RAIN DANCER
Rain Dancer Script
Rain Dancer
2nd Edition 2025, Audio Book
Copyright © 2015 by Deborah J. Solberg
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author. Cultural appropriation protocol has been observed.
ISBN: 978-1-990442-11-7
A SUNCITY PRODUCTIONS BOOK FOR CHILDREN
Contemporary fairy tales with the magic of a spiritual wand.
For more information, visit the website:
DeborahJeanSolberg.com
RAIN DANCER BY DEBORAH J SOLBERG
Dedicated to Brooklyn Taylor McGinnis
NARRATED BY BRANDIE CHRISTALES
Narrator: Rain Dancer heard Wolf and Lynx growl.
The little girl from the Cree Nation was lost deep in the woods, under Moon flickering in tall trees.
She had paddled out to see the Salmon People return when the water was soothing and calm.
But in the blink of an eye, the water was a mirror to the dark and angry sky. A sudden storm whipped the waves around her. Thunderbird blinded her with rain clouds. Her canoe raced down the river, bouncing off rocks and boulders.
Rain Dancer clung to the sides, praying:
Rain Dancer: Great Creator, I do not want to live with the Salmon People.
Narrator: No one heard but Raven, who dived, cawing a warning that came too late, and swooping, soaring Eagle. Trees flew by. Rocks leaped up. She scrunched her eyes tight. The birch bark canoe leaned and swayed, threatening to throw her into the angry water.
Grandmother had warned her about Windigo,
a trickster who tipped canoes. She was lost. No one would find her now. Behind her eyes, she saw Grandmother drum the rain song during the dry season.
The Cree Nation danced so the rain knew where to find them. Her birth night had happened during a rain song. Under a double Rainbow, she was named Dancer. Praying to the Great Creator who gives all life, Rain Dancer listened as Grandmother’s drumming grew louder over the crashing waves.
She sank deep in the canoe, and waited, wondering if this was to be her last thought. Then, it was dark everywhere.
Narrator: When Rain Dancer woke up to Moon,
she saw her leaking canoe rock on a riverbank.
Moon said:
Moon: Grandmother’s song brought the canoe to shore,
like the salmon catcher pulls in Salmon People.
You were saved from the waterfall.
Narrator: Rain Dancer reached for the canoe to pull it onto shore. But it rolled away and drifted downstream. Knowing the waterfall would crush it, she felt tears in her eyes threaten to rain down her face.
Grandmother always said that tears would make her weak, so Rain Dancer stopped them with her breathing. Through each breath, in and out, she thought:
Rain Dancer: Tears will not take me home. If I listen, I will hear my mother and father when they come to find me.
Narrator: Rain Dancer called out, but Wolf howled, and Lynx growled.
Narrator: She tried to think past the fear and felt for the
sweet grass in her bundle to purify herself.
But it was wet. Rain Dancer was unable to smudge herself.
Rain Dancer: It will not protect me.
Narrator: She offered tobacco to the forest spirits, as Grandmother taught her, but it was also wet.
Rain Dancer: At least the rain will clear my scent from the air,
so Wolf and Lynx cannot find me.
Narrator: Too late, she saw the gleam of animal eyes
from behind the bush, and atop the tree.
All eyes found each other.
Rain Dancer said to herself,
Rain Dancer: This is my last thought.
Narrator: She heard Wolf,
Wolf: You think too much. You should listen.
Narrator: Lynx jumped down, and Wolf circled Rain Dancer.
Lynx: She is human. Humans have lost the way.
Narrator: Rain Dancer was trembling.
Rain Dancer: I can hear you, but I don’t know how to find the way.
Narrator: Lynx replied.
Lynx: I hear you with my nose. It smells you before
my eyes see you.
Narrator: Rain Dancer wondered how Lynx’s eyes could talk.
She heard the animals with her mind, not ears.
Lynx: Fear opened your other eye, so now you can hear us.
Narrator: Rain Dancer was puzzled.
Rain Dancer: Other eye?
Narrator: Now they spoke of another eye that she did not know she had.
Rain Dancer: What eye? I have only two.
Lynx: Third Eye is between your eyes. Close your eyes and you will see with it.
Narrator: Rain Dancer remembered her fear in the canoe
and seeing Grandmother behind her eyes.
Rain Dancer: When Grandmother drums, I can see her without my eyes.
Narrator: Lynx slunk closer, until nose to nose
with Rain Dancer. Lynx’s long, sharp teeth flashed in the moonlight. Rain Dancer was so afraid that her whole body shook, and she felt herself leave her body. She pinched herself hard. The pain kept her awake.
Rain Dancer: No, I will stay strong.
Narrator: Lynx paused.
Lynx: If you can hear me, then you are more spirit
than human. But if you see me again, remember,
I am wild. When I hunger, I eat.
Narrator: With a flick of a whisker, Lynx was gone.
