The Stupid Little Moon

Copyright © 1997, By Odell Sneeden Hathaway III

Most fairy tales start “once upon a time.” But before I can say that, I need to explain something to you—something about merry-go-rounds. Something about them that everyone should know.

When you’re riding a merry-go-round and you want to look at someone not on the ride, you have to turn your head, or they’ll flash by before you can see them. Like when you want to look at your mom or dad—you have to turn and look at them. If you stare straight ahead and don’t move your head, you can only see them for a second, and then they’re gone. All you’ll see next is the back of your dumb sister. If you know this, you’re smarter than the moon. And now I can tell you my story.

Once upon a time, there lived the moon, the earth, the sun, and a merry-go-round.

The moon and the earth lived on the merry-go-round. They spun around and around, and while the merry-go-round turned, they spun too—so they could see the whole sky once a day: the sun, the stars, and each other.

They didn’t know they lived on a merry-go-round. All the moon knew was that each day the sun came up and went down, and the moon loved the sun. It loved to be in the light, to be warm, and it wanted to be in the light always!

So one day the little moon decided that when the sun and the earth were straight up, it would stop turning—so the sun would never go down. The moon did this. It didn’t know it was on a merry-go-round, and the next day when the moon woke up, the sun wasn’t straight up—it had moved. But right there where it had been the night before was the earth, which was on the merry-go-round too.

Each day for a week the sun got lower in the sky until one day the moon woke up and it was night, and the only light it had was the earth shining down on it. The night lasted for two weeks, and the moon grew very sad and very, very cold. All it could see were the stars and the earth turning in the sun’s glow. But the stubborn little moon just stood still.

Finally, the sun came up, and it was day for two weeks. The moon got hotter and hotter until it burned, and the light hurt its eyes. Then came two more weeks of night—and this goes on to this day.

When you cannot see the moon’s face, it is crying because it cannot see its love. But it still refuses to turn, because it knows it is right—just like most people.

is crying because it can not see it's love. But it will not start turning because it knows it is right. Just like most people!

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