The Moon and the Night

Long long ago at the dawn of the world, the night was totally dark and the moon, so very round and not too bright. The two good friends met everyday at dusk and continued their journey to dawn, when the sun came up. One day the moon saw that night was very sad.

"Why are you sad?" He asked.

"I am so dark. Everyone is afraid of me. No birds sing in the darkness. No butterflies flutter. All the creation pauses in slumber."

The moon did not like his friend to be sad.

They decided to go to the Creator and ask him to make the night also bright so she could be happy.

They went to the Creator and asked Him to make the night bright as day. The Creator thought for some time and replied, "The day has the sun to make it bright. I can't make another sun. What else can I do?"

Hearing this the moon replied, "If you cannot make another sun, I will shine bright enough for my friend. Please help us to make it so."

The Creator was thoughtful and he said, " I have used up all my light in making the sun and the moon. I cannot make you shine round and bright enough for the night every day. Something can't be taken from anything. I can do one thing. In order to shine, you will have to change your size every day. From a crescent to your full round shape and back to the crescent so you can shine brightly in the same amount of light every night for your friend."

Now the moon loved his beautiful round shape. Moreover, he would have to change his shape everyday to some different shape and no one likes change. But he loved his friend more and readily agreed to this as it would make his friend happy.

Turning to the night, the creator now said, "It will be done. The moon will shine bright enough for you at the cost of his shape and you will not be totally dark anymore. Only one night he will not be there when he would be replenishing his reserves. That one time is the opportunity for you to remember his sacrifice and be grateful to him for his love."

And so it happened that the moonlit night was made beautiful for eternity and no one was afraid in the night on those days. Except on the day when the two friends cannot be together, the night is extra dark for she remembers how dark she always was and misses her friend.

Though no one in the world now knows how things were in the olden days, their souls remember, and on bright nights poets talk of love and beauty and the world is made bright and beautiful because of friendship and kindness.