Mother Moon - by Greene Wills

https://Voice.club - ‘Come on, Grandma, tell us another story!’ the children clamoured on a bright winter night.

‘Fine! Just the last one for now…’

The children huddled closer, listening raptly.

‘Once upon a time, there was a gypsy girl whose beauty stopped clocks! Men were always after her, but her heart belonged to the young tribe chief. He was dark, swarthy, and handsome, but he had a terrible temper and a jealous, unforgiving streak.

One day, after a terrible fight with his girl, he left for a journey and told her he wouldn’t be back. The gypsy girl was devastated, even more so as she found that she was with child. In desperation, she ran to the mountain and prayed to the white, full moon, high in the sky.

“Mother Moon, please, make him come back to me, I beg you…’

“You’ll get back your man, my dear, but in exchange, I want your firstborn to come and live with me,” the moon serenely replied. The gypsy promised, with no hesitation.

As the moon had predicted, the chief came back, and he and the girl made up. A few months later, on a beautiful night, the baby was born. His father only took a glance at the silvery-blond, rosy cherub before he started screaming.

“That’s not my son; he doesn’t look anything like me. You betrayed me and brought shame on us. I don’t want him!”

Before anybody could say anything or react, he grabbed the baby and ran up the mountain, where he abandoned the innocent. Suddenly, the mountain was enveloped in a blinding white light.

Now, children, as you must know, when the moon is full, it means that the baby is resting and happy. However, when he cries, the moon halves and turns into a cradle so she can rock him back to sleep…’

‘So can we ask anything of the moon, Grandma?’ wondered the eldest grandson.

‘Only if you keep your promises, my dear, and I’ll do anything for you!’ the old one replied, before her shiny rays fell on her beloved ones.

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Greene, I love the fact that you present your short fiction as a story within a story. This legend of, “…when he cries, the moon halves and turns into a cradle so she can rock him back to sleep…” explains both a full moon and crescent moon beautifully. You have such a great imagination!

Wouldn’t it be marvellous, if Voice.Club set up zoom or something similar, so its writers could discuss face to face across the globe a topic like- how we write, overcoming writer’s block, show rather than tell?

Oh! This is an incredibly beautiful story about the moon. I enjoyed it so much, especially knowing why the moon is full and the moon is halved.

Thank you, Margarida! You are very kind. I lived in Spain for a little while and our landlady was a wonderful story teller. She told us about this old legend and I took some inspiration from that.

I love to correspond with other authors! Voice Club is giving me the chance to do just that, so i think I have found my little corner!

Thank you Lotchie, so sweet as always!

There are so many myths and legends about our dear old satellite, present in so many cultures that I didn’t know where to start, then I remembered the great time I had in Spain, when I was a young Erasmus student. I had a memory of our landlady telling us about this old legend, while we were drinking sangria and talking about this and that…

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I enjoyed this story Greene, Is it based on an actual fairy story/fable or one you created?

I do like the idea of the full moon making our wishes come true.

Oh! Maybe that’s a great talk with the landlady. I am excited to learn more about the myths and legends in your place, Greene ( @GreeneWills )