The Brothers: Thunder and Lightning






Once, long ago, there was a cloud woman who lived in the atmosphere. She fell in love with a storm-cloud man and married him. They lived happily among their fellow Cloud People and had two sons: Lightning and Thunder. Even though the little boys were twins, they were nothing alike. Lightning was quick and always in a hurry; while Thunder was slower and enjoyed taking his time for everything.



As the boys grew, they followed their father everywhere. They were determined to be storm clouds when they grew up, just like him. Watching him rain down on the earth one day, the boys decided to practice being storm clouds.



"Hurry up, Thunder!" Lightning commanded as he sprinted ahead. Impatient with his slower brother, Lightning continued to run and jump; within moments, he had left his brother far behind.



Lightning loved to show off, even when he was alone. He sprinted and tumbled until--



He fell from the sky in a burst of light!






Thunder had ambled along after his brother, content to stroll alone. But when he came upon a hole in the clouds, he knew that something had gone wrong.



"Mother! Father!" Thunder moved as fast as he could, bellowing for his parents. "Come quick!"



Although Thunder was slow, his voice was incredibly loud. His parents heard him and came running. His father asked, "What's wrong, my son?"



"I think Lightning fell down to the earth! He's gone!"



The mother and father told all of their friends to look for Lightning. The Cloud People peered down at the earth, hoping to see the little boy. Winds traveled to and fro over the planet, but none of them discovered Lightning’s whereabouts.



Thunder spent all his time at the hole in the clouds, staring at the earth below, desperate to glimpse his brother.



One night, Thunder thought he heard his brother laugh. Despite the heavy rain pouring from the other clouds above his home, Thunder left his family’s cloud-house. He sloshed through the rain, listening for Lightning's laugh.



Suddenly, a bright flash of light appeared! Thunder was almost blinded.



"Lightning!" he gasped after the light disappeared. The light appeared again, farther away now. Thunder chased the light, yelling "Brother! Wait for me!" Thunder got louder and louder as her ran after his brother, but Lightning never stopped. Thunder could not catch up.






Now, the twins are all grown up. Every time it rains, Thunder sits outside of his cloud-house, waiting to see Lightning. Whenever Lightning appears, Thunder jumps up and runs after him, pleading with him to wait. But Thunder never catches Lightning.