The Story of Jai the Little Cloud and the Big Adventure ~ Short Stories

 

In some wide, airy sky which packed puffy, floating clouds one little cloud lived once. Jai was the name for this little cloud, smaller compared to other large-sized ones. Unlike others, big, round, fluffy headed Jai had a cheeky, sunny smile sporting two puffy little "arms." His friends teased him about his size, but that didn't bother him-one small cloud was too busy with ideas of adventures beyond the horizon.

Below him everything that he caught the view of: the green hills, the sprawling forests, and the sparkling rivers. He wanted to see the great ocean for it was so huge that was a belief that this great, gigantic ocean must have ended at the world's edge. His cloud friends would always tell him stories about the endless waves of the ocean and the smell of the salty air and the giggling children on the shore of the sand. How marvelous it would be to see it! Jai's wispy heart leaped with excitement and seemed to fill to its bursting point.

It was a lazy afternoon, and the big clouds were drifting listlessly across the sky, when Jai finally made up his mind. "I'm going to find the Great Ocean!" he exclaimed to all who would listen.

"You? But you're so tiny and light that you can't possibly journey that far," laughed kalu, the big gray cloud whose voice boomed like thunder.

"That's what you think!" said Jai, unruffled. "Just watch me get there."

And expanding his chest as far as it would go, taking a deep breath, Jai set off on his travels. The skies opened up in every direction, and he saw many strange sights and creatures as he floated along.

First, he passed a family of birds that were flying south for the winter. "Where are you going, little cloud?" asked the father bird.

"To the Great Ocean!" said Jai proudly.

The father bird chuckled, but his eyes twinkled with kindness. "Well, keep going, little friend. It's a long way, but the ocean is truly something to behold."

Heartened, Jai moved forward. Then he floated over the busy town of skyscrapers, flashing lights and people scurrying like ants below city streets. Skyscrapers seemed to reach up and almost graze his side.

"Oh my!" Jai cried. "I never knew mountains could be glass!"

The buildings didn't speak up, of course, but Jai was far too excited by the idea to be bothered. He kept walking into the wind and that oddly chilly raindrop. It was still eve when he reached the edge of a dense forest. Tired but more determined than ever, he curled down among the treetops to sleep.

That eve, quietly lying among the leaves, he heard a small voice whisper, "Hello, who are you?"

Jai gazed down and caught sight of a small firefly blinking kindly through the darkness. "My name is Jai, and I'm going to the Great Ocean!" said he.

"Oh, marvelous," said the firefly, its light shining soft. "I have never seen it myself, but I've heard of itas far, far away as the moon. You must be terribly brave."

Jai blushed—well, as much as a little cloud could blush. "Thank you," he said. "I just really want to see it!"

"Then I wish you luck," said the firefly. "Maybe when you return, you can tell us all about it."

With that encouragement, Jai drifted off to sleep, his dreams full of waves and sand and seagulls.

The next day, Jai continues his trip. He skims over the valleys and hovered above the rivers until he finally saw something sparkling far off on the horizon. Nothing like this had he ever seen: this gigantic shimmering jewel under the sun. It was the Great Ocean!

Jai was over the moon. He flew toward it, floating low to watch the waves dance in the wind. He heard children playing on the shore laugh; saw dolphins leap through the water; and felt the salty breeze tickling at his wispy edges. All of what he had imagined when he set out on his journey seemed finally to have materialized before him.

As he floated across the sea, he turned back to consider the country he had crossed. He had met gentle creatures, seen sights that amazed him, and made wonderful memories. Jai smiled to himself. One day, he told himself, he would recount this adventure to his cloud friends, perhaps inspiring them to embark on an adventure of their own.

And when the sun started to set, then it spread golden lights upon the waves, Jai little cloud to himself whispering, "The world is even bigger and lovelier than I thought."

From then on, Jai was no longer just a little cloud but was given the label of the bravest cloud to ever live. He had seen the Great Ocean and could tell the stories about how he proved himself. And every time that he drifted through the sky, he retold his tales to all who would listen, inspiring a new generation of little clouds to go out and explore the world beyond.

So the legend of Jai, the brave little cloud, blew away.

1. Question: What is the main character’s name in the story?

  Answer: The main character’s name is Jai.

2. Question: What does Jai dream of seeing one day?

  Answer: Jai dreams of seeing the Great Ocean.

3. Question: Why do the other clouds tease Jai?

  Answer: They tease him because he is smaller and lighter than most clouds.

4. Question: Who does Jai meet while he’s flying over the city?

  Answer: He sees tall buildings, which he calls "mountains of glass."

5. Question: What animal family does Jai meet on his journey?

  Answer: Jai meets a family of birds flying south for the winter.

6. Question: Who does Jai talk to in the forest at night?

  Answer: Jai talks to a tiny firefly.

7. Question: What did the firefly wish for Jai?

  Answer: The firefly wished Jai luck on his journey to the Great Ocean.

8. Question: What does Jai see when he finally reaches the Great Ocean?

  Answer: He sees the waves, children playing on the shore, dolphins leaping, and feels the salty breeze.

9. Question: What did Jai become known as after his adventure?

  Answer: Jai became known as the bravest cloud of them all.

10. Question: What does Jai do after his adventure?

   Answer: He shares his stories with other clouds to inspire them to go on adventures too.