't anything to worry about.
What really mattered were all the happy faces over the blessed rain.
XIV. And The Roof Sings
Inside the house were quite many people.
The children sat on the floor.
Some of the grown ups too.
Everybody was listening to the singing roof just as they were a single family.
Dad took his guitar off the wall.
Accompanied with the rain.
His smile reached his ears.
The cheers were standing on the kitchen-benches, the sofa- and needletables and everywhere else they could be put.
Mum gave a signal thus telling people to begin.
People had themselves tea or coffee, sodadrinks, flatbreads, bread and cakes.
The guests ate their fill- dad also.
Yuluwirree became glad when she witnessed him having himself a large slice off of the Pavlova-cake.
Mum smiled too.
Sometime later the Rainbowgirl remembered about the game.
Nobody was able to go out into the dash of rain without becoming skinwet.
The candy in the bags would be spoiled soon.
Mum had lighted the blue candles in the gigantic candlestick-
everyone but a single one when Yuluwirree took a hold of her skirt:
"What about the game?
And the bags, mum?"
When mum saw the tears in her daughter's darkbrown eyes, she put down the matches.
Embraced Yuluwirree heartingly:
"My dear Rainbowgirl, you must understand that the rain is more important than a few bags of candy.
The rain is of the most importance for us farmers.
Now the corn will rise again and the sunflowers will smile anew.
And you were the one who did see the thundercloud first of all!"
Mum lighted the last candle.
The head on the yellow fox-fur seemed to smile sarcastically when the glow fell on the wall.
Then mum took a bowl with a golden stripe and filled it with candy.
Now Yuluwirree remembered that mum had only put incredibly small amount of candy into each bag.
"Mum, did you know it was going to rain?"
"No, but you never know.
Sometimes it just happens when you are giving a party or
something special is happening that it will start raining.
I wanted to be well prepared.
- Now you should go inside and offer the people,"
mum said and smiled and smiled her secretsmile.
The Rainbowgirl walked proudly into the livingroom with the bowl and offered the guests.
She paid a good attention to that everyone would get something.
The Pavlova-cake disappeared completely, there was no need to worry about any leftovers.
The catering disappeared like dew in the sunshine.
The rain had not only sharpened the people's joy of life, but also their appetite.
When the neighbours had left, joyful and merry, mum, dad and Yuluwirree were standing for a long time on the veranda.
The rainclouds were silvergrey at the moment and covered all the environment.
The kangaroo hadn't moved itself at all.
They were almost able to hear how the ground was drinking the water.
The cranks in the ground disappeared slowly.
The roots of the trees swolled the rain.
Tomorrow the mold would stick to every shoe in thick chunks.
If it got a chance to harden it would become difficult to get it off.
"Only if it keeps on raining through the night,"
mum said.
"And also tomorrow!
We need it to rain for many days,"
the Rainbowgirl said wisely.
"I'm so happy having a Rainbowgirl during a dry season in a sunshine-country,"
dad said and put his hands on her shoulders.
He was still smiling all the way to his ears.
The small family never seemed ready for bed this evening.
It really seemed so remarkable that it had started to rain.
At last Yuluwirree fell asleep feeling so very happy listening to the best song she had ever heard.
The song of the roof on the timberhouse in the green troll-forest.