Much of Australia has been in the grip of drought for years... ... and many kids are
unfamiliar with rain; the following comments reflect this.
After Sunday school a four-year-old was found dancing naked in the first rain to have fallen in a long time. When asked what was going on, she replied, "Jesus
turned the shower on."
A small amount of rain had allowed seeds to germinate, and a little boy was keenly observing the emerging shoots. "What's happening?" he asked his dad.
"The rain has wet the ground so seeds grow," replied his dad.
"Where does rain come from?"
"The clouds."
"Where do the clouds come from?"
"God makes them."
After a few moments deep thought, he commented, "Did God sleep in?"
One hot summer's day an enterprising young 6 year-old set up his drink stand under a tree on the country road that ran past his parents' farm. The sign was
large and legible, table and chairs in the shade, and trade proved to be brisk. The sign simply read "PURE COLD WATER. 50c per glass." The insulted box held water from the dam, used every day
by the cows - something his customers were never told.
A group of children from impoverished, arid farms were taken to the seaside by a charitable trust for a holiday. Their amazement was unbounded at the sight of
so much water and the feel of it on their skin, but their self-appointed leader, a bossy 10year old, knew her parent's plight. She had everyone scour the bins for empty plastic bottles and
filled them from the ocean. "We're taking these back," she told the supervisor in no uncertain terms.
"But…" he began to object, but was no match for her angry scream: "EVERY DROP IS PRECIOUS"
The farm was on a former gold-mining area, and had proved to be a very fertile place. Very occasionally a small nugget was found, but the one the 8-year-old
boy brought home one afternoon was larger than most, weighing a good 10 oz. When asked by his excited mum where he had found it, he replied, "the creek."
"But you know you're not to go there, it's really too dangerous."
"Is not!" he shot back. "I'll show you."
He led her to the spot, a good two miles away, where in dismay she saw that the creek was totally dry, something that had never happened in over 100 years. The
gold find faded into insignificance as the horrible truth dawned: No more water for man or beast unless they had it carted in at enormous expense.
Life is tough in drought stricken lands.
Submitted by Lindsay, Melbourne, Australia
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