&nbsp;-------<br>|&nbsp;bookZ.ru collection<br>|-------<br>|&nbsp;&nbsp;Ëþáîâü&nbsp;Òàëèìîíîâà<br>|<br>|&nbsp;&nbsp;Tales collection<br>&nbsp;-------<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lyubov Talimonova<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tales Collection<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Translated from the Russian original by David Parfitt<br></h3><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;© L. Talimonova, text, illustrations, design<br>
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<br><img border=0 src="_01.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Happiness of the Tuata<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_02.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Somewhere in the wide blue ocean was an island. An island with mountains, hills, rivers and green valleys. At first glance it looked just like the hundreds of other islands in the ocean. But there was something unusual about it, because it was called the Island of Happiness. It was called this because among the green hills of the island lived the cheerful and good-natured people known as the Tuata. It was no good looking for magnificent palaces and impressive buildings on the Island of Happiness though: the Tuata lived in simple but comfortable houses, made do with basic earthenware crockery, did not use gold cups and had no interest in glittering jewels. The palace of King Kin and Queen Iza only differed from the other houses by standing a little taller than them and being located in the centre of the island on the greenest hill. The Tuata considered their real treasures to be their knowledge, love of hard work, kindness and cheerful nature.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the island one would often see people sitting outside their houses for long periods of time. The Tuata sat in the sun and seemed to do nothing, but this was only the way it looked. In fact the Tuata were thinking deeply. But what were they thinking about? They thought about everything in the world: their island, the sea, life, how the flowers and trees grow, how the clouds sail across the sky, the Sun and Moon, the stars and many other things. In their thoughts the Tuata travelled across the boundless expanses of the universe and visited the Great Land beyond the sea. In the Great Land they unfortunately saw endless wars and people’s cruelty, envy and greed, and so the happy inhabitants of the island did not like it at all beyond the sea.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Tuata had a good understanding of the different sciences such as mathematics and physics; they also knew about medicine and treated those who were ill with special herbs. And this is why some houses had unusual structures around them: these were drying racks for herbs.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Tuata had made several important discoveries in their Houses of Knowledge. They had discovered the laws of motion of the Sun, Moon and stars across the heavens, and over the whole island they had placed stones of different sizes to help them observe exactly where and when the heavenly bodies rose above the Earth and then hid themselves beyond the horizon.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All of the houses on the Island of Happiness were surrounded by large gardens, where the caring Tuata grew not only fruit and vegetables, but also flowers. The people of the island liked roses more than anything else in the world because in the mornings dew-drops would sparkle magically on their petals. The Tuata often waited in their gardens for sunrise just to watch the morning dew appear on their beloved flowers. And the Tuata believed that the dew-drops themselves were notes of beautiful music that had fallen from the sky. The Tuata also believed that rainbows brought a special, magical music to the Earth, and they liked to dance in the rain when they saw a bright rainbow in the sky.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_03.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people of the Island of Happiness loved to gather together and enjoy themselves: to sing and dance, and to tell each other true stories and also tales of magic. For this reason there were many festivals on the island, and it was usually the most learned Tuata who would calculate the special dates for these festivals.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Each summer, when the day was longest and the Sun shone high above the horizon, the people of the Island of Happiness celebrated the beautiful and joyful Festival of Light and the Sun. On this particular day the Tuata always woke up very early and went up to the hilltops or into the mountains, to make sure that they were ready to greet the sunrise. The Tuata loved to see how the first rays of the Sun painted the tops of the mountains and hills in shades of pink, gold and emerald; how the sunlight made the water in the rivers and lakes begin to sparkle; and how the stones that were wet from the morning dew suddenly came to life. From their high position, it seemed to the Tuata that everything on the island was singing and dancing on this festival day, and they really enjoyed themselves: they danced and sang with the flowers, birds, trees, lakes and rivers, hills and stones in the rays of the rising Sun.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Another important festival that the Tuata always liked to celebrate was the Festival of the Moon, which took place one night every autumn. As evening drew in they would put on their long woollen cloaks with hoods, climb slowly to the tops of the hills and light large bonfires. The Tuata would sit around the warm fires, wrapped up in their cloaks, and tell each other various stories, legends and tales, and wait patiently for the large round Moon to rise above the Island of Happiness. The surrounding darkness was so thick that it seemed as if you could almost reach out and touch it, but when the bluish glow of the Moon appeared over the mountains and the gloom receded, everyone fell silent, rose to their feet, stood motionless for a long time and gazed with delight at a world that was flooded with silvery moonlight. Then they all sat down once more around the bonfires that were still warm and began to chant the old magic spells and sing the soft ancient songs.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And so, day after day and year after year the people of the Island of Happiness lived a carefree life. They dreamed, grew flowers, fruit and vegetables, studied the sciences, observed the bright stars, greeted the dawn and the rising of the Sun and Moon, admired the beauty of the world, told each other stories and enjoyed life to the full.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Tuata were a kind and peaceful people: they never quarrelled about anything and there were no cruel, senseless wars on the island. And all of this was because very long ago, so long ago in fact that none of the Tuata knew exactly when and how it had happened, the ruler of the distant Land of the Sun had given the inhabitants of the island a miraculous green stone. This stone was neither large nor small, and it glistened beautifully in the Sun and shone with every shade of green, but most importantly it was blessed with the ability to bring people peace, joy and happiness. It was no ordinary stone – in fact, it was a magic stone. Since ancient times it had stood on a large boulder in the centre of the island and had protected the Tuata without fail from any kind of evil or misfortune.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people of the island became used to the magic green stone, to a peaceful, calm and happy life, and as the years passed they began to neglect it. Sometimes they forgot to wipe the dust from it for long periods of time, and thought that their happiness would last forever, but one day on the island everything suddenly changed for the worse.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It happened in the summer, while the Sun was blessing the people of the island particularly generously with its light and warmth, the hills and valleys were covered with green, and the fruit were ripening and beautiful roses blooming in the Tuata’s gardens.