The Colours of the Rock

At midday, the sun finally reached down into the canyon, and the walls began to glow. Polly saw red, rose, orange and honey, moving through the stone in soft waves.

In the walls she discovered small carved doorways, each one no deeper than a nest. Inside every doorway stood a simple square stone. Travellers used to stop here, long ago, to pray for a safe journey.

While she was looking, a small pink bird landed beside her. It was a rosefinch, and its feathers were exactly the same colour as the rock. The two birds looked at each other quietly and said nothing at all.

In the evening, the colours grew deeper and warmer. Polly pressed her wing against the wall and smiled. The rock still held all the heat of the day.