FOLKTALE WEEK 2021
PROMPT #3: AWAKENING
Grandfather sat down on the side of Marta’s bed.
“This is a tale of two best friends,” said Grandfather, “who believed in the harmony and balance of light. The Sun, a fiery red being with gladiator strength took care of the Earth and protected the people during the day. The Moon, with her mystic powers and golden hair, encouraged creatures of the night. Different, but both imperative roles. The Sun and the Moon lived this way from the beginning of time and maintained a consistency that allowed life on Earth to flourish.
One night, a demon appeared determined to find a place of its own in the sky. With no care for the balance of life on Earth, he attacked the Sun first. He speared and gnawed, hoping to upend the Sun’s position, but he was no match for the Sun’s fire and force. The demon quickly retreated, fleeing to the rocks and crevasses not easily reached by the daylight.
It is said that when the pieces of the Moon split they did not land on the Earth. On the contrary, the particles grew beaks of glitter and wings of gold and are said to scour the Earth waiting for the next person worthy of the Moon’s magic.
Next, the demon hid until just before dawn, and then, as the darkness faded, he launched himself at the Moon. The Moon was surprised by the timing and viciousness of the attack. She fought but could not overpower the demon’s aggression. She screamed out for the Sun, but he was not close enough of a distance to hear and could not help her. As the fight went on, the Moon understood her fate. Instead of her power being used by the demon, she decided that her magic was best scattered across the land. Her delicate figure transformed and her golden hair broke into a million pieces disbursing in the air.
When the Sun rose and saw what had happened to his best friend his fire raged. “If Moon is gone, there will be no one in the night sky,” he said. He struck down the demon and the blackness of night as we know it began.
It is said that when the pieces of the Moon split they did not land on the Earth. On the contrary, the particles grew beaks of glitter and wings of gold and are said to scour the Earth waiting for the next person worthy of the Moon’s magic.