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After waking up one morning the inhabitants of the Island of Happiness suddenly felt a strange and unpleasant chill in their houses. The usual bright summer Sun was not shining into their windows that morning. A strong wind was blowing low grey clouds in from the sea and a fine, cold, autumnal rain was falling continuously; in fact, it felt as though a deep and dreary autumn had suddenly arrived in the middle of summer. Why this had happened no-one knew, but all the Tuata from every part of the island rushed to the magic stone and then froze with amazement and terror when they saw that the stone which had brought them so much happiness was broken. On the large boulder, darkened by rain, lay its glittering green fragments. The magic stone could have been smashed accidentally, or shattered of its own accord into tiny pieces due to the cold or with the passing of time. However, the people gathered around the broken stone began to eye one another spitefully and mistrustfully and then went silently back to their houses. From this time onwards, each of the Tuata began to suspect the others of evil deeds and so they stopped talking to one another. No-one came out of their house any more to sit on their bench and make new discoveries. There were no more festivals on the island. Eventually the smart and tidy houses of the Tuata began to fall into disrepair, the shutters on the windows became crooked, the gardens became overgrown with weeds, the wonderful roses wilted out of grief and sadness for the people, and the whole population of the island divided into two hostile groups that were on the verge of going to war.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The king of the island was very worried by this turn of events and the queen was very sad. “Our island has turned from the Island of Happiness into the most unhappy island in the world! What can we do?” she said one day, and so the wise king decided to call a meeting of all the inhabitants of the once-happy island. The next day all of the Tuata gathered in the royal palace. Although the people of the island had started to quarrel amongst themselves, in their hearts the Tuata deeply regretted losing their happiness and they all wanted to be as happy again as they were before. The people of the island waited with heavy hearts and hoped that the king would tell them something wise and helpful.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The king started to speak: “Dear people of this once-happy island! We were truly happy when we possessed the magic stone. Now this wonderful green stone is broken and we are close to war. Hostility and anger have settled on our island; suspiciousness and all those other vices that thrive in the land beyond the sea. What is more, since the magic stone was broken it has rained continuously on the island and we have not seen the Sun at all. Dear Tuata, surely you must be unhappy with this? I believe that you are. Every one of us wants peace, happiness and quiet, just as we had before. But how can we bring happiness back to the island? It came to us before along with the wonderful stone from the Land of the Sun. The stone was given to use by its ruler, the kind Lugus. I have thought long and hard, and now I am sure that to bring happiness back to our island, one of us must travel to the distant Land of the Sun and return with a new magic stone. In that land there are many magic green stones, and I know that Lugus will certainly give us another to bring back happiness and joy to the island. But who will agree to travel to the Land of the Sun? The journey is long and no-one knows the way there for sure. What should we do? I would like to ask you this, dear Tuata”. The people of the island, gathered inside the palace and all around it, became agitated; they all began to speak at once and then started to argue, but suddenly they fell silent and a tall, grey-haired and wise Tuata stepped forward.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“My dear king, all of our people consider your decision to be the right one and fully approve of it. Seven of our bravest Tuata have already volunteered to leave immediately in search of the magic stone. They are all prepared for a long and hazardous journey, for my grandmother has told me that many obstacles and ordeals await those who travel to the Land of the Sun. These seven are: Bradag the Nimble, Krudlakh the Sturdy, Gaire the Wise, Anun the Resourceful, Ebor the Judicious, Kana the Fair and Ruta of the Sun. But, wise king, what can we expect on our journey to the land of Lugus? None of us really knows. But I have heard many times from my grandmother that whenever our ancestors had any kind of problem, they always went for help or advice to the good fairy Beta, who still lives in a house on a high cliff not far from the blue ocean. In the past, this wise, kind fairy has never refused to help anyone, and so I think that the first thing we should do is go to her. She may be the only one who knows the way to the Land of the Sun and who can suggest how to avoid the dangers and difficulties on the way. Without her help we will not be able to make this journey and happiness will never return to the island”, said the old and wise Tuata, and the king raised no objections. From all around came cries of approval, and then the king and queen proposed to everyone that they would accompany the seven brave Tuata to the cliff where the fairy Beta lived.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The path to this cliff was not an easy one. They had to climb many hills, force their way through tangled undergrowth and wade across several rivers and streams before reaching it. Many of the islanders who had come to lend support soon fell by the wayside, but the seven brave, determined and persistent Tuata completed the journey to the Beta’s house without too many problems. Each of them knew only too well that ahead of them lay even greater hardships, and this gave them strength and courage.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The king and queen accompanied the seven Tuata as far as the cliff where the fairy Beta lived, and then set off without delay on the return trip, wishing the travellers every success and a safe journey.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;* * *<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bradag, Krudlakh, Gaire, Anun, Ebor, Kana and Ruta now stood alone before the high cliff. They could see the fairy’s house near the top of the cliff, but there were no steps leading to it and it seemed completely inaccessible. How could they possibly reach it? The Tuata grew sad, and in despair Bradag even threw a small stone at the cliff. And then a miracle occurred! The huge steep wall began to stir and slowly parted. The Tuata had discovered an entrance into the cliff; and once inside they saw steps leading upwards which gave them fresh hope. A huge stone door then slid back into place behind them, but in the darkness lights suddenly flared up around them, they began to hear welcoming little bells somewhere in the distance and the steps were now lit with a bluish-green light.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The first to begin climbing the steps was golden-haired Ruta, who looked like a little ray of sunshine. She was the granddaughter of the very same Tuata who had given the king and all the people of the island the wise advice to go and seek help from the fairy Beta. He had also taught his granddaughter a little magic, so Ruta went first so that her friends could follow her safely up the unfamiliar steps.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It must be said that the brave Tuata were still rather afraid of arriving at the magic fairy’s house without an invitation. Although Beta was kind, like most fairies she probably did not like uninvited guests. And what is more, Beta had not left her home for a hundred years, and during that time no-one had seen her. Time may have aged her and made her less kind and helpful. She may even have forgotten all her secrets and spells. The friends were very worried about this. Without Beta, who could possibly help them to bring back happiness to their island? With these thoughts in their minds the seven friends climbed higher and higher up the steps and their hearts beat anxiously.