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Starsong

"Why does the sea sparkle like the heavens when Night Sky comes, Father?"


Night Sky comes gently, its blue-black velvet cloaking the Earth and those two who gaze
in wonder below. Father and daughter, a man of quiet courage, a child of sweet grace.
She shares with her father his love for the Night Sky, is blessed with her mother's spirit and charm.
It cannot be measured, the love that's within him, that swells in his heart for the child in his arms.

He cannot imagine, nor does he want to! how empty his life would be without they
who make life worth living: his precious Rain Sparrow and she they named Dawnlight, born with the day.
The Night Sky above them, the sea in the distance, both seem alive with the cold winking light
of starshine! "Please, Father, tell me the story. Why does the sea look like heaven tonight?"

Waiting Heart smiles -- this child and her questions! Constantly "Why, Father? Please tell me why!
Why do the geese fly away in the winter? Why does the sun not fall from the sky?
Why are the aspen leaves green, and then golden? Why does a bird build its nest in a tree?
Why do the stars that shine in the heavens sparkle and blaze just as bright in the sea?"


All of the stars you see when Night Sky comes, did you know...they are all brothers and sisters?

Brothers and sisters? All of them? How old are they, Father, are they as old as I am?

They were born so many, many winters ago, no one knows how old they are! Just as no one knows how many they are.

No one, Father? There are lots and lots of stars, aren't there?

Yes, Dawnlight. The stars fill the universe, and there are so many, even the wisest of our people cannot count them! Only the Creator knows... But, you'll make me forget my story with your questions!

Please, no, Father! I'll listen...tell me the story!

From the beginning of time itself, just as the Creator made them to do, the stars filled the heavens. And when Night Sky came, they would all shine brightly, cheering one other with their beautiful starshine. And they would sing, Dawnlight! The stars would sing of the beauty of the heavens! They would sing with voices so sweet and so pure that all of creation would stop, and listen, and marvel at their glorious music!

But after shining and singing for so many winters, some of the stars began to grow tired of living in the heavens, with only their starbrothers and starsisters for company. They began to grow restless. They looked upon the Earth, at its blue waters and its white clouds. Some of them began to say to one another, "Wouldn't the Earth be a better place to live? It is so cold in the heavens! On the Earth, why, we could warm ourselves in its rich, yellow sun. Only our own brothers and sisters live in the heavens! On the Earth we could live among the People. Oh, the Earth would be a much better place to live!" Now their older starbrothers and starsisters heard this, and they cried out, "The heavens are our home! The Earth is not a place for starfamily! The sun of the Earth will not warm you, it will melt your starshine! The People of the Earth will not welcome you into their villages! Why, they'll not even see you among them!" But many of the little stars believed what the others said about the Earth, and they began to grow sad. Their songs were not so sweet, their starshine was not so bright. They yearned to leave their starfamily and go to live with the People on the Earth.

And that's what some of them decided to do. One evening, after Night Sky came, a hundred little stars decided to go to the Earth! So they left their family, and fell to the Earth! The first left a sparkling trail so his starsister could follow...then she left a trail for the brother behind her...and all through the night, one tiny star after another fell to the Earth, forever.

The next morning, when Night Sky had gone, they felt the warmth of the Earth's sun! They looked in wonder and amazement at the Earth's beauty! They saw colors they'd never before imagined, and heard songs they'd never before sung. And the People! They watched the People move freely about the Earth, caring for it, living from its bounty...they saw large People and small People and happy People and sad People, and they could hardly wait to live with them in their villages! Why, the Earth was ever so much more wonderful than they had imagined! They had been right all along, the warm and living Earth was a much better place to live than the cold and lonely heavens! They could hardly wait to tell their starfamily about the beautiful Earth the moment Night Sky came once again!

But when Night Sky came, the little stars that fell to the Earth looked at one another in astonishment: Where was their starshine? It was gone! The Earth's sun had melted their starshine with its warmth! Their radiance gone, no one could see them! The People of the Earth looked into the heavens at the starfamily there...but they couldn't see the little stars lying at their own feet! "Oh, starfamily! What shall we do? " they cried into the darkness. "Our starshine is gone, just as you said it would be! The People cannot see us! They will never take us to live in their villages! They will forget we ever existed! Oh please, starbrothers and starsisters, what shall we do?"

The stars still in the heavens heard their sad voices, and even though they wanted to help -- what could they do? So they began to think...how could they help the little stars that fell to the Earth? How could they give them back their starshine? How could they make the People see them once again? Finally, after much thought, and much, much talking among themselves, they came upon a plan! Some more stars would go to the Earth! When Night Sky came again, more little stars began to fall to the Earth. The first left a trail for the second, and the second left a trail for the third, so that not one of them would lose their way to the Earth. But this time, not one of them fell in the forest! Nor on the plain! Nor among the mountains! All of them, from the first to the last, all of them fell into the sea! And when Night Sky had gone the Earth's sun could not melt their starshine with its warmth! In the sea they found the Earth as beautiful as on the land, alive with creatures and color and things too marvelous to be described! And when Night Sky came again the sea began to sparkle with their starshine! When the People of the Earth saw it, they shook their heads in amazement: The sea! Rolling and sparkling and twinkling with starshine just like the heavens!

And now, every time Night Sky comes, we can see more stars fall to the Earth, each one leaving a trail for the next, so none will lose its way. Some fall on the land to join the very first little stars that fell, but many, many more join those in the sea, adding their starshine to its waters! So when the sea sparkles and twinkles as brightly as the heavens, when you can see countless stars in its waters, it's the light from the stars that fell to the Earth, sharing their starshine with each other, with their starfamily still in the heavens, and with the People of the Earth.


Her silent voice tells him that Dawnlight lies dreaming. Her tenderness sparks that hot flame in his breast,
to guard and protect her! To teach and to love her! Never to fail her! Never to rest
from being the father this precious child merits. Never more manly, never more whole,
than when he's at rest beneath starry Night Sky. His child in his arms. At peace with his soul.




Do the stars still sing when Night Sky comes, Father?

Yes, my daughter. They sing for the pure in heart, and for the innocent. For those who will stop and listen, for those who haven't forgotten to look to the heavens in humility...