PAULO COELHO – THE CLOUD AND THE DUNE (short stories) ENG
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Paulo Coelho
The cloud and the dune
(short story)
A young cloud was born in the midst of a great storm in the Mediterranean Sea.
It could not spend much time at the sea as a strong wind was pushing all the clouds in Africa`s direction.
As they reached the continent, the climate changed.
The sun shone generously in the sky
and below was the golden expanse of Sahara desert.
The wind continued pushing them towards the forests of the South,
since over the desert, it never rained.
Now whatever happened with children, happened with young clouds too.
The young nimbus decided to break free from his parents and all his elderly mature friends,
to go out and experience the world.
“What are you doing?” said the wind, scolding the little cloud.
“There`s nothing new in the desert! Get back to your life
and we`ll head over to Central Africa where there are mountains and lush trees!”
But the little cloud, rebellious by nature, did not obey.
Little by little he descended, until he neared the plains
and was able to float on a gentle, generous breeze near the golden sands.
After moving around a lot, he noticed that one of the sand-dunes was smiling at him.
He saw that she was also very young, recently formed by the wind that just went by.
Instantly, he fell in love with her golden hair.
“Good Morning!” he said. “How is life down there?”
“I have the company of other dunes, the sun, the wind and the caravans which often pass by.
At times it`s very hot, but it`s tolerable.
And what is it like to be living up there?”
“The wind and the sun are up here too but I get to float through the skies and see a lot of things.”
“For me, life is short.” said the dune. “I will disappear as soon as the breeze returns from the forests.”
“Does that make you sad?”
“It makes me feel like I exist for nothing.”
“I also feel the same. Once a new wind blows, I will head South and I will transform into rain. Well, this is my fate.”
The dune hesitated a bit, but managed to speak up:
“Do you know that here, in the desert we call the rain as Paradise?”
“I did not know that I could become something so important!”
said the little cloud proudly.
“I have heard countless legends by the old dunes.
It is said that after the rains, we get covered with herbs and flowers.
But I will never know what that would be like because it rains very rarely in the desert.”
It was the cloud`s turn to vacillate now, but he gave her a broad smile:
“If you want, I can pour over you. Even though I just got here,
I`m in love with you and I would like to stay with you forever.”
“When I saw you for the first time in the sky, I was also enamored by you,” said the dune.
“But if you transform your lovely white hair into rain, you will die.”
“Love never dies.” said the little cloud. “It only transforms from one form to another.
And I want to show you Paradise.”
And he started pouring gently over the little dune, tiny droplets caressing her.
They stayed together for a long time until a beautiful rainbow appeared.
The following day the dune was adorned with flowers.
Other clouds that passed from there towards Africa
thought that the dune was the forest they were looking for,
and they showered more rain.
Twenty years later, the dune had converted into an oasis
whose trees gave shade and shelter to the tired travelers.
And this was because
once a cloud was
not reluctant to sacrifice itself for love.
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Paulo Coelho – The cloud and the dune
(short story)
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