The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-08-27
Bedtime Stories
For Little Folks
WHY THE MOON GROWS DARK.

WueH dli tue uOISSS were cO1lS anu ali
the dogs puppies, and all the cats lit
tie kittens, the stars were made and
painted all bright and shiny with light,
just as you see them now on a clear
night
They are all very large, however,
and so, in order not to crowd one an
other, they said:
Let us all get off long, long dis
lance into the sky, where we will have
plenty of room, each one for himself,
and not be jostling one another or
fussing and moving against each 9th
er TO make room like children in a
trundle bed SO they all moved out
and out and out, farther and farther
into the sky, until they looked no big
ger than candles, just as you see them
today
Now, among the stars there was one
big star at all; indeed, she was one of
the very smallest. But, like all very
small things, she was very vain and
cOnceited. The Moon was very vain
over her new coat of bright and shin
ing light, and when she found that if
she moved off far into the sky she
would appear very small to the people
on the earth, she said to herself.
Il am so very beautiful that it
would be shame to move so far away
that would appear like little candle
in the sky | am going to stay down
close to the earth, where people can
admire me every single night and con-
slider me the most beautiful of all
stars. What is the sense of my hav-
ing all this shining light if not to
have people admire me. Move way
out yonder. Indeed, I'll mott"
And, with that, she went whirling
about in the sky, turning round and
round like vain girl, so that people
could see and admire her every night
of the world.
When the other stars saw what the
Moon was doing they were very much
Disguised with her.
THAT vain little piecel" they twink
led one on another. she ought to
have the conceit taken out of her!"
Then Arcturus, smart old star, got
behind cloud, where he wouldn't be |.
disturbed. and though long time
Tor 1t was a rainy spell and he could !
stay quietly hidden for quite a time
and when he came forth he twinkled |
TO the other stars something about
like this:
oh! my friends, we will teach that
vain little Moon a lesson thus. You
remember when night was made there
was a lot of darkness left over. II
have found that it is all lying now
down in the bottom of the Great Din
per. Can we not arrange to paint over |
that Moon with some of it,"
Indeed, we cam 'twinkled the stars
IN the Great Bear. and | will use
my tail for a brush"
No twinkled the other stars, "that
would be too severe a punishment 70
turn all her vain little light into dark. |
ness Let us agree upon some milder
plan"
very we'll" twinkled big Jupiter.
i will suggest this. We will have
Great Bear splash the darkness over
her face every month. 1t will take
the poor thing a month to wash it off
and then, when she gets 1t off, Great
Bear will splash it over with darkness
again."
Good, good" twinkled all the stars.
And that is why every month. YOU
see the moon gradually growing dark.
er; it is the Great Bear splashing with
his tail over the face of the Moon the
darkness that was left in the bottom
or the Great Dipper. And then, when
you see the Moon gradually growing
brighter again. it is the Moon herself
slowly washing the darkness off.
And have you ever noticed the
scowi on the face of the Man in the
Moon? That is because he hates to
nave the ugly darkness splashed all
over his shining features.
know the astronomers will tell Won
that all this isn't SO, and that the Moon
grows dark because she gets her light
from the Sun, and at times her back
Is turned toward that great light. but
the astronomers don't know; it's he.
cause the Great Bear is splashing the
darkness over her face with his fail
/ know!