A Zuni LegendLong ago, the land of the Zuni people lay cracked and barren under a relentless sun. The rivers had turned to dust, the crops had withered, and the elders’ prayers to the Rain Spirit seemed to vanish into the dry wind.
Among the people was a lonely child, orphaned and quiet, who had only one companion — a small dragonfly with shimmering wings that glowed like morning dew. The child shared scraps of food with the dragonfly and whispered songs of the ancestors to it at night.
One evening, as the people gave up hope, the child knelt in silence and prayed. Not for themselves — but for the village, for the elders, for the thirsty Earth. The dragonfly watched, then soared into the sky, carrying the child's prayer on its delicate wings.
For seven days and nights, the dragonfly flew — over jagged mountains and through fierce winds — until it reached the dwelling of the Rain Spirit. Touched by the purity of the prayer, the Spirit wept. And from those tears, the first storm clouds formed.
Rain poured over the land. Seeds awakened. Streams sang again.
From that day on, whenever the air is heavy and the land dry, the Zuni remember the dragonfly — the Winged Rainbringer — and paint it on their pottery, their walls, their stories, as a symbol of hope.
“Even the smallest being, guided by love, can stir the skies.”
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