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_04.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Ruta reached the last step, the door of the fairy’s house opened unexpectedly. On the threshold stood the fairy herself. Young and beautiful, with long black hair and huge dark eyes, she looked inquiringly at her guests. The Tuata froze at the sudden appearance of the fairy and did not know what they should do, but Beta began to speak first and invited them all into the house. Beta was a magic fairy, and so she had known in advance about the arrival of her guests and already knew all their names and their reason for coming, but she gave no indication of this. She greeted them in a very polite and friendly manner and introduced herself to each of the Tuata in turn, before treating them to an unexpectedly delicious and fragrant tea made from herbs. After the first cup of this wonderful tea the friends felt completely relaxed and began to tell Beta about how the Tuata had lived so contentedly on the Island of Happiness until their magic green stone had been broken, and how the life of the people since then had changed terribly, and how the wise king had decided that a new magic stone should be sought in order to return the lost happiness to the island. The seven Tuata told the fairy that they themselves had volunteered to set off on the long journey to bring back a new green stone and were not afraid of any dangers or difficulties; however, they did not know the route to the Land of the Sun, and so had decided to ask for the kind fairy’s help. The Tuata said that they were relying on her advice and support for the journey that lay ahead.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Beta listened to the friends silently and attentively. When they had finished their story she leaned back thoughtfully in her armchair, closed her eyes and sat for some time without moving. The Tuata began to worry that the kind fairy had perhaps fallen asleep. But Beta was certainly not asleep. She was thinking deeply about how to help the brave Tuata and bring back happiness to all the people of the island. Beta suddenly opened her eyes again, got up quickly from the armchair and went over to the large carved wooden cupboard where she kept her various herbs, jars, crystal balls, old books and other things that the Tuata were not familiar with. She then picked up a dark blue sapphire ball, went over to the window and asked the friends to let her think for a little while longer in complete silence. The fairy peered intently into the ball, and in its depths pictures began to appear and then disappear as soon as they had come. After several minutes sparks flashed around the blue ball and then vanished. Without looking at anyone, Beta then began to speak softly:<br>
<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;You will have to travel far to find happiness,<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oceans, ravines and fiery rivers<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lie before you. Many ordeals await you.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But courage and friendship will help you along the way,<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And happiness will return to the island.<br>
<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After this Beta placed the blue ball to one side, took from the cupboard a huge ancient book filled with mysterious symbols and letters, and began to read. The Tuata had never seen such symbols and letters before, and they fell completely silent to allow the fairy to concentrate on the mysterious ancient texts. Finally Beta slammed the book shut and announced happily to the friends that they would reach the Land of the Sun safely, obtain another magic stone as a gift from Lugus and bring happiness back to the island.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“However, I must accompany you to the Land of the Sun. Wait here for a few minutes as I need to prepare for the journey and I don’t want to forget anything”, said Beta as she was about to leave the room. The Tuata tried to persuade the magic fairy not to attempt the long and difficult journey as they did not want to tear her away from what she was doing, tire her or most of all put her in danger. However, they did not know how determined Beta was: she did not like to change her mind about things, especially when she was in such a decisive mood.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“My dear friends, I understand what you are saying, but without me you will not be able to reach the Land of the Sun and obtain the magic stone from Lugus! And I am just as keen as you are to see happiness return to the island as soon as possible. Without happiness on the island I cannot work my magic, and if this continues I will have to leave my beloved house and go to live somewhere deep in the forest. So please don’t try and stop me!” said Beta and went into another room to prepare for the journey.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She soon returned and the Tuata were very surprised that she was dressed in the same cloak that she had been wearing when she greeted them on the threshold of her house, and she was carrying nothing but a lantern. The friends did not know that the fairy had stored away everything that they might need during their journey in some secret inside pockets of her long spacious cloak.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And so, if we are ready my friends, let us be on our way. There is not a moment to lose!” said Beta, and she cast a decisive glance at the seven Tuata and began to lead them down the bluish-green steps.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When all the Tuata had emerged from the cliff and the huge stone door had closed behind them once more, the fairy led them without hesitating straight towards the sea. Along the way she explained that the wonderful Land of the Sun was another island that was large and very beautiful, and if you were to sail to this island on a ship the journey would take many months. And in order to reach the palace of Lugus, the friends would also have to overcome various obstacles on this other island, so Beta thought it was unwise to waste almost a whole year on the journey across the sea. The Tuata were completely in agreement with her: they did not want to spend long tedious months sailing across the sea either, but they did not know how to shorten the journey and so once again they became quite sad. Beta, on the other hand, did not seem at all worried or downcast, because the Ruler of the Sea, Nuada, was an old and close friend of hers and she was counting on his help.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“My dear friends, there is no need to be sad! Of course it is a long voyage by ship to the distant Land of the Sun, but if we ask the Ruler of the Sea, Nuada, to show us a shorter route underwater to that wonderful island, then the journey will not take us so long. I am absolutely sure that Nuada will agree to help us. A hundred years ago I visited him on the seabed and he gave me a magic seashell. I only need to blow into it and the sea will part in front of us and we will be able to walk along the seabed straight to Nuada’s palace. Then the water will close once more over our heads, but you have nothing to fear my friends! At the bottom of the sea you will feel just the same as on the land and will even stay dry – the only difference is that there will be sand under your feet instead of grass, and instead of trees there will be seaweed. Nuada’s place is built from sand, multi-coloured stones and mother-of-pearl shells and the Ruler of the Sea himself is very kind, as long as no-one or nothing makes him angry. When Nuada gets angry the sea usually becomes rough. But you don’t need to worry as the sea is now calm and Nuada will be pleased to see us”, said the kind fairy to reassure her companions. Then she reached into the pocket of her cloak and pulled out a small, reddish-yellow seashell with black spots that was shaped like a horn. Beta blew into the shell and everything happened just as she had said: the sea parted, leaving a path, and the fairy led the way fearlessly down onto the open seabed. The seven Tuata hurried after her. Along the way they gazed with wonder and curiosity at the underwater world and its inhabitants. In this kingdom everything was unusual and mysterious: instead of air there was water, grass had become sand, trees had turned into seaweed and birds had become fish. Bradag, Krudlakh, Gaire, Ebor, Anun, Ruta and Kana were so absorbed by all this that they didn’t even notice that the sea had closed once more over their heads and that they had reached the palace of the Ruler of the Sea.