Starlight, Smilebright

Long, long ago,
   Before my grandma was born,
   Before her grandma's grandma
   And her grandma were born,

   There lived a small group
   Of traveling men
   Who wandered the land
   Bringing smiles to the children.

   Now listen up
   And don't twiddle your fingers,
   As I tell you the tale
   Of the lost smilebringers.

   The legends of past,
   They most clearly state,
   That when a star fell
   'Twas not the end of its fate.

   It could return to the heavens,
   Before it should fade,
   Make the journey back home
   With a smilebringer's aid.

   The smilebringers looked
   Much like you and me
   With eyes big and round,
   Ears long and floppy.

   But there were two things
   That made them unique
   Red hats on their heads
   Large sacks at their feet.

   They carried these bags
   All across the land,
   From large town to small village,
   From deep snows to hot sands.

   The sun hurt their eyes
   So they stayed out of the light;
   Came to knock on our gates
   In the middle of the night.

   To call upon us
   While we slumbered away,
   They would gather the stars
   That had fallen astray.

   Whispering to them
   The right path to fly,
   So the stars could return
   To their homes in the sky.

   And the stars would jump,
   Through the air they'd sail,
   Songs of joy on their lips,
   Showers of light from their tails.

   And when back home
   The stars would shout out
   And inform their return
   To those all about.

   To welcome them back,
   Their friends would appear
   And light up the night
   With their joy-filled tears.

   Such a sight to see
   Was this aerial delight
   That we would emerge
   Into the dark of the night.

   And when we laid eyes
   On the red hats awaiting
   We would open our gates
   With little debating.

   Till morning we'd chat
   With the new come faces,
   Listening to tales
   Of magical places.

   But not just the adults
   Were under the spell
   Of the smile-bringing lads
   And the stories they'd tell.

   All the town's children
   Were equally caught
   In the joy and the laughter
   The smilebringers brought.

   But there was one thing
   That stopped the kids in their tracks
   And that was the gifts
   The bringers kept in their packs.

   Boxes with bows
   Filled with goodies and tarts
   For the children they loved
   With all of their hearts.

   And in return
   All the smilebringers asked
   Was a grin on the lips
   Of each boy and each lass.

   However, one morning
   The smiles went away.
   The bringers had gone,
   Where, no one could say.

   The adults searched long
   To the vast land's ends
   Hoping to find
   Those who'd become our dear friends.

   But after days with no luck
   They returned to town;
   The jolly smilebringers
   Nowhere to be found.

   So as days turned to weeks
   And weeks to long years
   From the minds of the adults
   Did the lads disappear.

   However in the hearts
   Of the good girls and boys
   The travelers remained
   As did the hope for more toys.

   So every night
   The children would stare
   Into the night sky
   At the stars that were there.

   And when one would fall
   They'd wish on the star
   That their beloved smilebringers
   Would not be too far.

   Soon all of the children
   In the small town
   Refused to sleep
   Until the bringers were found.

   But the bringers were gone,
   They'd left no traces,
   And soon the smiles vanished
   From all the kids' faces.

   The adults all gathered,
   And came up with a plan,
   To make a wrong right
   And return joy to the land.

   They collected the crystals
   From every guild there
   And hung them on trees
   That graced the town square.

   And when came the eve
   The trees sparkled bright
   Like the stars in the sky
   That light up the night.

   When word of this scene
   Reached the little one's ears
   They rushed to the square
   Their eyes filled with tears.

   Near the trees stood,
   All dressed in bright red,
   A jolly smilebringer,
   A cap on his head.

   And so the children rejoiced.
   Their friends had returned.
   And with them the love
   For which they had yearned.

   And so if you are blue
   Remember one thing:
   Look to the stars
   And the smiles they bring.

Compiled by Fraji-Orahji (Orastery)

The poem above was taken from an old collection of children's stories entitled "Ten Timeless Tales of Tradition" (Federation Publishing, C.E. 808). While many of the races on Vana'diel have their own rendition of the smilebringer legend, most follow closely the details presented in this Windurstian version. Because of these similarities, many historians have come to believe that there may be some truth behind the tales, and that a group of travelers known as smilebringers may actually have wandered Vana'diel at one time. However, other than oral traditions passed down through the ages, no written works on the group remain. Due to this lack of concrete evidence, many of the theories made regarding the issue are considered nothing more than speculation.

While the origin of the smilebringers is lost in the mists of time, their legacy lives on in a modern-day gala known as the Starlight Celebration. From the brilliant illumination that lights up a city's streets to the red-capped samaritans delivering presents to all the good boys and girls, this present-day rendition of the smilebringers' visit is in many ways quite similar to the tales of old.

So why don't you join in on the festivities and let the smilebringers bring a little joy to your heart this holiday season?

*Taken from: Vana'diel Tribune II Issue No. 02*