Sometimes, the world can feel wild and loud, much like a lion roaring from a far-off hill. And sometimes, it softens, becoming gentle and easy to understand, like a lamb calmly resting by your side.
For our latest character Milo in the latest story below, who sees things a little differently from others, phrases like “In like a lion, out like a lamb” can be as puzzling as the weather itself. A wet and windy spring period turns into a quiet moment of clarity, as his cousin Raya helps him make sense of his confusion regarding the saying, and of the sky above them. Together, they find warmth, calm, and the comfort in the process of understanding.
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It was the first week of spring, but given the rain and howling wind you wouldn’t know it. It pushed through the trees like it had somewhere to be, tossing the leaves in the air and along the ground.
Milo sat by the window, his weather notebook and pencil by his side. He had already drawn a swirling wind on the page, with arrows indicating the direction it blew. Outside, rain banged against the glass.
“It’s definitely still lion weather,” Raya said, placing a glass of orange juice next to him.
Milo blinked at her. “Lion weather?”
Raya smiled. “Remember the saying? ‘March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.’ This can refer to it starting out wild and stormy, and then it all becomes calm and gentle.”
Milo frowned. “But I can’t imagine lions liking wild winds and rain too much? And I haven’t seen one, nor a single lamb.”
Raya chuckled and sat beside him. “It’s not literal. It can be a way to describe the weather. Think of a lion. They can be loud, strong, a bit scary, like the howling wind, right? That’s what March is like right now, at the beginning. In fact, think about how it started off last year. But then it calmed down and became more settled, like softening. You can compare this to being like a lamb, which is much quieter and more peaceful, compared to a lion.”
Milo thought for a moment. “Ah, so can we compare the weather to animals then?”
“Well, sort of! It’s just a way to help people describe changes they may notice. A metaphor.”
Milo nodded slowly. “Like when you say someone has a heart of gold. Their heart isn’t actually gold. It just means they’re really kind. Now, I'm picturing gold medals being awarded to the winners in sports events.”
“Exactly,” Raya said. “And that’s an interesting way to think about it.”
The weather continued in a similar pattern for the next couple of weeks. But then, slowly, it all began to settle down. The sun came out, warming the air in the process. At the same time the wind slowed to a gentle breeze. On one of the days, Milo sat in the park with Raya, watching birds hop through the grass, and others fly between branches up in the tree tops. He had his notebook lay open in his lap, ready with a pencil in his hand. This time, he drew a lamb under a bright yellow sun against a blue background for the sky, along with tiny flowers around its feet.
He looked up. “The air and sky aren’t roaring anymore.”
“No,” Raya said. “Just baa-ing, very quietly.”
Milo smiled. “I think I like idioms. For me, they’re like puzzles made of pictures and words.”
“And you,” Raya said, “are very good at solving puzzles.”
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