Once upon a time, in a celestial sky far far away, there lived a little star named Riri. Riri was a tiny star, but she shone the brightest of all the stars. Every night she twinkled and winked her eye down at her beloved Earth.
“I know everything that happens on Earth,” she often boasted.
“That’s because you never leave your place,” another star said with a laugh. “You don’t know if you are moving. Come, climb on my back, and I’ll show you the great things that fill the sky.”
So saying, the other star, whose name was Zaza, came close to Riri and asked her to get on his back. Riri jumped on Zaza, who began to speed through space faster than the lightning of a thunderstorm. Faster and faster flew Zaza, and the little stars seemed to Richie like snowflakes.
Riri looked on either side and saw that she was growing fainter and fainter till she could hardly see Zaza for the veil of night that grew thicker and thicker on all sides.
“Alas!” cried Riri, “I have done wrong to leave my place. Zaza, stop, stop, I pray you, and take me home before it is too late!”
But Zaza was far beyond the reach of her voice, and the little star flew further and further from her home.
At last Zaza made a turn to the right and shot through the Night’s Golden Gate back to his place, before the Milky Way who stood waiting for him with her stars.
The little star looked all around her. Dark was the night, and darker was the darkness in which she found herself. Dead was the light, which had been her only companion. Alone, sad, and frightened, she turned towards the north and began to weep. All her tears turned at once into little dewdrops, and fell down the robe of Night and were lost.
Suddenly Riri heard a voice near her; it seemed to come from an angel, happy and dazzling. “Clever star, what does this mean?” said the voice. “Have you fallen down from the heights of Heaven?’
“Is not here,” cried the little star, “in this sad sky, the place of my life?what have I done that you should weep on my robe?” asked the angel, whose voice seemed to come from all four corners of Heaven at once.
“I was wrong to leave my place,” answered the little star. “I was so frightened till now, and I begged and begged of Zaza to take me home. Rought, black, and horrible as the night is, it was the only spot I loved and where I was happy.”
“Turn your eyes on the other side,” said the angel. “There at the south you will see the kingdom of Acheron, the kingdom of Darkness. Travel the road that I will show you, and you will find your companions and the stars to guide your way to them.”
So saying the angel rose like a spring flower shaken by the wind and unknown if it is the ingle or the flower that speaks.
Suddenly Riri thought she saw lights flickering at the dark line where the Kingdom of Acheron began. After a second, however, it was only fog that seemed to be pulling the clouds about it by its little black and white hands. Should she run towards that chopping sea and those dangerous rocks? The waters were growing more and more stormy, the winds howling and shrieking louder and louder.
Riri traveled some distance and was before the horrible jaws, all full of frightful teeth, of a large black river. Riri stopped short.
“I can go no further,” she said. “Darkness is my road. What will become of me?”
And she began to weep again, and at once began to feel Drops of Icy Water on her hot little body. The tears of the stars? The river had opened its mouth and was drinking the poor star’s tears.
“Wicked river,” said Riri with indignation. “Can’t you find another star and drink her tears? Must it be mine?”
And she went on her way.
On the other side of the river there seemed to be a lively town. Red, yellow and green shaky twinkling lights seemed to invite the star to come and join them.
Most of the lights were drunk and danced to one and the same tune in honour of their King, who reigned at the end of the great hush police of firewood covered with black Yew. Here you could hear nothing but music.
Riri belonged to the celestial police. The poor thing went up to the captain, who had a dreadful scarecrow and looked more like a villain than a coming good citizen. “What do you want here, shining light?” said he rudely.
“I am seeking my friends, the stars that have got lost like myself.”
“It is for the king to return them, and to the place they come from. If he thinks them worthy of returning he will give them their lives, and dry clothes.”
“Will he give me clothes like those I wear,” said the little star in a wonted voice,”Star stuff is so difficult to find. You only find enough to make one robe.”
“It is his will that they should change their dresses on arriving here, in order that the dresses they leave off here may dry before they wear them again,” said the captain with a grin of ill-nature.
This was sour speaking for one of Granny of the Snows grandchildren.
“I am very glad of what you tell me, dear friend,” said Riri.
And lying down close by his right ear, asked to be in the procession of stars seeking their funeral throne.