Lonely Moon - Stories - Jefrey

Story added on 10/29/02

Once, long, long ago, long before ships and machines and almost before people on this world, the Man in the Moon was lonely. He had many, many wonderful books to read, but he had read them all. He had paintings and instruments and toys of all shapes and sizes, but he had looked and played with and used them all. The Man in the Moon did not have many friends like his brother, the Sun, because people didn’t want to play when the earth was dark and cold. They wanted to play during the day, when everything was light and warm. This made the Man in the Moon very lonely. So lonely that, one day, he locked himself in his house and refused to shine at night.

The sky was darkened and very little light, only from the stars, shone down on the earth. The few creatures that lived in the night: Owl, Mouse, Hedgehog and Ziplurg were all very frightened without Moon to see by. So they asked Lizard, who was very smart, to ask Moon to come back and shine at night.

Lizard went journeying up, up into the sky and knocked on the door to Moon’s house.

“Moon”, Lizard said, “Please come back and shine at night! Owl and Hedgehog and Mouse and Ziplurg all are frightened of the dark and they need you”!

“No.” said Moon and closed the door on Lizard.

So the animals asked Panther to go into the sky and ask Moon to come back and shine at night. And Panther padded his way into the sky, over the clouds, all the way to Moon’s house, where he knocked on the door. “Moon”, Panther purred, “Please come out and shine for us again”.

“Not I.” Said Moon and he shut his door on Panther’s surprised, whiskered face.

Swan, Turtle, Monkey, Ziplurg, and even Gnat all made their way high up into the sky to Moon’s house to ask him to come back and shine for them in the night. And to each and every animal, Moon said “No.” and shut his door. The animals were very unhappy about this and so they sat in the cold, dark forest and wondered what to do. Finally, the Ziplurg stretched up both of his feathered necks, cleaned his glasses and said that they must go and visit Sun – maybe he would be able to help. So all of the night animals went to Sun’s house to see if he could convince his brother, the Moon, to come out of his house and shine at night.

Sun, who was very sleepy from being out all day, said that he would visit Moon to see what was the problem. So Sun traveled all the way across the sky to Moon’s house.

“Moon”, Sun said, knocking on the door, “Moon, what’s wrong” Why do you not shine? Owl and Panther and Ziplurg all need you to see at night!”

“Oh, Sun”, Moon replied, “I am so lonely! I have many books and instruments and many wonderful things, but they do not make me happy. I wish I had more friends, like you do, Sun. But no one wants to be my friend. They would rather play during the day with you. I do not think I shall ever leave my house again”. And, with that, Moon closed his door.

Sun went away from Moon’s house very troubled. He felt very sorry for his brother, but he didn‘t know what to do about it. He talked to Earth, but she couldn’t help. He talked to Air, and Rain, and Stream, but none of them had any ideas. Finally, Sun went to Ocean. He asked her if she could help all of the night animals to get Moon to come out of his house.

“Please, Ocean! Can you think of anything that might cure Moon of his loneliness so that he might shine at night again?” Sun cried, sitting on a kelp-covered rock.

“I shall think about it”. And Ocean sent Sun away and locked herself in her room to think. She thought about what Sun had said about how lonely Moon was and she thought about how much the animals needed him; Owl and Hedgehog and Cricket. Ocean thought about this and she thought and thought until at last, she smiled, left her house and traveled all the way across the sky to Moon’s house where she knocked on the door.

“Moon”, she called “Moon, let me in. I think I know a way so that you will not be so lonely anymore.”

“Moon opened the door. “How?” he asked, curious.

Every month, I shall hide a pearl somewhere in the world. Every month, at night, you shall search for it and bring it back to me.”

“But how will that not make me lonely?”

Ocean laughed. “Moon, you silly thing, you’ll be far too busy to be lonely! For you will have to search all of the world, the sky and the stars to find my pearl. And the Animals of the night shall help you, so you will always have them about you. And I will be your friend forever, Moon.”

So this is why the moon always fades and grows during the month. It is the Man in the Moon searching all the world over for the pearl that Ocean has hidden. And this is also the reason that all the animals of the forest are quiet and sad when there is no moon, because Moon is so far away that he cannot shine, and when the moon is full, the animals are happy and joyful because their friend, Moon, is close again. For when the moon is full, he has found the pearl and is bringing it back to Ocean. And those nights are when the Ocean waves are strongest because Ocean is laughing and clapping her hands at Moon because Ocean had been very lonely too, for no one wanted to play with her under the wet sea, except for some fish, which are not very nice playmates.

And so, forever and ever and ever on, Moon and Ocean have been the best of friends and neither has ever been lonely again.

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