Only the swaying branches signaled where he went.
Her heart beat hard like Grandmother’s drum.
Rain Dancer whirled to Wolf, who said.
Wolf: I am Sentinel. I keep watch, so the pack
can sleep.
Narrator: Wolf crept closer, until she could feel his fur
against her skin. He said,
Wolf: I hear you. You hear me. Now, we are family.
Family does not eat family. But the pack does not know you. If they see you, I will have to choose.”
Narrator: She felt her tears fall before she could catch them.
Rain Dancer: I am Nêhiyawak, the Cree People. How do I find them?”
Wolf: Follow the eye that sees.
Narrator: He howled to Moon and disappeared into the bush.
Rain Dancer felt her knees give way.
Rain Dancer: Follow the eye that sees.
Narrator: She thought of her mother’s smile in the morning,
as radiant as the sun. She remembered the warmth of her father’s arms when she ran into them.
And Grandmother, who showed her how to make necklaces, dried meat, and medicines from plants.
Third Eye made her see clearly, as though they stood right in front of her.
Rain Dancer: When I return to my people, I will look at everything with new eyes. I will ask what things mean from the Great Creator with my Third Eye. Then, I will understand what to do.
Narrator: She thanked the Great Creator for protection against the wild ones and the lesson about Third Eye. Rain Dancer always saw things behind her eyes, but she did not know it was Third Eye.
She just thought her mind painted pictures like
the Great Creator painted a sunset. The wild ones were good teachers, and on this night of fear, they were her friends.
She thanked Lynx and Wolf by leaving tobacco in four directions. Moon beckoned her away from the water into the land of wild ones. She dug into her bundle and thought:
Rain Dancer: I will eat some dried meat and ask Third Eye to show me a path.
Narrator: She chewed the wet meat, and waited, but no pictures came to her mind. In despair, she started through the trees and prickly bush, feeling her way with her fingers. Branches swatted her face, and tree roots tripped her feet, but she continued to move, unsure of her direction. Tired and terrified, her moccasins gained a life of their own. They moved faster and faster until she tumbled and fell, crashing downward, headlong into a mountain-sized log.
Narrator: Moon stared down at her with Grandmother’s face.
Trees fell away, and stars twinkled as though to say:
Stars: Dance with us.
Narrator: Rain Dancer shifted, but her body hurt. She wondered when the wild ones would find her. Instead, it was the Great Creator. Without warning or sound, Cipayak, the Northern Lights, lit up the sky. Huge sheets of color, like crimson poppies and purple lavender swirled and popped, weaving in and out of each other, like a family of light. It was like Cipayak lifted her up and carried her into the family. Rain Dancer thought:
Rain Dancer: Only the Great Creator makes beauty that the whole world
can see.
Narrator: A peaceful feeling came over her. It was as though Great Creator was telling her to be calm. Soon, she understood without hearing words, just like she had with the wild ones.
Lynx: All is well. The journey is a journey.
Wolf: No need to know the end before you begin.
Lynx: Enjoy beauty along the way.
Wolf: You will learn much.
Narrator: Rain Dancer took a deep breath, rubbed the sore spots, and gave thanks to Great Creator in all four directions. She looked up at the now twinkling stars and winking moon and added thanks above. She closed her eyes. Cipayak shone again behind her eyes, there for her whenever she needed it. A feeling came over her to go forward, but to keep her eyes closed.
Rain Dancer: Not open my eyes?
Narrator: She panicked. Fear rose inside her, but Cipayak continued to glow in her mind, so she slowly moved, following the feeling.
The feeling became a sound, like Grandmother’s drum, but with Grandfathers and many other Elders who lived before. Their drumming was a heartbeat, a spell that carried her forward. Rain Dancer reached out to touch them, but they said to keep her eyes closed. They would light the path in her mind. Cipayak would stay bright if she continued their path. Her hand touched a tree branch. It was low and short and allowed her to pass. Her feet stepped over the tree root as though she knew it was there. Soon, she needed to rest, and a flat rock invited her to sit down. The little stream beside the rock, gurgled a song.
Narrator: Rain Dancer asked permission from the Elders to open her eyes. When she looked with her eyes, she saw stars and moon reflected in the water. Her fingers played with the water, and they danced together. Apiscini, tiny little people, darted out from under the leaves, spraying drops everywhere. Rain Dancer reached out to catch one of the little people, but they scrambled around her hand like little Hummingbirds.
Rain Dancer giggled as they danced on their hands,
leapt over mushrooms and jumped off dewy bushes.
She laughed at their funny little sounds, like blue bells ringing in the breeze, and the babbling brook. Rain Dancer was so happy to have little friends in the forest that she did not notice they had taken her into a cave. Above her were long sparkling icicles hanging from the ceiling.