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_05.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a large reception hall they were met by Nuada himself. He approached Beta first, shook her hand warmly and began to ask her all about life on the land, while the Tuata stood and gazed at him in amazement. On the one hand there was nothing unusual about Nuada: he was a tall man with cheerful pale blue eyes; but on the other he was totally different, with his light blue skin and his bright blue hair, beard and moustache. The Tuata had never seen anyone like him on the Island of Happiness. When they introduced themselves to the Ruler of the Sea and then looked round his palace and wonderful underwater garden, they felt as if they were dreaming. In fact, everything that happened on the bottom of the sea seemed to the seven friends like a magical dream. They only came to their senses a little over dinner, when Beta began to ask Nuada for his help. Her words reminded the seven Tuata why they had come down to the bottom of the sea, and they all began to nod their heads in support of her request.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once Nuada had discovered the reason for their visit and where they had all come from, he at first became thoughtful and even frowned a little, but then he suddenly clapped his hands and beside him, as if from nowhere, appeared two seahorses. He said something to them in a strange sea language and the seahorses glided quickly away. Nuada told his guests that he had decided to lend them his fast-moving magic chariot. After dinner the Ruler of the Sea led the travellers to the gates of the palace and there the Tuata saw Nuada’s wonderful chariot.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_06.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The chariot was a huge seashell, completely covered in mother-of-pearl and sparkling. The Tuata had never seen such a large seashell before, and so they stopped in amazement, but Beta did not waste any time. She climbed into the unusual carriage and then the Tuata followed her. Nuada was a little worried that the Tuata were going on such a long and possibly dangerous journey, but Beta begged him to stay calm to prevent a storm from rising up over the sea, and then waved goodbye to him. Nuada wished the fairy and the seven Tuata a pleasant journey, commanded the magic chariot to follow Beta’s orders precisely, and the seashell swayed gently. Beta nodded her head silently and stamped her foot, and with this Nuada’s chariot darted off and soon reached such a speed that the Tuata could not see where they were going as everything flew past their eyes at an incredible speed. The Tuata sat holding the edges of the seashell and were afraid that they would fall out of the magic chariot. Beta, on the other hand, remained as calm as only a fairy can be in such situations, and very skilfully steered the chariot.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gradually the Tuata got used to the speed and began to reflect on what they had seen. Who could imagine that at the bottom of the sea there would be such a wonderful palace, built from seashells and multi-coloured stones, and that in it lived the extraordinary Ruler of the Sea, with bright blue hair, beard and moustache! The Tuata began to dream how, when they returned home, they would tell all the other inhabitants of the Island of Happiness about the wonderful underwater world and its kind ruler, but then a large wave unexpectedly washed their seashell chariot onto a sandy beach. Beta was the first to climb down to the ground, and when the last of the Tuata had left the chariot, another large wave surged up onto the beach and carried the seashell back into the depths of the sea. Then a third wave came and left eight round, sparkling pearls at the feet of the fairy and the seven Tuata. This was a present from Nuada to wish the brave travellers luck with their journey. The fairy hid her pearl away in one of the secret pockets of her cloak, while the Tuata placed their pearls in small leather pouches which they carried around their necks on long pieces of string. The Tuata kept in these pouches the things that were most precious to them, which they were carrying with them on their journey. The friends gazed thankfully at the endless blue ocean and waved to Nuada, who was of course nowhere to be seen, and then turned around and sighed sadly.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_07.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The narrow strip of sandy beach lay at the feet of high, sheer and completely smooth cliffs, and the Tuata could not see how they would be able to climb to the top of this inaccessible wall. High up in the sky, white seagulls glided effortlessly and the friends glanced up at them now and again with sadness. The Tuata knew from their childhood that it was wrong to be jealous, but now they simply could not help envying the seagulls, with their wings that allowed them to climb as high as they wished.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Beta was the only one who was not at all worried by the sight of the inaccessible cliffs; in fact she almost seemed cheerful. The Tuata thought that she must have been affected by the fast journey in the magic chariot, and that this first piece of good luck had gone to her head, but they were wrong.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Without paying any attention to the Tuata or their thoughts, Beta took from the pocket of her cloak a small seagull feather and in a whisper recited some magic words over it. She then waved the feather three times and all the seagulls soaring high up in the sky suddenly swooped down with loud, happy cries. When they touched the ground, the white birds turned into tall, slender and proud people; each of them then went up to Beta in turn and very courteously bowed to her. One of the seagull-people, who was still a very young man, pushed past everyone else and did not just walk up to the fairy, but ran towards her and hugged her, kissing her on both cheeks. The Tuata even thought that they heard him call her ‘mother’ several times. They stood and watched the magic bird-people with bated breath. Now they began to understand why the fairy had not been at all worried by the high cliffs. The seagull-people had welcomed Beta as their old, dear friend and she was no doubt counting on their help. The Tuata watched and listened as the fairy explained something to the bird-people in a strange language, and in response they sighed loudly, waved their arms about, nodded their heads and glanced now and again at the seven friends. It was impossible to call the bird-people bad or unkind, but when the Tuata first fell under their penetrating gaze, they felt as if they were rooted to the spot and could not move.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;However, they gradually got used to the piercing glances of these unusual bird-people and calmed down a little, but then Beta finished speaking with them and they once again turned into large dazzling-white birds. Beta told the seven Tuata to sit on the backs of the seagulls and to hold on tight. The friends understood immediately that a dizzying journey through the air lay ahead of them, but they could not afford to turn down the offer of a flight with the seagulls. They knew only too well that it was the only way they could reach the top of the cliffs. The large white birds flapped their wings and shot up into the sky. The poor Tuata pressed themselves even closer to the seagulls and closed their eyes with fear. They only opened them again when they heard the voice of the kind fairy nearby telling them that the flight was over and that they could now let the seagulls go.