The Colours of the Rock

At midday, the sun reached down into the canyon. The walls began to glow. Polly saw red, rose, orange, and honey, all in waves inside the stone.

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

A small pink bird landed beside her. It was a rosefinch, and its feathers were exactly the colour of the rock. The two birds looked at each other and said nothing.

In the evening the colours grew deep and warm. Polly pressed her wing against the wall. The rock still held the heat of the day.