by Bell, Kae
Prince Shady and Jett followed.
Together, they set about coloring the dawn.
At last, they were done. Every blade of grass, every cloud, every leaf was the color it should be.
They stopped and watched as the sun rose brilliant and yellow into the blue morning sky.
Princess Cressida patted Flyer’s mane. Now they would rest. Flyer was looking forward to some yummy oats.
Dusting a bit of green off his sleeve, Prince Shady was matter-of-fact again.
“I need to go home now to sleep. Before we know it, the night will come again and I must set to work. Days pass quickly.”
It was still hard to admit when he was wrong.
Princess Cressida nodded. “Thank you brother for understanding and for helping me. Please will you release my color-gatherers now?”
“Yes, of course. Right away.” He gave Jett a pat to tell him to start on the road home.
Princess Cressida watched Jett gallop away. Before they turned the corner she yelled, “Wait!”
Jett stopped and Prince Shady looked back. "What is it?" he asked.
“Brother, sometime, if you would like, you may borrow color for the night," Princess Cressida said with a smile.
Her brother was surprised at the generous offer. He smiled and nodded. “I would like that. Thank you.”
With that, he leaned forward and Jett trotted away toward the Prince’s dark kingdom. Princess Cressida smiled as she watched them disappear on the horizon, until all she could see was Jett's swishing tail.
So some nights, when you look up to the sky, and you see the moon is orange, you'll know that Princess Cressida has given her brother Prince Shady a little color to lighten the night sky. Just for fun.
The End