Dear Moon,
Many nights I have laid back in the silver pools cast by your light, my eyes reflecting the shimmering glow of your presence as I gaze skyward. I feel safe with you standing guard in the night, as if no strange creature would dare to challenge the sovereignty of your presence. But each time I also feel a twinge of remorse, for I am she who determined your fate.
Many lives ago, I was a foolish woman named Buwan. I had a sister, Araw, who was kind and generous; her external beauty was matched by a pure and gracious heart. Although I too wore the mask of a beautiful face, it hid a grotesque soul. I used to torment Araw and find her at fault in everything. Even as I made her life miserable, she would insist on showing me kindness.
The Earth was still very young at this time, and God would come down frequently to visit their creatures and build upon their creations. During one of these visits, they encountered me and Araw out on a walk and was quite taken with us. I masqueraded as a carefree and whimsical girl, while Araw maintained her usual calm demeanor. God spoke with us and listened to our stories of living on the Earth. As our conversation came to an end, they said that for our kindness they wanted to bestow us with gifts and entreated us to wait by the foot of a tree until they returned.
When God had vanished, I immediately tore into Araw. “How dare you speak to God wearing that hideous dress? And when was the last time you bathed? I’ve known pigs that smelled better than you!”
Araw simply turned away and began fiddling with her hair. I became more and more incensed as she twirled her golden locks, and finally grabbed her hair, yanking so hard that half of it fell into my palm. It was at this moment that God returned.
“What have you done, dear daughter Buwan? Why have you hurt your sister thus?” they asked in a startled tone.
Quite unfazed, I replied, “My sister is nothing but a fool, my Lord. In your absence she leaned against this acacia tree, and the sap spilled into her hair. She went into a fit trying to comb out the matted tresses, and I offered to cut them off before you returned so that you would not see her foolishness.”
God was not moved by my story. They could see now that I was a liar and that beneath my beauty lay an ugly heart. And they said, “Daughters Buwan and Araw, I have brought each of you a diamond from the heavens as a gift. But I cannot leave these jewels on earth with you, for I now realize that humans are imperfect creatures and that these heavenly stones must not fall into your hands. Buwan, there is a bright light within you, but it is shrouded in darkness. Therefore, your stone will live in the sky surrounded by darkness and shall be muted next to the brilliance of your sister’s stone, which will live in the sky during the day and become known as the most radiant of all celestial beings.”
It is true that there was goodness in me, for I have been reborn now several times as a humble and good-spirited creature. But my time as Buwan determined your fate, O moon, and though you are a majestic star, I have doomed you to live and reign in darkness until the end of time. I know you look to the sun and wonder why you are not so luminous as her, why her rays can dazzle the strongest eyes while yours dilate only the frailest. But you must know that while you may never match her in radiance, you provide comfort to all who are lost in the darkness. You help them to see that even on the blackest night, there is always light that shines.
Most Sincerely,
The One Who Held Your Fate In Her Hands
Author's Note:
This story is based on a Filipino folktale entitled "Why the Sun Shines more Brightly than the Moon." It relates the tale of two sisters, one of whom is just and kind, and the other whom is cruel. I have kept many of the elements the same, such as the appearance of God and the idea of the precious stones. In the original, however, God neglects to give Buwan a stone after witnessing her cruelty, and she instead goes to heaven to steal one. Upon hearing this, God sends angels to confiscate the stolen stone, but the angels mess up and throw both stones into the sky. Because Araw had a kind soul, her stone shines more brightly, and this is said to be the origin of why the sun shines more brightly than the moon. I wanted to put a twist on the original and have God be more directly involved, making an actual appearance in the story and dealing with the matter directly. I have chosen to label God using the singular "they" pronoun, as I do not like referring to God using gendered pronouns. I felt the singular "they" was the most neutral and accessible term to use for the purpose of this story.
Bibliography:
"Why the Sun Shines more Brightly than the Moon" - Web Source
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