In a far off country there was a young girl named Cecile. Cecile was full of joy and colours. She lived for the colours of the earth, emerald green trees and and bright saphire skies.

One day while running through the deep green forest she fell down in a murky pond. She looked down and saw the pond was black. As she raised herself up to her knees she saw the black mud wrapped itself around her hands, around her fingers, and covered them in what looked to be a dark muddy tar.

Anger rose up inside of her. She held her hands in contrast to the deep green trees.

“Its so dark. I can’t create colour with this on my hands. No, no. I will not let this ruin my world!”

And she continued on. 

She skipped and pranced around the earth. The blue sky danced in and around her head as she looked up. The trees waved its branches in step with her music. 

Then, as Cecile slowed down her prancing she looked around herself and to her dismay she noticed a darkened branch. 

She looked deeper into the trees.. 

Why, many branches were dark! They were losing their deep green hue that she so loved. 

Cecile started to cry and ran out of the forest. 

Cecile’s father saw her and held her close. 

“Cecile, my dear, what is wrong?” 

Cecile cried out. “Father, things I touch are turning dark. The world is losing its colour!” 

“Why don’t you be rid of this? Clean them. Then the things you touch will not be affected.” 

“Why should I have to? This tar foisted itself on me. No, I will not. I will colour the earth more. Then it will be sorry.”

Cecile ran back into the forest and resolved in herself to color the world despite what she saw on her hands.

As the days passed Cecile’s world began to darken. The trees lost their deep emerald green. The skies no longer gave off their bright blue glimmer. The birds of the air no longer shimmered and gleamed from the sunlight.. Her hair lost its colour and so did her eyes. 

Cecile was walking in the forest surrounded by the black that was slowly etching away the light in her. With her head down and he hands at her sides she looked down. Her father then appeared beside her with water. 

“I think I’m ready to be rid of this, father. It’s too much to bear.” 

And with that, her father washed her hands. As the black mud slowly ran off her hands and darkened the water, she soon began to see her hands again. 

Cecile smiled, kissed her father’s cheek and ran off into the forest to bring back the colors again.