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Beta and the seven Tuata thanked the tall, handsome, brave and strong bird-people warmly and then they flew away once more up into the sky. As the bird-people were said goodbye, they told Beta that they were always happy to help her due to her kindness and warm heart, as many years before she had saved one of them.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Seeing that the Tuata did not understand a word of what the seagull-people were saying, the fairy smiled and decided to tell the friends the story of how she had become friends with the magical bird-people.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once upon a time, many years ago, while walking along the seashore, Beta had found a baby seagull with a broken wing. She realised that the young bird was only just beginning to learn to fly and so was unable to cope with strong winds. The bad weather had carried him too far from home and damaged his wing. The young bird had hidden himself helplessly under a large stone and was crying out plaintively when the fairy spotted him. Beta felt very sorry for the unhappy little bird and decided to take him home with her. She did not know whether the baby seagull would survive, but she could not leave him all alone on the seashore. The fairy thought that it was better to try to do something good than to do nothing at all. She picked up the poor little bird, laid him in her basket and carried him back to her house. At home, Beta bathed him in warm water, fed him well, bandaged his broken wing, made a soft little nest for him in her basket and placed it near the stove for warmth.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;By the evening the little bird was already looking a bit happier: he had dried out, fluffed his feathers up and was sleeping peacefully in the basket. Beta could now relax as she knew that she had saved the life of the little seagull. To help someone in trouble or to save someone’s life is the happiest thing that a fairy can do, and so when Beta looked at the bird she had rescued she was filled with joy. Covering him with her woolly knitted shawl, she went to bed in a very happy mood.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The next morning a real miracle took place in Beta’s house. When she woke up and went to check on her little patient, instead of a bird she saw a small child in the basket.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Although all fairies are magical and are rarely surprised by miracles, such an unexpected transformation from a little seagull into a small child still worried Beta. Then she suddenly remembered the stories that the Ruler of the Sea, Nuada, had told her about the mysterious seagull-people that lived on a distant sunny island, and she realised that the day before on the seashore she had picked up not just any young bird, but a very special bird. The fairy stood and looked at the little boy with his bandaged arm and thought about what she should do next. Should she take him back to the seashore in the hope that his parents would find him there? But what if they didn’t find him? Then the little bird would be frozen by the wind among the cold stones and die. Beta could not allow this to happen. She decided to keep the child, bring him up herself and when he was old enough and strong enough to fly back to his own island, then she would let him return to the seagull-people.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From this day on, Beta began to look after the little bird as if he were her own child. She fed him, put him to bed, sang songs to him, told him stories, sewed and knitted beautiful clothes for him and took him for walks. Thanks to the fairy’s care and concern, his broken arm healed very quickly and soon he began to use it just as skilfully and freely as his healthy arm. When the boy was a little older, Beta taught him to read and write, and soon afterwards she began to teach him science and magic. The seagull-boy was an inquisitive and talented pupil who grasped the scientific and magical knowledge quickly and easily, and Beta was always pleased with him. It is true that he sometimes scared her with his unexpected transformation from boy to bird and back again, but the fairy was never angry with him: she knew that the little boy was just playing with her.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And so the years passed and the fairy’s pupil grew up. The little boy he became a tall, strong and skilful young man, and one bright spring day Beta realised that it was time for him to return home to the seagull-people. She told her pupil this and he was ready to carry the fairy across the sea on his shoulders as a seagull, but Beta, just to be on the safe side, decided they should take a different route. They went down together to the bottom of the sea, where they spoke to her old friend Nuada, and he led the fairy and her pupil straight to the distant sunny island.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Beta arrived at the top of the high cliffs on the back of the seagull there was a great commotion in the city of the bird-people. They all began to run from house to house to tell one other that their little bird had not been dashed against the cliffs and drowned in the sea all those years ago. He was alive and healthy, he had grown up, and now he had returned!<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In honour of the miraculous rescue of their little bird and his return home, and also of the kindest fairy in the world, the seagull-people declared a holiday in their city. Over a celebratory meal they promised to always help the fairy and to rescue her from any trouble she may find herself in.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And as you can see, the seagull-people kept their word”, said Beta and beamed cheerfully at the seven Tuata.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The fairy went on to tell them that her pupil, the dear little bird-child, often flew to visit her and always called her ‘mother’.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Beta then told the Tuata the secret that only a good person was able to see the bird-people and their city, while a bad person only saw cliffs beside the sea and seagulls soaring high up in the sky. The bird-people were always happy to make friends with good people, but they did not like people with cold and evil hearts. Wicked, uncaring people were not allowed into the city or the world of the magical seagull-people.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And they can tell immediately, with their sharp, penetrating stare, who is a good person and who is bad”, said Beta, bursting out laughing, and she told the seven Tuata some stories about the life of the seagull people. The Tuata listened to the fairy with great interest while they continued on their journey.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The travellers could make out the white city of the seagull-people lay behind them in the distance, and before them lay a wide, unattractive plain covered with burnt, withered grass and a scattering of stones. There were no trees or bushes to be seen anywhere and the wind blew right across the empty plain, but in the distance something sparkled cheerily and invitingly, like a large mirror, and the Tuata guessed right away that this was a lake. The friends cheered up and hurried towards it in the hope of resting on its shore, washing themselves with its clear, cold water and replenishing their supplies of fresh water, but disappointment awaited them. When Beta and the Tuata finally reached the lake, the water in it seemed murky and tasted salty. This made the seven tired Tuata feel sad again, and they sat down in silence on the deserted sandy shore of the lake. As before, it was only the fairy who did not become downcast or seem at all tired. Instead of sitting with her friends and resting a little, she began to pace up and down the shore of the lake and ponder deeply over something. The Tuata sensibly refrained from asking the fairy any questions as they did not want to interrupt the train of her thoughts. Then the fairy stopped suddenly, called them all to her and explained that she not only knew where and how to find fresh water, but also how to build a bridge across the large lake to avoid having to walk around it. She said that she had remembered an ancient spell that could turn salty water into fresh water and this should help them, but the Tuata were a little sceptical.