Rainbow Brite: Happy
Birthday Twink
A
long, long way away, right at the end of the rainbow, there is a
magic kingdom called Rainbow Land and it is where all the colors of
the world are made. There, among the little round houses and the
masses of flowers, lives Rainbow Brite. She is a lovable little girl
who uses all the colors of the rainbow to make our world prettier
and happier.
Her
helpers are the seven Color Kids who are each responsible for their
own special color. Her other helpers are the Sprites. Happy, furry
little workers who dig in the color mines making star sprinkles that
form the colors. Each Sprite reports to their own special Color Kid.
Rainbow Brite’s Sprite is Twink, an adorable, funny little white
Sprite. Rainbow also has a magic flying horse, named Starlite.
Not
far away, in a gloomy spot called "The Pits," lives Murky Dismal, a
real misery, who tries to spread dullness and gloom everywhere. He
has an assistant called Lurky, who drives him around in a rattling
old Grunge Buggy.
One
day, during the Winter, all the Color Kids were sitting around a
lovely, glowing red fire at the Color Castle, the home of the
Rainbow Brite. They were talking about their Sprites and how helpful
and cheerful they were and how hard they worked.
Canary Yellow warmed her hands at the fire, and said cheerfully, "I
really am lucky that my Sprite Spark is so happy getting the yellow
from the mines for me. He loves our color just as much as I do."
Indigo agreed, "Yes, isn’t it nice that all the Sprites have their
own bright colors and are so proud of them?"
Then
all the Color Kids carried on talking about how good their Sprites
were, and how fond of their own colors they were, when Rainbow said,
"Do you know, all your Sprites have such glorious colors, but I
sometimes have a feeling that Twink gets a little big disappointed
about his."
Twink
of course, was Rainbow’s own special Sprite who looked after
everything white. He was really the chief Sprite, and he loved to
give orders to the other Sprites but they never took him seriously.
Twink liked to think of himself as Rainbow’s special protector.
Everybody was very, very fond of Twink.
Buddy
Blue spoke up. "D’you know Rainbow, you may be right. My Sprite
Champ only said the same thing when we were training the other day."
Buddy was very keen on keeping fit, and was always doing exercises
and things.
Then
Indigo said, "Well, all our colors are so bright and vivid and
dramatic. I know white can look lovely sometimes, but that Murky
Dismal gets it dirty so quickly when he is around. I feel sorry for
Twink sometimes."
"And
it’s his birthday the day after tomorrow," whispered Shy Violet. "I
wish we could do something special for him."
Rainbow Brite clapped her hands together. "We will, we will. I have
a marvellous idea. Gather round everybody and listen to my secret
plan."
Then
all the Color Kids huddled round the fire while Rainbow told them
their idea. And they talked and planned until midnight.
The
next day, Rainbow found an excuse to send Twink off on Starlite for
the day to deliver a message. Starlite, of course, was in the secret
plan and went slowly enough to make sure they were out for a long
time.
While
they were away, over in the mines, the Color Kids told the Sprites
about the special secret plan for Twink’s birthday. They were so
pleased and excited about it that they worked and worked away as
hard as they could, and the Color Kids did, and Rainbow.
The
noise of the digging could be heard far away and Murky Dismal and
Lurky, nosey as ever, drove over in the Grunge Buggy to find out
what was happening. But Rainbow heard them and threw a few star
sprinkles in their direction, so they soon went off, as they didn’t
want to be made cheerful….
Very
early the next morning, Rainbow gathered up the mass of magic
crystal star sprinkles that they Color Kids and Sprites had
prepared. Then she quietly called Starlite, and while everyone was
fast asleep, they set off. They soared up and away into the morning
sky, and Rainbow was scattering all the star sprinkles everywhere
over the land.
They
got back to the Color Castle just as the others were getting ready
for breakfast – a special one because it was Twink’s birthday. When
Twink came into the room, all the Color Kids and Sprites chorused,
"Happy birthday, Twink!"
"Thank you very much," Twink smiled. "Thank you all very much."
"Now," Rainbow announced, "everybody come along with me onto the
roof of the Castle."
The
sprites and Color Kids were all very excited, but Twink was puzzled.
"On
the roof, Rainbow?"
"Yes
Twink, on the roof, come along."
Then
they all climbed up the stairs, on and on, right to the top. They
opened the door and went out onto the roof. Rainbow was there first
and as Twink stepped onto the roof, she pointed right across the
land.
"Look
Twink!"
And
Twink looked, and could hardly believe his eyes. Everything was
white. Brilliant, brilliant shining white – snow white. The trees,
the houses, the hedges, the paths were glistening white. It was
radiant.
"Happy birthday, Twink," they all chorused. "A very happy birthday."
Twink could hardly speak. His own white color looked so lovely, he
couldn’t believe his eyes.
"But
how?…" he started to ask.
"Ha,
ha" Rainbow laughed. "While Starlite kept you out yesterday, all the
Color Kids and Sprites left their own colors and worked to make your
white crystals. Doesn’t it look splendid?"
In
the distance, they could see the Grunge Buggy just by The Pits. It
was all white too, and Murky and Lurky had come out to try and drive
it to spread some dullness and mist over the lovely white
countryside. But they couldn’t move, because the Buggy was stuck in
the snow! Lurky was trying to drive it out and Murky was trying to
dig it out and grumbling and mumbling so much that the Sprites and
Color Kids never laughed so much in their lives. All except Twink.
He was gazing across the countryside at his lovely white, covering
everything, his eyes were shining with pleasure. He turned to
Rainbow. "I never knew white could be so beautiful, Rainbow. Thank
you so much. This really is a happy happy birthday." |
