Suzi’s Wonderland

The world can seem like a wonderland. It can be jollier than a swim in the fountain of youth. It can be filled with many wonderful things, such as crickets whose songs can be merry as an elf’s circle dance! (Those wonderful cricket musicians are sometimes even asked to play the music for the circle dances!) And those circle dances are nice! You'd have to see one, though, to know what I mean. But let’s save that for another day.

This very world can only seem, much less be a wonderland, so often. Usually, one doesn't feel this way any more than about ten times in their life! But, as you have probably guessed, we won’t look at the usual. Today, we will take a look at Suzi. 

Now, the peculiar thing about Suzi is that she would see the world as a wonderland whenever it rained! (Until she was about 8.) Every, single, time. Whenever it rained, she would sprint outside in less time that you can say, “Circle dance!”  if she wasn’t outside already. And that did not happen very often. Suzi, back in her day, was the 5-year-old weather man. All of the 14 neighbors on their block would watch for Suzi, sprinting out of the last house on the dead end. (Remember, reader. We do not know how Suzi did this. She just did.) 

The only time Suzi would not go outside was when she was asleep. But even then, she would have the most pleasant dream of rain.

If, reader, you are curious about this Suzi, and her child wonderland adventures, read along.

One lovely spring day, clouds began to gather in the skies of Seattle. It was right after dawn, and it seemed like the clouds had no intention of showing off their sun to this particular place. 

This just happened to be at the exact time when Suzi woke up. The first thing that Suzi did was check out the window at the head of her room, the nursery. At the sight of all the clouds, something in her screamed, “Rain!!!”

This echoed through her body until it reached her brain. Milliseconds after she got the message, she shot off like a bullet.

Down the stairs she ran. Suzi took the cold doorknob in her hands and turned it. A familiar, “Click,” and the door was open.

Still in her night gown, and barefoot, she leaped over the stoop, and into the grass. She ran and jumped over the sidewalk and into her backyard.

At the sight of this, one of her neighbors, Mr. Minle, saw this and said to himself, “Why, that girl is out again. It hasn’t rained in days! I sure do hope that this means my carrots will have water!”

“And hopefully those pesky squirrels and birds don’t get to them before we do!” chuckled Mrs. Minle

Suzi ran into the backyard. Mud would not stop her. As if she had a superpower, Suzi could run through mud without slipping one bit.

When she arrived, the first thing she looked for were the squirrels and birds. Yesterday, when Suzi was playing around, she saw the birds and squirrels fighting for no reason at all! (They were actually fighting over food. Remember, Suzi is so young, she doesn't understand that yet.)

When Suzi came to the end of her backyard, she came to the tree where she last saw the birds and squirrels.

“Where could they have gone!” thought Suzi. She looked up into the sky. Not a drop. But, since Suzi was a very stubborn girl, she sat down and stayed there.

At the sight of this, the rainclouds felt so sorry for her that they sent their little raindrops down to her.

“Ugh. I don’t see why we have to send our droplets now!” whined a teenage cloud. “All of my friends are in Montana!!”

“Now son. This little girl needs cheering up,” replied that cloud’s father. “Also, I do enjoy the smell of fresh carrots!” “You and your gardening,” grumbled the teenage cloud.

In seconds, Suzi was surrounded by water. She looked around herself. “Why am I sitting here instead of dancing and singing in the rain?” she said to no one in particular.

And without an answer to her question, she stood up and brushed herself off.

When the rain began, the squirrels and birds came to the very tree Suzi was sitting next to.

Suzi watched in amazement of how the birds and squirrels played together. In her mind, it was the rain that brought them together. (It was the rain, but the rain gave more water for the carrots Mr. Minle grows.)

And with the squirrels, she danced. With the birds, she sang. And most importantly of all, she was happier than an elf’s circle dance.