by Jack Tate
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Sunrise and the North Wind
Standing at the water’s edge, peering out across the dark sea, was a fantastic butterfly named Sunrise. She was the keeper of the first light of dawn. Sunrise sat on a sunflower and searched the horizon for the first hint of the coming sun. Every night Sunrise folded her colorful wings and faithfully kept her lonely vigil. In her loneliness, Sunrise would stare into the dark tropical sky through her vibrant wings and pretend she wore starlight jewelry. Beyond her flowery cushion, the surface of the sea slowly rolled and tumbled. This was how it had always been, but Sunrise longed for a companion. There was no one.
One night, as Sunrise starred out to sea, she saw a gray shadow on the far horizon. At first Sunrise thought it might be a spot before her eyes – a trick of vision. As the spot grew in size, she realized that it was moving directly towards her. Sunrise raised her wings and leaned forward to try and get a better look at the approaching shadow.
The warm tropical breeze died down, and the air became still. The gray shadow quickly filled half the horizon. As it came closer, the wind shifted, and a cool breeze blew from the sea. Sunrise realized the dark shape on the horizon was more than just a shadow. A pale silvery moth stood in the center of the approaching mist.
Sunrise wrapped her golden, rosy wings about her shoulders. The air had grown quite cold.
The sky filled with gray clouds. The wind became fiercer.
The silvery moth in the cloud shifted towards her. Sunrise could see that it was a man. The ocean grew a dark muddy gray. The tide slowed and stopped. The water grew too thick to move. The stars fell behind a darkening sky. The warmth of Sunrise’s beautiful golden glow was a shining beacon lighting the beach for miles. The gray cloud stopped. The silvery figure stepped forward. Wherever the silvery figure stepped the sea froze solid. His frozen footprints resembled plates of glass.
Sunrise felt the icy wind of the north for the first time. The sensation washed over Sunrise’s body like a cold mountain stream.
“Hello, I am North Wind.”
Sunrise glowed even brighter as North Wind approached. He starred into Sunrise’s eyes, “like flaming diamonds…” North Wind thought.
When North Wind spoke, frost fell from his mouth in great clouds.
“I have seen you glowing from far across the sea. I could no longer resist. I had to come to visit you.”
“Who are you? What is this strange cold you have brought with you?”
“I am the North Wind. I am the being who brings the first frost of winter. I freeze entire rivers solid and bury whole mountains in snow. I have come because you are the most enchanting, beautiful woman I have ever seen. May I ask your name, please?”
I am known as Sunrise. I wait here on this beach each night, and with the first sign of my uncle Sun, I fill the sky with blazing light and comforting heat. I am the one who causes fruit to ripen and flowers to grow.”
North Wind wanted to reach out and touch Sunrise’s glowing cheek, but he could not.
“My friend the Tide promised to carry me to you, but he said I could not touch the ground here. If I did, I might be trapped.”
“You must listen to your friend. I know him well. I sing to the rhythms he creates as he slides back and forth around the world.”
“Yes, he is the one who first told me of you.” North Wind said inching closer. “If it is the arrival of the sun that makes you fly away from this beach, then I will stop the sun in the sky. The sight of its first light will not meet your eyes this morning.”
North Wind beat his wings with terrific force and created a thick black curtain that reached to the heavens. The air over the sea was locked in a frozen blanket of ice.
“I wish to stand here forever and talk with you.”
Sunrise’s enchanting smile glowed even brighter. No one had ever spoken sweetly to her. She turned her head slightly.
“I am shy. You make me blush with your compliments.”
“All I say is true. I have never seen anyone as lovely as you, and I do not know how to speak to you properly.” North Wind looked down. “I am not very sophisticated. I am sorry if I upset you. I can go if you wish.”
Sunrise reached out her hand, “No it isn’t that. I want you to stay here. For a long time, I have wanted someone to share this view with me.”
“It is very beautiful from where I stand.” He said looking into her eyes.
Sunrise laughed. Her laughter was like crystal bells chiming. Sunrise’s colorful wings billowed into the air as she did a little dance.
“Do you like this gown? I made it special just for today.”
“What is so special about today?”
“It is the first day of spring. It is time to wake up all the flowers and seeds and time for birds to sing and flowers to bloom.”
