Long ago when tribes of hunters and gatherers roamed the earth, there were three sons of Earth and Sky. Their names were Sun, Moon and Star. All three were spheres that glowed in the sky during the day and went to bed on earth at night, leaving both the earth and sky as dark as dark can be.
Mother Earth lived in a spring that was as pure as gold and shimmered in the sunlight. Only the shamans of the tribes knew where to find her spring. When a shaman had a question all he or she had to do was to travel to the spring and ask their question. If Mother Earth accepted their question she would answer while walking through her garden. Then the shaman would be transported back to their tribe and she would return to her spring.
One day a shaman named Sahu, from the tribe of the Cahuillas, came to the spring. He knelt by the spring and said, "Mother Earth, hear my cry. At night it is so dark that my tribe cannot protect itself from animals and other creatures of the night. Could you please make some source of light for us at night?"
Sahu waited a minute for a reply. All of a sudden the water swirled and Mother Earth rose from the spring. She motioned him toward a clump of vines. She opened them and walked in. Sahu smelled the wonderful aroma and followed. When the vines closed she opened her mouth and said, "Dear child, what you ask of me is a great deal. I have three sons, Sun, Moon and Star. Each glow with Sky during the day and sleep with me at night. Star is the least bright because he is humble and secretive. I will ask him if he will shine for you at night."
"Thank you mother earth for hearing my cry," Sahu said.
Immediately he was transported back to where his tribe had settled. Sahu could not wait to tell the chief his wonderful news. When he walked into the chief's hut the chief was delighted to hear the good news.
That night Mother Earth called Star to visit her. When he arrived he said, "Mother what is it that you want?"
"Dear son, what I have to ask is that you will walk with me," said Mother Earth. "Look at Sky. Do you see the darkness of his kindgdom? The local tribes have been complaining that it is too dark at night. I was wondering if you would like to live with Sky and be able to see all of earth at once?"
"Well, if it would please you mother, I will," he said.
"Thank you. I will call your father," Mother Earth said.
"Sky," she bellowed.
Sky came down in his flying chariot to ask what Mother Earth wanted.
Mother Earth asked him, "Sky would you please use your fist of steel to smash star into a million pieces and throw him into your kingdom?"
"Yes," said Sky, and he smashed Star into a million winking pieces and hurled him into his dark kingdom. From then on Star was known as Stars.
A short time later Sahu returned to the spring and explained to Mother Earth that it was still too dark to see at night. Mother Earth agreed and said she would ask Moon if he would also shine at night.
That night Moon came to Mother Earth before she even had time to call him. When he arrived he said, "Mother I have a question to ask you."
"I was just going to call you to ask you a question, but you go first," she replied.
"Thank you mother. Well, it's just that I've noticed that Star is broken into winking pieces and stays all the time with Father Sky. He looks so beautiful. I don't like staying in Sky's kingdom with Sun during the day. He is always bragging that he is brighter than Star and me. That's all I really have to say. Now what did you want?"
"Yes, well, I'm glad you feel that way, because I was just going to ask you if you wanted to live up in the Sky with Stars," she said.
"Oh," said Moon. "Well, that is surprising! I guess, hmmm, yes. But am I too bright? How will you make me become darker so all can still see Stars?"
Mother Earth of course had an answer. She quickly called Sky and said, "Sky, please hit Moon three times and dent him."
Sky of course obliged his wife. With three mighty blows Sky dented Moon and then threw him up into his kingdom to join Stars.
The next day Sun noticed that both his brothers were gone. He rushed to Mother Earth's spring to confront her. She said to come back at night to see where his brothers had gone.
That night Sun looked upon his brothers and said, "Mother, why do Moon and Star look so beautiful?"
She said, "Son, you are so bright that the people of the earth can not look upon you. But your brothers now light the night sky. They can be looked upon and envied by the people of earth. They were never as bright as you, but they were always humble, unlike you, who was always showing off."
Sun understood and felt bad for all of his past boasting. Mother Earth then arranged that every so often the three brothers could meet. During these times they would gather to laugh, tell stories, and reminisce how each became the Sun, the Moon and the Stars. At these times the tribes could look on them and appreciate all their beauty.
The End.
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