Weekly Trinity journal., 1873-06-21
NUMBER 25
THE MAN IN THE MOON.

whether the moon was not the home of
creatures more or less akin to humankind,
unphilosophcal folk agreed that the moon
had one inhabitant at least, one of their
own race, whose form was palpabe to all
who had eyes to see. How he attained
his elevated position was in this wise
While the children of Israel sojourned in
the wilderness, Il man was detected gath
ering sticks upon the Sabbath day, where
upon he was taken without the camp and
stoned until he died. Not satisfied with
this exemplary punishment Of the offender
by his fellow wanderers, the por popui
condemned the unhappy Sabbath breaker
to a perpetual pprgntory in the moon,
wherein he may be seen bearing his bum
die of sticks upon his back, ever climbing
and climbing without gaining Il step,
accompanied by dog, faithful in worse
than death to n master whom an old
English song writer pictures shuddcring
in constant fear of n fall, and shiveling
with cold as the frosty mir bites his back
through his thorn-rent clothes. Shab-
speares Stephano found Caliban ready
enough to believe he was the man in the
moon, dropped from the skies to become
king of the enchanted islRud-"I have
seen thee in her, and | do adore thee
my mistress showed me thee and thy dog
and thy BUSH"
| In Germany, the story runs ihnt many
years ago an old man went into the wood.
to cut sticks upon Sunday morning.
Having collected as many rs he could
carry, he slung the bundle upon stick,
shoudered it, and trudgcd homcwald.
lie had not got far upon his way ere he
was stopped bya handsome gent dressed
in his Sunday best, who inquired if he
was aware it was Sunday on earth, when
every one was bound to rest from labor.
SUNDAY on earth or Monday in heaven,
1t is all the same to me - WAS the rrev-
crent reply. $50 be it," said his ques-
TONER. Bear then your lagot forever;
and since you do not value Sunday on
earth, you shall have m everlasting
Moon-day in Heaven standing for eter-
nifty in the moon as n warning to Sabbath
breakers" As he pronounced sentence,
the stranger vanished, aud before tho
wood gathcrer could apologize for his
rudencss, he was seized by invisible
hands and borne to the moon, pole, ngot
and all. According to another version,
he had the option Of burning in the sun
or freezing in the moon, and chose tho
latter rs the least of two evils.
Travelling northwnrd, we find the bun
die of sticks transformed into load OF
green stuff. A North Fri-ian, 80 devoid
of honest ingenuity that he could think
of no better way Of passing his Christmas
Eve than in stripping II ncighbor's garden
of its cabbages, was dcsolvcdly caught
by some Of the villagers rs he was sneak
ing away with some Of his plundcr. In
dignant Mt the theft they wished the thief
in the moon, and to the moon he went
instanter; there he yet stands with the
stolen cabbages on his back, turning
himself round once on the anniversary of
his crime aud its detection.
Now Zcalanders, too, claim the man in
the moon rs ono OF thcm.clycs, their
story being that ono Roma, going out ut
night to fetch water from well, STUN
bled, fell and sprained his ankle so badly
that, as he lay unable TO move, he cried
/
out with pain. Then to hi3 di,may and
terror, he behcld the moon descending
toward him, evidently bent upon captur.
ing him. lie seized hold OF tree, and
clung to it tightly, but it gave way, and
fell with him upon the moon, which car
ried both away. In Swabin, not content
with man, they must needs put man
and woman in the moon; the former
for strewing thorns and brnmblcs on tho
road to church, TO hinder more godly folk
than himself from attending Sunday
mass the latter for making butter upon
the Sabbath day.
| The Cingnlcsc transform the man into
hare, and make the animals presence
in the orb Of night reward instead Of
a punishment. In Scandinavia, oddly
enough, tradition took the New Zealand
ers' view of Lunas character, and made
n kidnapper Of her. According to the
Morse legend, Maini, the moon, seeing
two children named lIjuki and Bill draw
ing water from n well into bucket,
which they suspended on pole for easy
carriage, seized upon them and took chill
dren, bucket aud pole into the upper re-
gion. Chambers J0uUui.