One night, all the stars were sitting together in a little cloud talking about the great world below.
“Do you not think we should be sad if we knew all about the world, and all that happens down there?” said one little star, who was sitting all alone by herself. Her name was Stella; as her mother said, she always sat by herself, and looked down upon everybody and everything. “We, at least,” went on she, “sleep pleasantly on whilst the sun is shining.”
“Don’t you see?” said the moon; “the sun is sleeping in its turn.”
“But the sun is so much greater than the earth, and yet it does not sleep more than we do,” said Stella, who was always thinking of a great many things. “What can all that signifies?” said the other stars.
“It is better not to think when you are too young; otherwise you will become palsied with thought,” said the moon again, and went to sleep.
Meanwhile, a faint flash rose high from the earth, and it glittered and glittered again like something that endeavoured to catch the shining glance of all the stars. At last it succeeded, for it woke up one little star, who had fallen asleep for a moment.
“What may that flashing be?” asked Stella.
“I cannot tell,” answered one of her companions. “It may be a beacon signifying danger to ships upon the sea.”
“Or perhaps it is the glint of a sword that no longer knows in what to pierce,” said a third.
“No, no! It must be something much wiser,” said Stella; “it is like an appeal from the earth to the stars. The earth wishes the stars to shine and to illuminate a little the otherwise so dark night.”
“But now the moon is shining,” said those who did not know any better.
“Yes, yes! but that is quite another thing,” said Stella. “I shall not know peace if I do not shine,” uttered that flash of light that had awaked her, and it glittered and shimmered and glittered again, right up to where she was.
“I cannot shine,” said Stella, and began all at once to feel most unhappy.
“Be of good cheer, little star,” said her mother to her. “Your sisters shine bright enough. Have only patience. You are too young, and it is too soon for you to shine.”
All the stars looked scowling at her mother, who was a grown star; but Stella cried all the same, for she was very sorry to be such a little star.
“Oh, I shall never, never know peace again!” It cannot be told how sorrowfully she shone the next whole night through.
“Oh, we will surely help her!” said the shining stars, sparkling on bravely and beautifully the next night through the rest of her story, although the others went to sleep.
May it not be a lesson to many a man, who so frequently tries to appear wise in direct opposition to the rest of the stars?