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_08.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Dearest Beta, do you really think that the sounds of the spell will make the salty water fresh, and the words of the spell will turn into a stone bridge?! It is hard to believe this”, said Bradag with uncertainty in his voice, but the fairy said nothing. Without paying any attention to the doubts of her friends, she went up to the edge of the lake, half covered her eyes, and in a whisper uttered the ancient spell over the water. She then took out a small bluish-grey stone from the pocket of her cloak and said loudly:<br>
<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From the shore to the stone<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Across a bridge I shall go<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amidst the salt I shall find fresh water<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And so the stone<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I shall throw far out into the lake<br>
<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then the fairy did indeed throw the stone as far as she could out into the lake, and a miracle occurred right in front of the Tuata’s eyes: in the place where the stone landed a high, rocky island rose up from the water and a bridge stretched from the island to the shore of the lake.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Tuata began to clap their hands in amazement and delight and ran up to Beta and set about thanking her for her calmness, resourcefulness and wisdom, but the fairy stopped them. She knew that the magic bridge would only last a short time and could disappear at any moment. The fairy of course did not think it was necessary to tell the Tuata about this, but simply advised them not to waste precious time; once they had all crossed to the island, however, the bridge melted away behind them as if it had never been there. It was only Beta who noticed this, however, for as soon as the Tuata had reached the island they had started to explore it. Although it had seemed bleak and lifeless from a distance, under every stone on the island there was in fact a spring with clear, cool water.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Tuata and the fairy cheered up immediately, filled their empty flasks with fresh water, washed away the dust from the journey and began to splash about happily in the water. But what they did not notice was that not far away, on one of the stones, sat a fair-haired, blue-eyed man, who was watching them and smiling. Kana was the first to notice him and she whispered this to Beta. The rest of the Tuata then looked where Kana pointed and also saw the man who was wearing a light-blue cloak. The Tuata immediately fell silent, eyeing the stranger with curiosity, but the fairy guessed right away that this was Dan himself, Master of the Pure Springs, Streams and Lakes. She had heard about him more than once from the Ruler of the Sea, Nuada, and the seagull-people. And her former pupil, the seagull, had flown to visit her one day, and brought as a present the small bluish-grey stone; he then told the fairy the secret of how Dan crossed from one shore to another and built whole islands in the middle of lakes with the help of such stones. When she was gathering her things for the journey, Beta had had the foresight to take the smooth rounded stone with her. She had read once in an old book how to turn salt water into fresh, and now all this knowledge had proven very useful. Beta waved cheerfully to blue-eyed Dan.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It appeared that the Master of the Springs, Streams and Lakes had also heard about the kind fairy from the seagull-people. He greeted her joyfully, thanked her for helping him turn the salty lake into fresh water, and then asked the travellers where they were going and why. Having listened to the replies of the seven Tuata and the fairy, Dan promised to help his new friends in whatever way he could. But could he do anything to help the travellers? It seemed that he could. Dan presented the fairy and the Tuata with a small jug of pure spring water that never ran dry. Such a jug would always be useful on a long journey. The Master of the Springs, Streams and Lakes also gave Beta several more bluish-grey magic stones just in case the friends needed to cross any rivers or lakes in future. After this Dan took the seven Tuata and the fairy to the far shore of the lake in his boat and said that he would be very happy to see them all again on their return journey.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_09.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Beta and the Tuata turned round to say goodbye to the Dan, they saw that he and his boat had already disappeared and the rocky island in the middle of the lake had sunk back down into the water. Everything was very quiet and peaceful.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The seven Tuata would have liked to stay on the shore for a while and listen to the silence, but the fairy hurried them along. The Sun was already sinking towards the horizon and ahead of them lay a forest that would be better to reach before nightfall.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the last rays of the Sun lit up the Earth, Beta and the Tuata finally reached the edge of the large forest. It rose up over the plain like a high dark wall. The friends entered the forest by a barely noticeable path and moved ahead slowly, constantly glancing from side to side. The forest around them was dense, very dark and gloomy, and seemed rather unfriendly. The wind whistled through the treetops, owls hooted all around, something rustled and murmured continuously in the branches, blue, yellow and red lights flared up and then disappeared again in the darkness, everywhere smelt of dampness and the seven Tuata were terrified. Having only just entered the forest, they wanted to get out of it as soon as possible but the end was nowhere in sight.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It gradually grew dark and the poor Tuata realised they would have to spend the night in the dense, gloomy and frightening forest. When they emerged into a small clearing amongst the trees they wasted no time in lighting a campfire and sat down around it, huddled up close to one another, and of course, to Beta. All seven Tuata were secretly very glad that the wise, decisive and kind fairy was with them right now. The Tuata knew that the darkness was afraid of light and that evil spirits never came near a brightly-burning campfire. Nevertheless, without Beta they would not have felt as safe and secure, even with a campfire.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All night the fairy told the friends magical tales, and humorous and meaningful stories about the lives of people and fairies; she softly sang ancient songs and recited poetry, and the time until dawn passed quickly.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_10.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With the arrival of morning the seven Tuata and Beta ate a hasty breakfast, put out the fire and set off on their way once more. A little tired after the sleepless night, the Tuata walked slowly and often stumbled over clumps of grass or the roots of trees. Only the fairy remained as cheerful as ever and strode through the forest without any sign of tiredness. She continually reassured, comforted and encouraged her friends, fed them sweets from home and gave them water to drink from the magic jug, and thanks to her efforts the Tuata were able to press on through the dark and gloomy forest for several hours.