The Stars and the Moon

Once upon a time, before the stars and moon were born and only daytime could be seen, there was a tiny kingdom hidden in the Valley of the Garden Nymphs.  The kingdom was quite beautiful with streets made of emeralds and houses made from the petals of flowers.  The castle was even more remarkable for it was made of glass so clear that if the Queen had not decorated with banners and ivy you would not even know it was there!  1

The King loved his breathtaking kingdom, but he knew that its beauty could not match that of his oldest daughter, Princess Lily.  She was to be married soon, but, although the King told her she could marry any suitor that he invited to the kingdom, she wanted nothing more than to fall in love.  She grew bored with the idea of marriage and swore to never smile again.  The King's heart ached so much when he would see his unhappy daughter that he decided she would marry the first man to make her smile, whether he be a king, a prince, or a common man.2

News of the King's decree had spread throughout the world so quickly that suitors from different kingdoms and countries had arrived at the drawbridge of the castle the next day!  The knights were ordered to bring one man at a time to the Great Hall so he may be presented to the King and Princess Lily.3

The suitors were presented for days and days, though the princess could only yawn from boredom.  The King's heart kept breaking when he would look at his daughter, but he continued the courtships with hope that someone would make her smile.  He even asked the Court Jester to present himself and try to make her laugh!4

On the three-hundred and sixty-fourth day of courtship only three men remained.  The first was the son of the Japanese Emperor.  The knights brought him into the Great Hall where he kneeled and bowed to honor the King.  5

"What is your name?" asked the King.6

"I am Tomiko, son of the Emperor of Japan.  I have come to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage, for she is the fairest of all."7

The King looked at his daughter who was not impressed.  He asked Tomiko to rise and face his daughter.  He told the suitor that Princess Lily would ask him two questions.8

"Am I truly beautiful?" asked the lovely princess.9

"Why, of course," said the suitor, "for you have hair as yellow as gold, eyes as blue as sapphires, and skin as light as ivory!"10

"How will you win my heart?"11

Tomiko told her of his wealth and power, and he promised her a life of luxury and riches.  He asked her to rule an entire country by his side.  The princess did not smile but instead shook her head in disapproval.  The King asked the knights to escort Tomiko out of the castle.  The second suitor, a Czar from Russia, was then brought into the Great Hall.12

"What is your name?" the King repeated.13

"I am Darii the Strong Conquerer.  I have come to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage, for she is the fairest of all."14

Once again the princess was not impressed.  She asked the Czar the same questions.15

"Am I truly beautiful?"16

"Why, of course," exclaimed the Czar, "For your hair is shinier than my mighty sword, your eyes as bright as my Medals of Honor, and your skin as clean as my suit of armour!"17

"And how," questioned the Princess, "will you win my heart?"18

Darii promised to conquer many lands in her name.  He would raise entire villages in her honor and they would rule a large and growing empire together.  Princess Lily still would not smile and shook her head a second time.  The Czar was escorted out of the castle and the knights returned with the final suitor, a handsome prince from a neighboring kingdom.19

The King had lost all hope.  He leaned back half-heartedly and sighed.20

"What is your name?" the King asked sadly.21

"I am Prince Laurence.  I stumbled across your kingdom by chance when I was returning home from a great journey.  My men and I were weak, and the villagers gave us food and took great care of us.  We rested here for two weeks, and I often went for walks through the surrounding gardens.  I was breathtaken when I had seen a beautiful maid through the glass walls of the castle, but I noticed she was unhappy.  I soon learned she was a princess and that she would be wed to any man who could make her smile.  I have come to ask for her hand in marriage."22

The gentle words of the prince caught Princess Lily's attention.  She still didn't smile, although she now showed great interest in the suitor.  She asked her two questions a final time.23

"Am I truly beautiful?"24

Prince Laurence paused a moment and approached the princess.  He glanced her over, gazed into her eyes, and took a step back.25

"You are remarkably pleasing in appearance," he declared.  "However, I learned more about your beauty by watching you as I passed on my walks.  You are intelligent, for I saw you practicing calligraphy which means you can read and write.  You are also talented, as I have seen you practice musical instruments and sing.  Most of all, you are kind and loving.  I have seen you sneak extra food to the dogs and horses in the stables, and I watched as you told stories to the children of the lords and ladies.  That is why you are truly beautiful."26

The princess blushed from the answer but still forced a frown.  She hesitated for a moment before continuing her interview.27

"And how, my good prince, will you win my heart?"28

"I will give you a gift," said Prince Laurence.  He took a miniature, blue velvet bag out of his pocket and lifted it so everyone could see.  "As I was returning home from my journey, I saw a radiant light coming from inside a nook on an old tree.  I went to investigate it and stumbled across a faerie princess who seemed to be nothing more than a child.  She was alone and had been lost for weeks.  I could not leave her, so I set out on a quest to return her to her home.  We traveled for many days and nights, and we faced many dangers.  At last we found the Faerie Kingdom hidden behind the thick leaves of a Weeping Willow.  The Faerie King and Queen were so happy to have her home they gave me this bag.  Inside is something so beautiful and amazing that I have sworn only to give it to one person who I feel is the most deserving."29

The prince opened the small bag and poured the contents into the hands of Princess Lily.  Resting in her palms were thousands of tiny diamonds surrounding a single larger diamond.30

"Why are you giving these to me?" the princess asked.31

"Because I had fallen in love with your beauty since the first time I saw you," he whispered, "and I fell even more in love with you as I discovered your true beauty.  You are the only person worthy enough to have this gift, however, it will not work without a smile."32

"What do you mean?  This isn't the gift?"  Princess Lily was confused by this comment.33

"Just smile and you will see," the prince said softly.34

Princess Lily finally smiled, but this smile had been hidden for so long that it was the most beautiful and radiant smile that has ever existed even to this day!  The smile was so powerful that it mixed with the faeries' magic and the diamonds lifted up into the sky.  The tiny diamonds scattered throughout the Heavens, and the large, single diamond pushed the sun out of the way making the sky dark.  The diamonds glittered from the light of the smile that was now trapped inside.  They became the stars and the moon, and they were the only sight in the world that could match the beauty of the princess.35

"I have given you the stars, the moon, and the night sky," said Prince Laurence, "but more importantly I have made you smile, and it is the most beautiful sight I have ever seen."36

Princess Lily agreed to marry Prince Laurence, and the King was happy to see his daughter smiling again.  The prince and princess were married the next day.  Every night after that, the diamonds that were given to the prince returned each night to watch over and protect him and the princess as they slept in exchange for returning the faerie princess.  Now the world was blessed with the stars and the moon, and everyone lived happily ever after.37

The End.38