A Myth About the Stars

    Once there was a wise old man and he had a magic crayon make of frosty white snow from the highest peak of the tallest mountain, the sparkliest crystals form the darkest cave, the wax from the sweetest honey bees, and in the light it twinkled like the joy in a child’s eyes. Now this man made the crayon because every night the sun would set and there would be no light. So the wise old man would climb up the highest mountain everyday and as the sky turned black he would draw a little star in the sky to help illuminate the velvety cloaked night. He would then walk down to the village and rest. Then in the following days he would continue on.

However, one day, a curious little boy saw how the man climbed the mountain and how he would draw a single little star every night. The little boy wanted to draw a star as well, so one night after the man came home, falling fast asleep, the boy tip toed in and stole the crayon. The little boy could not wait to start lighting up the night sky so he set out, up the mountain.

The next morning the wise old man woke up and looked for the crayon. He searched the entire morning, but to no avail. He thought and thought about it all morning until it was time for him to journey up the mountain. Then he set out on the long trail once again without the crayon.

Finally when he reached the top the wise old man saw the little boy with the magic crayon. The little boy say on the top of the mountain and looked down upon the valley as he waited for the sun to finally set and for the night to come. The old man didn’t want to startle the little boy and knew that he would tire out soon, so the old man sat down and leaned back against a small tree that was nearby. A short time later the wise old man fell asleep, but the little boy did not. The little boy stared up at the black sky and how all the little stars glittered in the sea of ink. Then he stood up and reached as far as he could and drew a single star. The little boy loved the feeling of creating something so beautiful, so he drew another and another, until he had drawn five new stars. Then he had an idea, “why not make a picture in the sky?” So the little boy started to draw a picture with the stars until he had a small spoon in which he called the little dipper. Then he drew another one right next to it, but bigger. Then he drew more and more pictures all over the night sky. 

Just as the little boy was finishing his last illustration, the old man woke up and saw what he had done. The old man sprung up like a freed spring and ran at the boy. The little boy then lept up and landed on a star. The old man stopped and looked up at the little boy standing on one of the many stars that he had drawn. He was puzzled, but decided to do the same, knowing that he need to get his magic crayon back. The old man hopped up and landed wobbly on a star next to the little boy. The boy then lept to another that was farther away from the old man. The old man followed in an uneasy pursuit. Then began the chase that still continues on today and every once in a while you can see the little boy with the crayon darting across the sky in a blink of an eye.