Week 2 Story: What does the man in the moon mean?
The sisters looked up at the moon, and the younger one sighed.
"I wish I was someone else," she said. She was frustrated — she didn't like her shoes, her clothes, her hair, her friends. Someone else's were always better, she thought.
"Don't say that," her older sister said. "See the man up there?"
"Where?"
"In the moon."
"In the moon? Well, wait, yeah, I think so."
"Well, you know why he's stuck there, right?" the older one said.
"No," the younger sister sighed. She wasn't in the mood for a lesson, but her sister launched into storytelling mode anyway.
She explained the plight of the man in the moon: He was a blacksmith, and he was always complaining. He said his work was too hot — he wished he was a stone, cool and still in the mountain breeze.
And so he got what he wanted: he was a stone. But when a stone-cutter came by, he wished again: He'd rather be a stone-cutter than a stone.
He got what he wanted then, too, but it wasn't good enough. As a stone-cutter, his feet hurt and he was tired. So he wished this time to be the sun.
But then he was back to his original problem: Being the sun meant he was too hot. He'd rather be the moon — that looked cooler.
He was the moon, but that was hottest of all: the sun's light was always shining on him. He wished to start over: to be a blacksmith again.
But that wish wasn't granted. He was the moon, and he'd stay the moon.
"That's why we see him up there," the older sister said.
"I don't get it."
The older sister sighed. The younger sister frowned at the moon.
"I think it means you're the way you're supposed to be," the older sister said.
Author's note: I used the origin story about how the man in the moon came to be, but I wanted to tell it in a more contemporary style, and give two characters a reason to share the story with each other. In the original story, a blacksmith wishes to be a stone, then a stone-cutter, then the sun, then the moon — a wise man grants his wishes, but when he realizes the moon is too hot, the wise man won't let him go back to being a blacksmith. I kept those details the same, but had an older sister tell a younger sister the story in a modern, relatable setting.
Bibliography. "The Man in the Moon" from Laos Folk-Lore by Katherine Neville Fleeson. Web source.
"I wish I was someone else," she said. She was frustrated — she didn't like her shoes, her clothes, her hair, her friends. Someone else's were always better, she thought.
"Don't say that," her older sister said. "See the man up there?"
"Where?"
"In the moon."
"In the moon? Well, wait, yeah, I think so."
"Well, you know why he's stuck there, right?" the older one said.
"No," the younger sister sighed. She wasn't in the mood for a lesson, but her sister launched into storytelling mode anyway.
She explained the plight of the man in the moon: He was a blacksmith, and he was always complaining. He said his work was too hot — he wished he was a stone, cool and still in the mountain breeze.
And so he got what he wanted: he was a stone. But when a stone-cutter came by, he wished again: He'd rather be a stone-cutter than a stone.
He got what he wanted then, too, but it wasn't good enough. As a stone-cutter, his feet hurt and he was tired. So he wished this time to be the sun.
But then he was back to his original problem: Being the sun meant he was too hot. He'd rather be the moon — that looked cooler.
He was the moon, but that was hottest of all: the sun's light was always shining on him. He wished to start over: to be a blacksmith again.
But that wish wasn't granted. He was the moon, and he'd stay the moon.
"That's why we see him up there," the older sister said.
"I don't get it."
The older sister sighed. The younger sister frowned at the moon.
"I think it means you're the way you're supposed to be," the older sister said.
 |
| A crescent moon in 2008, seen from Germany. Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Author's note: I used the origin story about how the man in the moon came to be, but I wanted to tell it in a more contemporary style, and give two characters a reason to share the story with each other. In the original story, a blacksmith wishes to be a stone, then a stone-cutter, then the sun, then the moon — a wise man grants his wishes, but when he realizes the moon is too hot, the wise man won't let him go back to being a blacksmith. I kept those details the same, but had an older sister tell a younger sister the story in a modern, relatable setting.
Bibliography. "The Man in the Moon" from Laos Folk-Lore by Katherine Neville Fleeson. Web source.
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I really liked your retelling of this story, especially how you gave it a reason to be told. When I read the original fable I didn't like how the wise man was just tired of the blacksmith wanting to change and left him in the moon so I'm glad you left that reason out. I also really liked how you kept it short and sweet, and still got your message across. I wonder what the younger sister thought of the story and if she really did take the message to heart. I know I said I liked the shortness but what if you wrote about what the little sister learned or if she learned anything at all?
ReplyDeleteHey Dana!
ReplyDeleteI loved how you incorporated the original story into your own. One of the storybooks I read did something similar. Characters in her stories retold myths to others. You gave this story a purpose and an appropriate theme. I thought of it originally as: you should just be happy with what you have. Your explanation, or your character’s, was much more poetic. The lecturing older sister and bored little sister dynamic was very cute and fitting as well.
Hey, Dana!
ReplyDeleteI think I might have read somebody else's story regarding this same tale, so it seemed really familiar when I first read it! I like how you took the approach of an older sibling trying to give advice to a younger sibling. This is something that I can definitely relate with, as I have two younger brothers. I can just picture them making fun of me or rolling their eyes if I tried to tell them something like this! However, I really like the moral of this story - that there will never be any satisfaction in wishing we were something that we aren't! There is something to be said for being content with who we have been created to be. Great story, and keep up the good work!