The Little Puff

To the North Wind: I hope you know who you are.

Once there was a little puff, born by a little geyser atop a little island. It knew nothing of the world above, for it had been sleeping before the earth sneezed it out.

The North wind happened to be passing by and saw the little puff abruptly expelled into the air. He gently caught the little puff lest it fall to the ground. "Come with me," said the North wind . "And we shall play with the forest." The North wind and the little puff went to the woods, played with the elves and danced with the faeries there.

"Hold my hand," said the North wind. "And we shall play with the humans." The North wind and the little puff flew to the cities, blew sheets of paper and held kites airborne.

"Ride on my back," said the North wind. "And we shall play with the ocean." The North wind and the little puff blew across the waters, bathed in spray and stirred the waves.

"Hold on tight," said the North wind. "And we shall play with the gods." The North wind and the little puff soared higher, past the sea, past the trees and past the kites.

"Are we there yet?" said the little puff.

"No, not yet," said the North wind.

They climbed onwards, past the birds, past the mountains and past the clouds.

"Are we there yet?" said the little puff.

"No, not yet," said the North wind.

They climbed as high as the eye can reach, then higher than that, then higher than both of those.

"Are we there yet?" said the little puff.

"No, not yet," said the North wind.

The little puff was getting impatient at the way the North wind lumbered about. He loosened his grasp and began to fly on his own. He was, no doubt, much lighter and much faster than the North wind. As he flew higher, he felt his light and agile body beginning to dissipate. As he flew higher still, he felt his feathers thinning. As he flew his highest, he could hold his body no more and he floated back down to earth in a million wisps, cold and lifeless.

For he is, after all, just a little puff.