North Wind laughed. His laughter sounded like thunder rolling over a distant mountain.
“Yes it is the time I am supposed to start my journey back to the frozen lands. I must return each year to the land of ice and rock. My sister Spring Wind has already started to make her way from the south.”
“She is your sister? I know her. She is very beautiful.”
“Yes. She always has a hint of flowers in her breath.” North Wind hung his head. “Everyone welcomes her warm touch, and they are always happy to see me leave.”
“I am the Sunrise. My uncle Sun has me stand alone on this beach. When Uncle Sun first peaks over the eastern horizon, I must soar into the air and paint the sky with my brush of bright colors and wrap the clouds in warm reds, oranges, yellows and pinks.”
“I made this trip further south than ever before to see you. My family is angry with me because they say I am neglecting my duties to those who depend on me. They tell me I should not consort with you. They tell me that we are not meant to meet.” North Wind leaned closer, with one foot nearly touching the sandy beach. “They are wrong. I think we are destined to meet because here we are. If it was not our destiny I would not be looking at you this very minute.”
North Wind filled the sky with dark clouds so tall they touched the stars. North Wind shook his shoulders and brought forth a tremendous cloud of snowflakes. As the crystalline flakes fell across the beach, each reflected Sunrise’s glow. Sunrise watched as the millions of flakes danced and twirled at the edge of her glowing light and laughed while her blush shifted from orange to pink, red to yellow. Each flake was like a tiny flashing rainbow star swirling around Sunrise, and she laughed like a little girl.
The center of North Wind’s chest felt like a cold rock being warmed by the first sunbeam of dawn. North Wind’s heart pounded like the waves crashing on the shore. As North Wind’s heart warmed, the snow changed to rain and fell as a gentle misty halo around Sunrise. Sunrise’s heart fluttered in her chest like a butterfly exploring new found spring blossoms.
North Wind could not resist any longer and stepped from the frozen wave crest and onto the beach. North Wind’s knees buckled. He toppled over. Sunrise rushed forward to catch him, and her graceful arms slid out from under her glowing wings. Sunrise’s amber skin instantly got goose bumps as she wrapped her arm around North Wind’s waist to steady him. The wind swirling around them shifted as North Wind fell to one knee, and the dark clouds overhead evaporated. North Wind shoved one hand down into the wet sand, and the other reached out towards Sunrise who threw her other arm around his shoulder.
Sunrise’s wind blown wings wrapped themselves around North Wind’s shoulders and head. North Wind’s breathing sounded like a wind echoing in a great cave. His color changed from icy white to a dark shade of gray.
“Are you okay?” Sunrise cried.
North Wind looked up at her and tried to stand. The hand in the sand would not move.
“I think I am stuck. I can’t move.”
Sunrise grabbed North Wind’s free hand tightly with both her hands. North Wind’s hand was larger than both of Sunrise’s hands combined.
“Th
ey warned me that this might happen.”
”Why did you come if there was a risk you could be trapped?”
North Wind laughed slightly. Their eyes met, and they saw the changes within the other’s heart. Their eyes, watery from the release of emotions, reflected their true love. The flower of their love blossomed in an instant; like the falling of a stone thrown into the air – it was inevitable. Their love, born in a flash, was forever. They would live eternally locked in the gentle, infinite moment when their two hearts became one - forever embracing the joy of the other as their own. The sand of the beach began to shift around and shake.
With a clap of thunder, North Wind’s hand became unstuck. His release caused them both to fall over. Sunrise landed on top of North Wind whose arms slid around her waist. Sunrise did not resist but moved her face closer to his. Looking deeply into their new love’s eyes, Sunrise and North Wind wrapped their wings around each other and kissed. The kiss was as soft as a rose petal, and as gentle as the golden mist falling around them. The power of their kiss created a blinding flash of white light. Night became day.
With that incredible release of energy, a new star was born. It was a glorious silver orb. The star raced to sit in the sky at the very top of the world. As the light faded, Sunrise could see her uncle Sun trying to peek over the horizon.
