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 The Rain Spirit

    In the jungles of ancient Brazil there lived many exotic creatures.  Among these creatures there was a young, male leopard named Aruban.  He was an outcast because he was a wisher.  And his one most magnificent dream was for water.  He believed one day he would get his wish.  Aruban told all of the jungle animals that one day Jala, The Great Rain Spirit, would grant his wish to him so strongly that water would pour from the sky.  Not one living thing bothered to listen.  Who ever heard of water in Brazil anyways?  Jala had slept for 1,000 years and the only noise that could wake her up was the beating of the Kiwa Drum, which was in the secret hideaway of the Lost City, and no one knew where that was.

    Aruban traveled high and low, east and west searching for the Lost City, determined to find it.  One day he met up with a monkey who said he had seen the city and offered to take him there.  Aruban thanked him and ran along the jungle floors to keep up with the monkey swinging above.

    When they reached the entrance, it was indeed hidden.  50 foot vines curtained the opening and a white-water acid moat separated it from the rest of the forest.  the monkey could easily grab a vine and swing across the river, but Aruban had to find another way.  A thin, slippery log went across the entire waterway, and Aruban, with a positive idea of what he was doing, balanced his way across it.    Once in the Lost City, Aruban and the monkey searched for the drum.  they finally found it in a room full of riches.  There were gems bigger than elephants, gold sculptures, and dozens and dozens of  beautiful crowns.  There wasa silver throne with green, velvet cushion and on it was the cedar wood Kiwa Drum.

    Aruban pounded the drum with his paws, and every creature in all of Brazil heard him.  Within seconds Jala appeared and with her, the rain.

    All the animals had followed the beat of the drum to the Lost City and built an incredible bridge of gold and vine to enter.  When they saw Aruban, whom they had once doubted, they bowed in mear shame that they had been so unworthy of himand Jala, The Great Rain Spirit, made him leader of the jungle, which became a rain forest, and Prince of the Rain.  The little monkey became a leader as well, second in charge of the rain forest he was seated beside Aruban, who treated everyone with respect.  The drum was beat once a day so there was always rain.  And although Jala came everyday, nobody ever forgot her first appearance in the Lost City.