Bab Bab 164 · The Moon

. The Moon

In days gone by there was a land where the nights were always dark, and

the sky spread over it like a black cloth, for there the moon never

rose, and no star shone in the obscurity. At the creation of the world,

the light at night had been sufficient. Three young fellows once went

out of this country on a travelling expedition, and arrived in another

kingdom, where, in the evening when the sun had disappeared behind the

mountains, a shining globe was placed on an oak-tree, which shed a soft

light far and wide. By means of this, everything could very well be

seen and distinguished, even though it was not so brilliant as the sun.

The travellers stopped and asked a countryman who was driving past with

his cart, what kind of a light that was. “That is the moon,” answered

he; “our mayor bought it for three thalers, and fastened it to the

oak-tree. He has to pour oil into it daily, and to keep it clean, so

that it may always burn clearly. He receives a thaler a week from us

for doing it.”

When the countryman had driven away, one of them said, “We could make

some use of this lamp, we have an oak-tree at home, which is just as

big as this, and we could hang it on that. What a pleasure it would be

not to have to feel about at night in the darkness!” “I’ll tell you

what we’ll do,” said the second; “we will fetch a cart and horses and

carry away the moon. The people here may buy themselves another.” “I’m

a good climber,” said the third, “I will bring it down.” The fourth

brought a cart and horses, and the third climbed the tree, bored a hole

in the moon, passed a rope through it, and let it down. When the

shining ball lay in the cart, they covered it over with a cloth, that

no one might observe the theft. They conveyed it safely into their own

country, and placed it on a high oak. Old and young rejoiced, when the

new lamp let its light shine over the whole land, and bed-rooms and

sitting-rooms were filled with it. The dwarfs came forth from their

caves in the rocks, and the tiny elves in their little red coats danced

in rings on the meadows.

The four took care that the moon was provided with oil, cleaned the

wick, and received their weekly thaler, but they became old men, and

when one of them grew ill, and saw that he was about to die, he

appointed that one quarter of the moon, should, as his property, be

laid in the grave with him. When he died, the mayor climbed up the

tree, and cut off a quarter with the hedge-shears, and this was placed

in his coffin. The light of the moon decreased, but still not visibly.

When the second died, the second quarter was buried with him, and the

light diminished. It grew weaker still after the death of the third,

who likewise took his part of it away with him; and when the fourth was

borne to his grave, the old state of darkness recommenced, and whenever

the people went out at night without their lanterns they knocked their

heads together.

When, however, the pieces of the moon had united themselves together

again in the world below, where darkness had always prevailed, it came

to pass that the dead became restless and awoke from their sleep. They

were astonished when they were able to see again; the moonlight was

quite sufficient for them, for their eyes had become so weak that they

could not have borne the brilliance of the sun. They rose up and were

merry, and fell into their former ways of living. Some of them went to

the play and to dance, others hastened to the public-houses, where they

asked for wine, got drunk, brawled, quarreled, and at last took up

cudgels, and belabored each other. The noise became greater and

greater, and at last reached even to heaven.

Saint Peter who guards the gate of heaven thought the lower world had

broken out in revolt and gathered together the heavenly troops, which

are to drive back the Evil One when he and his associates storm the

abode of the blessed. As these, however, did not come, he got on his

horse and rode through the gate of heaven, down into the world below.

There he reduced the dead to subjection, bade them lie down in their

graves again, took the moon away with him, and hung it up in heaven.