"The Land of the Magic Rainbow"
A Fable by Jack Neubart
©Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
There once was a boy who lived in a town
Where the streets were dark and dingy all around;
In his home he had scarcely scraps of food to eat,
A ragged bed in which to sleep,
Barely enough clothes to keep him warm
Against the winter’s icy storms;
And at bedtime, he’d dream of things he never had,
And of a Magic Rainbow in a faerytale land.
So one day this lad set out to seek
That fabled land that promised riches deep,
Grand castles, grand streets, grand everything,
More happiness than anyone could ever bring,
A better life than he’d had or his parent could make --
He just needed to find the right road to take,
The one that would lead him through rain and snow,
Through forests and meadows -- to that Magic Rainbow.
He wandered for days, no food did he eat,
He did not even take time to sleep,
He saw lions and tigers and some monkeys too,
So many animals, he thought he was in a zoo;
He reached a mountain and climbed to the top,
He refused to rest, he would not stop,
And from on high he saw a colorful valley below --
He had reached the Land of the Magic Rainbow.
He laughed and cried and shouted out loud,
He entered the valley, he walked proud,
For now he could bring home all those things
Which he and his family had been longing,
Clothes to wear and food to eat,
So many good things beyond belief,
But he was tired, he lay down to sleep
Before reaching the Rainbow, his dream to keep.
And he slept, dreaming his mother held him tight,
When he awoke in the night, no Rainbow in sight,
His heart was saddened, he shed a tear,
He had come this far, he was so near,
Only to find it was all just a dream,
There was no Magic Rainbow, it seemed.
But then came a magic mist, awakened by the sun,
Then came ribbons of every hue, and he began to run
Toward the Magic Rainbow, he knew the way --
“Wake up sleepyhead,” he heard someone say,
His eyes opened to a vision he could only dream,
Of children playing, it was a magic scene
With every toy and game and lots of food to eat,
They fed him ice cream and every kind of treat,
Then they clothed him in a rainbow of colors
And stuffed huge pockets with delightful things, one after another.
Again he was tired, and from joy did he weep,
He knew he had far to go, but now he would sleep,
Tomorrow he’d begin the journey home,
Carrying as much as he could on his own;
He slept, but he awoke in a fright,
It was awful -- there was no Rainbow, nothing in sight,
His heart was aching, he’d come so near,
And now he began to fear
That indeed it was all just a dream,
There was no Magic Rainbow, it seemed.
But then came a magic mist, awakened by the sun,
Then came ribbons of every hue, and he began to run
Toward the Magic Rainbow, he knew the way --
“Wake up sleepyhead,” he heard his mother say,
His eyes opened slowly, it was just a dream,
For surely that is how it seemed,
And he went to the table his breakfast to eat,
And found there all kinds of food, what a treat!
And when it was time to dress for the day,
He found clothes galore, and toys and games to play,
He found all the things he’d wished he’d had --
Now the little boy was no longer sad,
He walked to the window, then he started to run
As he saw a mist awakened by the rising sun
With ribbons of every hue -- he smiled from within,
And the Magic Rainbow smiled back at him.
Where the streets were dark and dingy all around;
In his home he had scarcely scraps of food to eat,
A ragged bed in which to sleep,
Barely enough clothes to keep him warm
Against the winter’s icy storms;
And at bedtime, he’d dream of things he never had,
And of a Magic Rainbow in a faerytale land.
So one day this lad set out to seek
That fabled land that promised riches deep,
Grand castles, grand streets, grand everything,
More happiness than anyone could ever bring,
A better life than he’d had or his parent could make --
He just needed to find the right road to take,
The one that would lead him through rain and snow,
Through forests and meadows -- to that Magic Rainbow.
He wandered for days, no food did he eat,
He did not even take time to sleep,
He saw lions and tigers and some monkeys too,
So many animals, he thought he was in a zoo;
He reached a mountain and climbed to the top,
He refused to rest, he would not stop,
And from on high he saw a colorful valley below --
He had reached the Land of the Magic Rainbow.
He laughed and cried and shouted out loud,
He entered the valley, he walked proud,
For now he could bring home all those things
Which he and his family had been longing,
Clothes to wear and food to eat,
So many good things beyond belief,
But he was tired, he lay down to sleep
Before reaching the Rainbow, his dream to keep.
And he slept, dreaming his mother held him tight,
When he awoke in the night, no Rainbow in sight,
His heart was saddened, he shed a tear,
He had come this far, he was so near,
Only to find it was all just a dream,
There was no Magic Rainbow, it seemed.
But then came a magic mist, awakened by the sun,
Then came ribbons of every hue, and he began to run
Toward the Magic Rainbow, he knew the way --
“Wake up sleepyhead,” he heard someone say,
His eyes opened to a vision he could only dream,
Of children playing, it was a magic scene
With every toy and game and lots of food to eat,
They fed him ice cream and every kind of treat,
Then they clothed him in a rainbow of colors
And stuffed huge pockets with delightful things, one after another.
Again he was tired, and from joy did he weep,
He knew he had far to go, but now he would sleep,
Tomorrow he’d begin the journey home,
Carrying as much as he could on his own;
He slept, but he awoke in a fright,
It was awful -- there was no Rainbow, nothing in sight,
His heart was aching, he’d come so near,
And now he began to fear
That indeed it was all just a dream,
There was no Magic Rainbow, it seemed.
But then came a magic mist, awakened by the sun,
Then came ribbons of every hue, and he began to run
Toward the Magic Rainbow, he knew the way --
“Wake up sleepyhead,” he heard his mother say,
His eyes opened slowly, it was just a dream,
For surely that is how it seemed,
And he went to the table his breakfast to eat,
And found there all kinds of food, what a treat!
And when it was time to dress for the day,
He found clothes galore, and toys and games to play,
He found all the things he’d wished he’d had --
Now the little boy was no longer sad,
He walked to the window, then he started to run
As he saw a mist awakened by the rising sun
With ribbons of every hue -- he smiled from within,
And the Magic Rainbow smiled back at him.
