"The rainbow is a magical river with healing powers. But it is so high up in the sky that you can't reach it. If you catch a cold, the rainbow can't help you."
The children thought about this. "Mother, please tell us our rainbow story," said Erdoo. "Yes, please mother, I want to hear it too," Udoo chimed in. "Me three," Eryum begged, lifting up three little fingers.
"Well, let me see, mmmm," she said playfully. "Okay lovelies, gather round. Mother, the storyteller is here!"
Erdoo ran for the naha, the stirring stick they used as their totem. She handed it over to mother. Eryum got the headgear for mother to wear. It never failed to put her into character.
They all sat quietly to listen to the story they had heard many times. Udoo blew the whistle, telling mother to start. Then the story began.
"Once, the rainbow was a magical river. It was hidden inside the green woods of Mbadede. Because it had healing powers, it was guarded.
If you were sick, you drank the water. The rainbow was always happy to share. But it didn't like badly behaved people."

License information: CC BY 4.0
MPAA: G
Go to source: https://www.africanstorybook.org/