Reading Room

On the Appearance of Rainbows

“See the rainbow?”

Graham and Karen were surprised by the voice of a little old lady while changing their muddy boots at the rear of the car after a muddy moorland walk. She was wrapped in a pink shawl, blue denims and a streaming rainbow scarf. 

Sure enough, over distant hills, a rainbow stretched gloriously across the sky, vivid red, orange, blue hues standing out against the heavy lead backdrop.

“Wow,” Graham and Karen said together.

“Something in the air,” the old lady sported a winsome, toothy grin. Eyes, staring brightly ahead like two bright pins.

Karen’s ears pricked up. “What?”

“Gold.”

“Yeah, right.” Karen smirked.

“Just under those trees by the river,” said the old lady sincerely, before moving slowly off.

Karen's nose wrinkled, and Graham scratched a puzzled head, laughing. “Bonkers. Just an old wives’ tale.”

“Look!” Karen laughed at the little old lady running hell for leather down the road.

“No,” said Graham, joining in. “What a gallop.”

Comfortably back inside the car, laughter continued until Karen yelled. “Hey! The gold watch is gone. It’s not under the chair."

Graham raised a furrowed brow. "You don't think?"

"Well, don’t just sit there." cried Karen. "Get moving.”

“Where?” cried Graham, waving a despondent hand.

Both the rainbow and the little old lady had vanished.

Picture generated by Copilot.

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No One is Scared of Little Old Ladies

"It's poisonous," cried Marky; staring at the red bulbous plant. "I'm telling you those berries may look juicy, but they are poisonous."

Griselda stared at him feeling hungry; the walk going on too long. "What are they called then?"

Marky stooped down to examine the twelve-inch plant. "'Little old ladies,' yes, I'm sure, 'little old ladies,'"

Griselda heard her tummy grumble. "Really?"

Marky picked up his pack. "Come on, we need to get to the village before sunset."

Griselda watched him walk off; and quickly dipping down picked a berry, and muttered, "I'm not scared of little old ladies.". 

Five-minute exercise from Okehampton Writers Group, 5th Nov, 24. 

Perdita's comment: "The kettle was on. The story boiling."

Photo: By Frank Vincentz - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3195268