School Radio
Something to Think About
Spring 2015
How the Moon was kind to her Mother
Written by Deborah Nash. Read by Nadine Marshall.
Have you ever wondered why in some countries the sun burns hot all the time? Have
you ever wondered why the wind kicks up a dust storm? Have you ever wondered why
the moon shines bright at night? This is the story of why the sun, the wind and the moon
are as they are.
Once upon a time, a long long time ago, the Sun, the Wind and the Moon were three
sisters and their mother was a pale and lovely star. One evening, Mother Star called
her children to her and said, “My twinkles, I have some wonderful news, your uncle and
aunt, Lord Thunder and Lady Lightning, have invited you to supper, isn’t that the kindest
thing?”
The Sun, the Wind and the Moon agreed that it was.
“Can I wear my gold dress?” asked the Sun.
“Indeed you may,” replied Mother Star.
“And can I take my best handbag?” asked the Wind.
“Of course, you must,” replied Mother Star sweetly.
“Will you be coming too?” asked the Moon.
“No, my dear, I will not, for who will keep the sky interesting with you three gone?”
So the three sisters got ready for the grand dinner.
The Sun wore a dress of dazzling gold and piled her yellow hair on top of her head and
held it in place with a fire crystal. The Wind carried her best handbag proudly and wore
a wispy dress that trailed behind her and rustled wherever she went. The Moon slipped
into a gown of silver and washed her long-fingered hands until her nails gleamed.
The three sisters set off across the night sky, and a more wondrous procession you could
not have wished to see.
At the palace, Lord Thunder and Lady Lightning greeted them each in turn and led them
to the banqueting hall. “Will you just look at that!”gasped the three sisters when they
saw the table set before them. It was spread with a shimmering rainbow cloth. There
were ices like the snow on mountain tops, huge marshmallow cakes as soft and white
as clouds, and fruits from every quarter of the earth.
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“Please tuck in,” said Lord Thunder. The Sun and the Wind, who were especially greedy,
did so and ate up every crumb. The Moon, who was gentle and kind, ate too, but
remembered her mother back home.
“It would be a pity for her not to taste the marshmallow cakes and the snowy ices and
the lush fruits,” she thought to herself. So she placed a small portion under one of her
beautiful long fingernails.
When it was going home time, the three sisters were a good deal heavier and their
dresses were stretched to bursting.
“Please come back soon,” flashed Lady Lightning.
“Oh don’t worry,” promised the sisters. “We will.”
Back home the sisters found their mother waiting up, as she said she would. They
described the feast so vividly that the pale and lovely star began to feel quite hungry.
She turned to the Sun.
“My daughter, did you bring me back a marshmallow cake to eat?”
The Sun tossed her yellow hair in disdain.
“I’m afraid I brought you nothing,” she replied. “I had my hair to worry about.”
Mother Star then turned to the Wind.
“My daughter, did you bring me back a snowy ice to eat?”
The Wind wrapped her rustling robe about her.
“I’m afraid I brought you nothing,” she replied. “My handbag was too small.”
Lastly, Mother Star turned to the Moon.
“My daughter, did you bring me back a fruit to eat?”
The Moon did not reply, instead she held out her long slender hands and there on one
finger nail was a little feast of marshmallow cake and snowy ice and delicious fruit for
her mother.
“Well, my children,” said Mother Star, twinkling her bright eye. “I have something to give
to each of you.”
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And she spoke first to the Sun.
“My daughter, you worried so much about your hair that you forgot to think of your
mother. Henceforth, you will burn so hot in the sky that men and women will cover the
hair on their heads for fear of being scorched by you.”
And that is why, to this day, the Sun is blazing hot.
Next, Mother Star spoke to the Wind.
“My daughter, you thought only of yourself and did not bring me any treats in your
best handbag. Henceforth, you will blow in the parching heat of the Sun and women will
clutch their handbags to themselves for fear that they will be blown away.
And that is why, to this day, the wind blowing strong and blustery is so unpleasant.
Finally, to the Moon, Mother Star said:
“My daughter, you surprised me. You were kind and inventive and remembered to bring
some food for me on your fingernail. For this you will always be calm and cool and
beautiful. For this, you will always surprise men down on earth with your ever changing
appearance and they will call you blessed.
And that is why, to this day, the Moon is cool and bright and an ever-changing surprise.
I wonder which you would have been like: the Sun, or the Wind or the Moon?
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