“No uncle, please give me more time.” Sunrise’s tightened her grip on North Wind’s slumping figure. North Wind turned his head. The first sunbeam of dawn stuck him in the center of his face. The golden sword of light pierced his frozen mask and burned away his wings icy armor. His mighty frost was gone. The blazing light tore away North Wind’s protection and he fell forward onto the sand.
“No! No! No!” Sunrise cried.
Sunrise’s pouring tears extinguished the fire in her eyes and filled the air with torrents of water. Sunrise fell over her beloved North Wind and wept oceans of tears. Farm fields far and wide were drowned under her tears. Entire villages were in danger of washing away.
The force of her grief had broken open the sky, and the drenching monsoon rains were born. The beautiful deep blue curtain of sky was replaced by a solid gray wall of driving rain. Uncle Sun stood on the horizon and saw Sunrise’s misery. Uncle Sun tried to pierce the dense curtain of pouring rain, but he could not punch his way through. Uncle Sun fired his furnaces to the full and asked Sea for assistance. Sea rose up and carried him forward towards the grieving Sunrise. For weeks she cried over the fallen North Wind. Slowly Sun made his way towards her on the Sea’s back.
When Sun was close enough for Sunrise to hear him, he called out, “Little one. Please, you must cease your crying. You are drowning the fields and villages.” She just hugged the fallen North Wind tighter. He was barely breathing.
Both Sun and Sea called out to her.
“Dear Sunrise. Pleases stop crying. Millions of people are suffering. Please listen to your uncles.”
Sunrise heard their calls and tried to hold back her tears. Two more days passed before they reached her side, and Sunrise finally stopped crying. The two ancients approached slowly. When they saw the fallen North Wind, their old hearts nearly broke in half. Sea moved to Sunrise’s side and placed a firm hand on her left wing. Sun placed his warm hand on her right wing. Sunrise looked up at them through her tear torn eyes. Sunrise’s lustrous beauty had been erased by the pain of her grief.
“Why? Why uncles? We just wanted to be together. Why uncles? Why would that be so wrong?”
The ancients helped her to her feet and spoke softly.
“Little Sunrise, we have asked our mother Sky to help us with this. Mother Sky saw the pure love between the two of you. When your first kiss created that new star that now shines over the top of the world, Mother Sky knew somehow the two of you had to be together. There had to be a place where Sunrise and North Wind could touch hands and look into each other’s eyes.”
The two ancients lifted the fallen North Wind and offered him to Sky. Sky bent down on her clouds of purest white and took the fallen North Wind into her arms.
“You come with me too Sunrise.” Mother Sky held out her hand.
Sunrise took Sky’s hand and stepped onto the cloud. The three of them rose together. As they rose ever higher, North Wind opened his eyes.
“My love.” He whispered.
They were the first words he had spoken in weeks and weeks.
“My dearest North Wind. You are alive.”
Sunrise turned to Mother Sky and said, “Thank you so much Mother. How can I ever repay your kindness?”
“You can thank me by allowing the beauty of your love to shine down upon the world forever. I have prepared a palace in the stars for the two of you.”
Sky rose above the earth and into the realm of heaven carrying the two lovers on the Clouds of Happiness. Their palace awaited on the star created by their first kiss. As Sunrise and North Wind stepped into the palace the glowing of Sunrise’s love for North Wind was reflected off his shiny silver body. The beautiful light bounced back and forth between the stars as the lovers danced together. The ever-changing colors of their love became the twinkle in the stars themselves.
Their silver palace of love shines down upon the heads of all who look towards the North and see the beautiful shining palace of the Pole Star. Anyone who is separated from those theyt love need only to look to the Pole Star and wish to be reunited; and their wish will be granted by Sunrise and North Wind from their twinkling silver palace in the stars.
THE END
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About the Author
I am an American freelance writer and editor living in China and working as a professor of Poetry, Cultural Studies, Writing, Mass Media and Journalism. Poetry has been a foundation of Chinese culture, and in my poetry appreciation class I do my best to revive the poetic spirit in my students. China’s native artistic spirit is being reinvigorated.
In the past few years, I have: served as editor and lead writer of the only province-wide monthly magazine, acted on television, been interviewed by numerous newspapers and television stations, been a voice actor, appeared in a commercial for, strangely enough, wallpaper paste.
