OCTOBER 20: The Rain
“We heard some people talking and they made us very angry,” said the Rain Drops. “They said, ‘Oh, it’s raining cats and dogs.’ And we would never rain cats and dogs, never, never, never, at any time at all.”
The King of the Clouds laughed hard. “Well do I remember when it used to make me mad when people said those things,” he chuckled. “People often talk in that foolish way.”
“Whatever do they mean by it?” asked the Rain Drops.
“Nothing, nothing at all.”
“Then they don’t imagine we will really rain cats and dogs?” asked the Rain Drops.
“They know you really won’t,” said the King of the Clouds. “When they say that you are raining cats and dogs they mean that you are raining very hard and furiously.”
“But, Cloud King,” said the Rain Drops, “there were some other people and they said that it was raining pitchforks. Now can you imagine us doing that? We wouldn’t rain pitchforks for anything. They’d hurt people and children and animals, and while we do love to splash and have our jokes, still we would never do anything mean such as rain pitchforks.”
“Of course you wouldn’t,” said the King of the Clouds. “They say that in just the same way as they say it is ‘raining cats and dogs.’ That also simply means it’s raining very, very hard. So go back and play.” And the Rain Drops were much relieved.