They looked up, Alligator and Crocodile,
and saw the most beautiful face smiling
at them, the lovely face of the rain queen
softly laughing, they heard the copper rings
clanging on the queen’s dancing feet, they
heard her sweet laughter within the weather’s
rumbling, she slowly advanced, spreading the
grey blanket of her life-giving veil, spun of clouds
thick and blue, building to purple and black, gone
was the sun, its fiery hue quenched by clouds
rolling on, and softly, mischievously, the rain
spread its mists as the rain queen danced
demurely at first, then wilder and wilder, more exciting,
enticing, Alligator and Crocodile joined in the dance, the
little folk of the plains, everyone, joined in the dance
hands clapping, feet drumming, voices lifted in song:
The rain is come, the rain is come, the rain queen is
here and listens to our song – The rain is come
Oh joy and love, joy and life, joy for evermore!
[Based on “The Dance of the Rain from Dwaalstories' by
Eugène N. Marias]