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The forest finally came to an end and the travellers emerged into a brightly-lit green meadow. All around them they could hear birds singing, there were flowers everywhere and there was the wonderful smell of honey in the air. The Sun’s rays danced merrily on large drops of dew and a multi-coloured rainbow kept appearing and then disappearing over the meadow. After the gloom of the forest depths the open sunny meadow seemed especially warm and inviting to the friends. The Tuata forgot about all their worries, clapped their hands with happiness and began to dance round and round. Then all at once they dropped onto the grass and fell asleep immediately.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The friends did not know how long they slept, but when they woke the Sun was shining just as bright over the meadow and the birds were still singing, but nearby the Tuata saw some unfamiliar and very unusual people. They were all dressed in light, delicate clothes that seemed to be made from fine morning mist. When they walked, their light, nimble legs barely made an impression in the grass, and if these unusual people encountered a particularly beautiful flower in their path, they would simply float over it like graceful butterflies. The Tuata gazed at these strange people with curiosity, and the people themselves regarded the seven Tuata with great interest and smiled welcomingly at them. Every so often they tried to say something to the seven friends in their melodic language, which sounded just like birdsong, but the Tuata understood nothing and shrugged their shoulders helplessly. Only Beta understood their language and could even speak to them. And so the strange people all gathered round the fairy and began to talk with her and then discussed things amongst themselves. Once they had agreed something with Beta, they suddenly flew off and Beta explained to the seven Tuata that these strange flying people were meadow-elves and that they were her distant relatives. The fairy told them that the meadow-elves were a cheerful, kind and friendly people, and that in their meadow land they tended flowers and grasses, looked after hard-working bees, danced in the evenings, greeted the sunrise with songs and still knew the secret of preparing special cakes which gave strength and good spirits to all travellers. She also told the friends that the elves made their cakes from flower pollen, honey and freshly-collected dew.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_11.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“When the elves found out where we were going and why, they decided to treat us to some of their wonderful cakes. And while the elves are busy preparing them we could take a walk through the sunny meadow, breathe the air that is as sweet as honey and look at their beautiful flowers”, suggested Beta, and the Tuata agreed with delight. The friends set off at a leisurely pace through the warm, flower-filled meadow, stopping to examine the flowers in detail. The Tuata saw bluebells, camomile and irises, but many flowers they did not recognize, so they asked Beta about them. She knew the names of all the flowers and grasses in the meadow and the Tuata were amazed at her knowledge, but the fairy said nothing to them about this and just smiled back at them. You see, she could not be a magic fairy without an understanding of nature and plants.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;An hour or two passed before the kind elves returned to the meadow. They treated their guests generously to the wonderful cakes and gave them hot tea to drink. For the journey the elves gave Beta and each of the seven Tuata a small linen bag of their cakes, and told them that there was still a long way to go before they reached the palace of Lugus.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then they led their guests to the edge of the vast flower-filled meadow and warned them that ahead of them lay the dangerous land of Grona, where elves also lived, but not such kind or friendly elves. The meadow-elves explained to the friends that the land of Grona consisted of marshes and swamps, and anyone who became bogged down in these would become a slave of the crafty marsh-elves forever. The marsh-elves used their slaves to make new jackets and shoes for them, do all their housework and look after their large underground herds of cattle. If a cow strayed into the marsh, the marsh-elves would immediately claim it for themselves and declare a holiday as a result of this, because the marsh-elves liked fresh warm milk more than anything else in the world.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The meadow-elves also said that people usually avoided these marshes, but the shortest route to the palace of Lugus was through the marshes and swamps of Grona.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When they heard all this the seven Tuata started to worry how they would be able to pass through the marshes and swamps safely, but the beautiful golden-haired queen of the meadow-elves reassured them. She revealed to Beta and the Tuata the secret of the crafty marsh-elves. It turned out that they were afraid of the magical powers of an ordinary meadow flower: white clover. If the marsh-elves touched it they would lose the ability to speak or move for a whole hour, and so they would not harm any travellers who carried the leaves and flowers of white clover. And the beautiful elf-queen handed each of the seven Tuata and Beta a sprig of white clover and embraced them. Then the meadow-elves wished the friends a safe journey in their melodious language.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Everything turned out exactly as the queen of the meadow-elves had predicted. As soon as the Tuata and Beta crossed the border of the marshy land of Grona, the gleeful marsh-elves began to run towards them from all directions. They were ready to pinch and tickle the travellers, tug at their sleeves, pull on the tails of their cloaks and urge them on towards the swamp. However, when the elves saw that Beta and the Tuata were holding flowers and leaves of white clover, they stopped in their tracks and sighed with disappointment, then looked at the cautious travellers with a mixture of hurt and annoyance and sat down at a safe distance from them on mounds of grass in the marsh. Occasionally the elves called out loudly or whistled to try to cause the travellers to lose their way and fall into the swamp, but at the start of the path through the marsh Beta had instructed the seven Tuata to follow in her footsteps without fail. Because she was a magic fairy, Beta could see through water and earth, and so she knew exactly which ground was hard and which was dangerous swamp. The Tuata realised this and so they followed Beta slowly and carefully, but also bravely and confidently.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And so they passed through all the obstacles and dangers of the marshy land of Grona and found themselves once more on firm and dry ground. When the Tuata looked back they saw that the furious marsh-elves were waving their fists at them. But the friends were not frightened by this. On the contrary, they found it funny, and waved farewell to the marsh-elves with their white clover, and were about to throw it away when the fairy stopped them. She told them that the clover would come in useful on the return journey. At first, Ruta, Kana, Bradag, Krudlakh, Gaire, Ebor and Anun doubted this, as they thought that by that time the white clover would have become wilted and dry, but Beta reminded the friends that the clover was a present to them from the meadow-elves.