Trouble in Rainbow City

There was trouble in Rainbow City. The colours were rioting and running amok, splashing themselves across the city streets and generally causing a mess.

Black called a meeting. ‘We are all doomed,’ he announced. 'There is no order! Colours are running into one another and it is all turning...' he turned and pointed a trembling finger out the window...'A Sort of Greyish Brown!' There was an anguished gasp from the small gathering.

Blue, who was late, raced in, apologised and took the last available chair next to Red. No one else wanted to sit next to Red, who was simmering angrily and occasionally letting off steam like a cross bull. ‘Don’t touch me!’ hissed Red. 'Or I’ll end up like her.’ He pointed at the far corner of the room to Purple, who stuck her tongue out.

Orange and Yellow had no such problems and were sitting so close to each other you couldn’t tell where one stopped and the other started. They grinned inanely at the rest of the room. Black, who’d kicked off the meeting, could think of nothing else to say and sat down hurriedly, hoping Grey or White would take over.

Suddenly, a terrible din could be heard from down the corridor. The stomp of heavy boots thundered and a door slammed, breaking the silence in the room.

‘Let’s run away,’ Yellow, cringed and nudged Orange. Orange continued to smile in a rather fixed way. ‘OK,’ he whispered through his teeth and they started to get up. The footsteps stopped outside the meeting room door. ‘Eek!’ screamed Red, and scrambled into Blue’s lap. Together they dashed over to the far corner and hid behind Purple.

The door was kicked open. ‘RIGHT, YOU ‘ORRIBLE LOT!’ In strode Pink, looking mean and scary. ‘YOU SHOULD HAVE INVITED ME IN THE FIRST PLACE, YOU LILY-LIVERED LOT OF LEMONS! I’M HERE TO SORT THIS OUT!’ And, to the dread of the other colours, who wondered what on earth he could be carrying, he reached into his large bag and pulled out a flipchart.

‘WE WON’T BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT THIS!’ he bellowed, and handed round an assortment of pens. ‘I'LL SPEAK, AND YOU…’ he pointed to the quaking Yellow, ‘...CAN DO THE WRITING.’

Everyone looked at Black, who said nothing and looked carefully at his feet. ‘CUP OF COFFEE, PLEASE. BLACK, NO SUGAR,’ Pink barked. ‘YOU WANT ORDER? I'LL GIVE YOU ORDER!RIGHT, LET’S GET STARTED!’

And within a few days, A Sort of Greyish Brown had gone back to wherever it had come from, and Rainbow City regained its dazzle.