Many, many years ago, in the great land of Africa, the night was dark, for there was nothing to guide the animals. Those, such as lionesses, would bump heads as they tried to hunt; zebra and antelope needed nothing to fear. But, it was then the Bickering began. The animals of Africa complained that they needed something to guide them when there was no sun. At last, after many years, Lion stepped forth.
"There is a way," he began, his mouth toothless from old age, his voice gruff from lack of talking. "I will tell it to you, but I am hungry. I am old, and cannot hunt. Bring me one of your young, Cheetah. Afterwards, I may be strong enough to carry on." Cheetah was devastated at losing one of her cubs, but all the animals threatened her.
Frightened for her life, she brought her largest cub. Lion brought it inside his cave. Finally, Cheetah, overcome by guilt and grief, started to cry without stop. She cried so hard, black stripes appeared where she cried, and she carries these marks to this day. Finally, she whirled and ran off as fast as she could. Today, she will remember her lost cub and, determined not to lose others, she runs as fast as she did that day to hunt and catch food.
Finally, Lion came out and was ready to talk. "When I was but a cub, I traveled into the Land of the Rising Sun. I traveled for many a day, until I came to a small gathering of strange creatures. They were bald, and had fur in very small amounts. Curious, I stayed the night to study them. And that night, oh, what a night. They had this enormous silver sphere. The 'Moon', they called it. It was amazing. It seemed to burn like a wildfire, yet gave off a steady, safe light. The next morning, the men left to hunt. They saw me, and shot at me and I ran. But to this very day, I do not forget the Moon." Lion, exhausted, turned back into his cave to rest from talking for so long.
The animals began to argue. "Send Antelope; she's the fastest." "No!" cried another. "Send Elephant, he's the strongest." "No!" cried yet another voice. "Send Monkey, the most clever!" All these animals stepped forward,
pleased to have been called upon.
"Send me," said a fluty, quiet voice. All the heads turned. There stood Tupi, the smallest and most delicate of the Giraffes. Then the animals began to laugh. "Her! Hah! She could not carry a pebble, much less the Moon!"
At this, the animals laughed harder. Tupi, nervous and upset began to tremble and weep. Old Mother Elephant saw her and knelt beside her. "I am sorry, little one. You would not be able to go so long with such a heavy thing. Let another do this." Tupi, outraged and hurt, thought to herself, "I'll get it! I'll get the Moon! That will show them!"
And with that, she whirled and galloped towards the rising Sun. She ran all day. Exhausted, she stopped for a drink and was about to lie down, when she thought, "If I quit now, I'll never bring it back. Then they'll never respect me." So, she climbed to her feet and started running away from the setting Sun and ran far into the night. Just before dawn three days and three nights later, she saw a silvery glow in the distance. "The Sun?" she wondered, exhausted. "But, the Sun is a golden color, like fire." She sped up, curious.
And, before her was the curious band of creatures that Lion had told them about. "I've found it!" she thought exaltedly. "I've found the Moon!" So, she lay down just outside the village and waited for daylight. At dawn, like
Lion had told her, the men left, leaving the women and babies. Tupi, without time for thought of careful planning, raced in and grabbed the Moon. It was heavy, and she nearly fell with its weight. Then, seeing the strange creatures nearing her, she ran off, the Moon on her back. Just as she was about to be free of them, she tripped, psilling the Moon. The creatures quickly surrounded her and the Moon. "Why do you take our most precious thing? It is not yours to take. We want it back." Tupi thought hard and fast. "We need it. We cannot see at night; we need a light to guide us." The creatures snorted, and, about to take back the Moon, Tupi cried out, "A bargain! I offer a bargain!" The creatures stopped, and listened. "All right. I will give you an Antelope calf every year for the Moon." The creatures snorted, shook their heads, and moved in again. "All right!" yelped Tupi. "You will have the Moon for half of a month, we, the animals, for the rest." The creatures stopped and considered.
The leader decided. "All right," she said. "An antelope calf and a zebra foal, every year, for all eternity. And we get the Moon for half the month." Tupi gulped, and nodded.
"Done," she said. She picked up the Moon again, and began to run the long way home. When she finally got back, the animals were stick arguing who to send. Tupi marched right up in the middle of the group, proud. Then, she wavered, and fell. Dead.
The animals wept at her selflessness. Then, to make sure she would be remembered forever, they hung her in the sky with the Moon, to be remembered for all time. But the Moon did not forget the bargain struck. Every month, it slips slowly away, going to the strange creatures to light their night, and then comes back to the animals. This is why we have the Moon, and its everlasting monthly phases. |
