When Stars Shine Brightly in the Sky

The wind played across the moor, sneaking in through the open window of a cottage and upsetting a small stack of parchment perched precariously on the table. The old man, busily tending to the fire, grumbled to himself, and started to move toward the mess, but was intercepted by the young boy, who sped by and slammed the window shut and then stooped to collect the scattered documents.

Turning back to his original chore, the old man brushed aside his flowing beard and added another log to the fire, which crackled away merrily in gratitude.

Like most days at that time of the year, it was cold and dreary, but the old man had no reason to complain, for the little boy had come to visit.

Completing his task at the fire, the man brushed some ash from his robes and seated himself in his old armchair, pulling the boy onto his lap. Rubbing his cracked hands together, he sighed deeply, pushed his half-moon spectacles up his nose, and started to do what the little boy loved best - he began to tell a story.

~~~

'A long, long time ago, dear boy, when the world was quite different than it is today, there lived a young man.

Now this, you see, was no ordinary man, for he was a wizard, like you and me, and a gifted one at that. Youth gives many gifts, such as a sharp wit, and a strong body, but it also invites arrogance and pride, and this young man had plenty of it.

His family saw these qualities in him, and out of love, suggested a pilgrimage of sorts, a journey to sort out the panderings of his young self. And for all his faults, the man did love his family, so he agreed to it, and set out on a long pilgrimage of self-discovery.

He traveled across the world, dear boy, and saw many glorious things. And though the young wizard learned many things about himself, he had yet to learn to throw his greatest fault of all - his unbearable pride. As the end of his long journey finally came in sight, he decided to conclude it in a small village in the East. Why a small village, you ask? Well, I am getting to that.

This small village nestled in the crook of a large mountain range. You see, there was a legend that at the top of the highest mountain, one could see a special star in the sky. This star shone so brightly it was said that just seeing it would change your life forever. But it was rarely seen, and many men had taken the journey and seen nothing at all.

Well, the young man wanted more than anything to see this glorious star. He decided to make a pilgrimage of it, and in his arrogance, vowed not to let any drink pass his lips until he reached the summit. That, my boy, was a foolish promise to make, but the young wizard believed that his powers would allow him to keep so dangerous a vow.

While in the village, he met and befriended a small girl, perhaps a few years younger than you are. He took pity on her, for she had no living relatives left to care for her, and he fed and clothed her. The little girl had nothing to give the young man in return but her love and loyalty, and this she did with all her heart.

When the time came for the man to make his journey, the little girl would not leave him, for she knew that many did not return from so dangerous an undertaking. No matter how hard the man tried, he could not make the little girl remain behind, so when he finally started the climb, the little girl was by his side.

The journey was hard, but together, the two made surprisingly good progress. However, to his dismay, the young man saw that as long as he refused to drink, the little girl did so as well. At first, this was not such a problem, but as the trip wore on, the little girl began to show the physical strain of her thirst.

The climb grew harsher and harsher, and though the little girl suffered immensely, she tried to conceal it. She would not drink until the young wizard did, for you see, such was her love for him. And though the young man loved the girl and could not bear to see her suffer, his pride, his cumbersome pride would not let him break his foolish vow. He tried to make her drink, he coaxed and he cajoled, but the little girl simply would not relent.

Finally, when the pain became too much, when the suffering she had so stoically tried to hide began to show through, did the man undergo an internal battle that he would remember for the rest of his life. Although he desperately wanted to keep his vow, his heart was filled with compassion for the small child's loyalty, and for the first time in his life, he threw aside his pride and broke his promise.

And though he was sad, knowing he would see nothing, that the journey would be pointless, his heart was filled with a strange warmth that he had never before felt in his life.

Together, he and the little girl made it to the top of the highest mountain.

Imagine his surprise, dear boy, when he saw, not one, but two stars, shining brightly in the sky.'

~~~