On the walls were paintings of her people throwing spears at large animals that she had never seen. Cipayak was gone. Grandmother and the Elders were gone. Moon was gone. Apiscini led her deeper into the cave as though her feet and mind were not in the same body. A huge ROAR frightened the Apiscini and just as suddenly as they appeared, they disappeared.
Looming in front of Rain Dancer was White Bear,
the biggest of all bears. Rain Dancer tried to remember what Grandmother said about the animal spirit of the Great Creator. Rain Dancer closed her eyes and spoke to White Bear with Third Eye. She begged White Bear:
Rain Dancer: Please let me leave the cave and return to my people a better human.
Narrator: She kept her eyes shut, but felt the presence of the huge animal next to her. Rain Dancer held her breath. A voice rumbled through the cave. She heard it with her mind, not her ears.
White Bear said:
White Bear: You are to be Medicine Keeper for your people.
Go from here, Rain Dancer, and learn the plants.
Keep them well-watered, and they will keep you alive, and well.’
Narrator: When Rain Dancer opened her eyes, White Bear was gone, leaving no print, and only the memory of what he said. Rain Dancer felt her way out of the cave. She smelled the pure sweet air after the rain. She felt washed and clean inside herself.
Rain Dancer followed Third Eye, picking plants as she went, and tucking them in her bundle. She reached the village just as a group was leaving to find her.
Narrator: She fell into Grandmother’s arms and became sick.
The people did everything they could do to help her.
They put her in a lodge to sweat out the sickness.
They did a Sun Dance to drum off dark spirits,
but still Rain Dancer would not wake up.
Behind her eyes, Rain Dancer had gone to
Spirit World. The healers saw that only Spirit World could heal her. In the spirit world, the wild ones came to visit Rain Dancer. They asked her about the plants she picked. She said:
Rain Dancer: Something inside me made me choose these plants. Now, I want to know why.
Narrator: The Elders showed her how the plants worked together to heal the sick. Rain Dancer learned to pray with Third Eye over each person, and the Elders showed her how to use the plants.
But she was to never ask for payment, only accept offerings. A Grandfather handed her a pipe for ceremony. She did not know this Grandfather but he was before her, so, she accepted with thanks. All her people waited. Soon, her eyes opened.
Narrator: There was great celebration, as the Nation prepared a feast to honor her return from Spirit World. Grandmother asked:
Grandmother: Rain Dancer, where did you get this pipe?
Narrator: Rain Dancer saw her vision pipe and knew her life
would always be tied to Spirit World and
Great Creator.
Narrator : Grandmother said,
Grandmother: Rain Dancer, you had a dream vision. Get up.
The plants need you. All humans need you.
Narrator: Rain Dancer rose with her pipe and followed Grandmother into the forest to learn each plant and became a healer for all nations.
The End is only the Beginning…
This is a SunCity Production of
RAIN DANCER
an Audio book produced in collaboration with
Theatrix Youtheatre Society
Canadian Institute for the Blind
Vocal Eye
Written by Deborah J Solberg
Directed by Lauren Hillman
Technical and Audio Direction by Yurgen Ileander
Narrator - Brandie Cristales
Rain Dancer - Norah Davis
Lynx - Zachary Aharon
Wolf/Great Bear - Rayyan Khan
Grandmother - Terry Galligos
Moon - Deborah Solberg
RAIN DANCER
Dedicated to:
Brooklyn Taylor McInnis
Acknowledgements:
Brooklyn’s mother: Tiffany Solberg
Brooklyn’s grandparents: Marilyn Aubin and Frank Goeckel
Brooklyn’s aunt: Dallas Solberg
Frankie Cena
Amy Lindstrom
Joanna Lewis
Tyson and Jake Dumont
Dean Cole
Rachel Sullivan
About the Author
Deborah Jean Solberg
Is founding Artistic Director of Theatrix Youtheatre Society located in British Columbia, Canada. Theatrix was incorporated as a non-profit charitable performing arts organization for children in 1991. Over the last three decades, she collaborated with thousands of children to create shows as a vehicle to learn confidence and self-expression. Deborah produced and directed over 100 productions, from short school touring shows to full scale musical theatre productions and is a 17-time Theatre BC festival award winner.
Deborah is playwright of over 30 original plays, with a passion for adapting classical children’s literature. Deborah’s own children’s stories have a strong spiritual context to help shape the character of children into kind and compassionate human beings. Each story has been inspired by real people or real events.
Deborah has not only had the pleasure of watching several alumni become professional actors, dancers. and singers around the world but is proud of the many friendships that have endured over time.
She hopes her readership enjoys the journey of a little girl learning to use her third eye.
About the Illustrator
Other Children’s Books in the
Empowerment Stories Series
by
Deborah Jean Solberg
The Happy Mirror
Little Star
My Favorite
Super Cape
The Golden Rule
Check out DeborahJeanSolberg.com
https://www.facebook.com/deborahjeansolberg
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