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Such flowers never wilt and never dry out”, she said, and the seven Tuata had no reason to doubt the fairy. On her advice they put away the magic clover in the pockets of their waistcoats and set off again on the path without looking back.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Soon a range of low, rocky hills appeared on the horizon and the friends started to hear a rumbling sound in the distance. This was the River Ton crashing and roaring. It was not a particularly deep river, and it would have been possible to wade across it if it were not so wide, fast and turbulent. The river Ton flowed between two rocky banks, rumbled and foamed around large stones that protruded from the water, and then burst out into the sea.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the Tuata approached the high and steep banks of the river, they suddenly realised that it would be impossible to wade across it or even cross it in a boat. There was also no bridge to be seen and the Tuata began to lose heart. They started to discuss what to do next, but the noise of the water drowned out their voices. In their distress the friends completely forgot about the bluish-grey magic stones that had been given to them by kind Dan. It is just as well that the fairy remembered them. Having looked down at the swift and raging river, she took one of the little bluish-grey stones from her pocket, threw it far out into the water and a bridge suddenly appeared across the river. The friends hurried across it, and when the last of the Tuata had stepped onto the opposite bank of the fast-moving River Ton, the bridge turned into a bright rainbow that shone over the river. The travellers then continued on their way, and with each step they climbed higher and higher into the hills.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The seven Tuata eventually grew rather tired and sat down on a large stone beside the path to eat some of the elves’ wonderful cake and drink the water from Dan’s magic jug. Beta then said: “I think we have reached Uim, the land of caves. As far as I know, gnomes live here. These are a small but very hard-working race of people who live and work deep underground. The gnomes mine different valuable metals and precious stones, but they love and value green emeralds most of all. They believe that the special magic powers of emeralds protect gnomes, elves and people from bad things. However, gnomes also like anything green. My dear pupil, the seagull-child, told me that the gnomes usually wear green jackets and green caps. I suppose everyone likes different things… The gnomes hide all of the treasures that they have mined in underground caves and no-one has yet managed to find these treasures. I believe that the gnomes are very friendly to people, as long as they do not try to deceive them or take away their treasures by force. We are not going underground in search of gold and silver so they have nothing to fear from us, but all the same I should warn you in advance: if you see bars of precious metals or beautiful sparkling stones in the underground passages and caves, then it is safer not to touch them.”<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_12.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“But why do we have to go down into the gnomes’ underground caves at all”, asked the surprised Tuata.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I’m afraid that we can’t avoid it. The land of Uim is not only a land of caves, but also of mountains. Ahead of us lie mountain peaks so high that the snow on them never melts, and a cold, biting wind always blows through the gorges. We cannot cross mountains like this, so we have no choice but to go down into the caves”, replied Beta firmly.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“But I heard that there are not only good gnomes, but evil ones too. My grandfather told me that evil gnomes lure travellers in, and then force them to work in their mines and never let them return. Dear fairy, is this true?” asked Ruta timidly, and even shivered at these unpleasant thoughts.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I believe this does happen. There are evil gnomes. They dig for metals underground and very rarely come to the surface. I have never seen such gnomes myself, but have also heard about them”, said Beta thoughtfully, and the seven Tuata fell silent. They began to look round warily and listened closely to every sound, but the fairy suddenly smiled cheerfully and promised the friends that if they were watchful and careful along the way then nothing bad would happen to them.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“In the ancient books I once found the secret of the good and evil gnomes: the good gnomes paint their passages and caves in their beloved green colour, whereas the evil gnomes paint theirs grey. As long as we don’t hurry through the underground passages and caves, but calmly and carefully examine everything around us, then we are sure to find ourselves among friends. But in order to better distinguish green from grey, I would advise you to equip yourselves with torches before we go underground”, said Beta firmly. And so Bradag, Ebor, Krudlakh, Anun and Gaire quickly headed off to a nearby forest to gather some suitable branches and resin in order to make torches. They soon returned and set about making some torches from the dry pine branches.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When everything was ready the friends set out once again on the steep, rocky path, climbing higher and higher until they reached a narrow and dark crack in the cliff. This was the entrance to one of the caves.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Beta immediately lit the lantern that she had brought with her from home, the Tuata lit their torches, and they all began to examine carefully some signs and markings on the walls of the cave. Once they had made sure that the signs were only in green paint, the friends cheered up: they had been very lucky to find the right cave straight away. However, there were several passages leading from it, and how would they choose the right one?<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the fairy’s advice the Tuata lit some extra torches, and in the bright light of the flame they found that one passage was painted a green colour. They all set off slowly along it. As soon as the passage forked the Tuata again lit more torches and thoroughly investigated the colour of the new passages. In this way the friends gradually moved deeper and deeper underground. All around them it was exceptionally quiet and dark.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But what was that noise ahead of them? The friends stopped, extinguished their torches just in case, leaving just Beta’s lantern, and began to move ever more slowly and carefully along the green wall of the passage, holding their breath as they went. In the distance they could see different coloured lights, and could hear some kind of singing, the sound of music and the stamping of small feet. The Tuata listened and decided that only good gnomes could dance so cheerfully and sing such happy songs. The friends moved forward again, but this time a little faster and more boldly. The passage opened out unexpectedly into a large high cave, where coloured torches were burning, cheerful music was playing, and small people in green jackets and caps were singing and dancing.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When they saw their unexpected guests, the little people stopped singing and dancing and the music in the cave died down. The gnomes stood rooted to the spot and frowned. They could not understand who these people were who had arrived during their festival, and why they had come. The gnomes looked at the fairy and her friends in puzzled silence, and the Tuata, who had never seen gnomes before, also said nothing and gazed wide-eyed at the little people in their green jackets and caps. Several minutes passed like this. Beta was the first to break the awkward silence. The fairy strode bravely up to the kind gnomes, gave a little bow and wished them good day or good evening and a happy festival. The gnomes were clearly impressed by Beta’s words and manners, and they began to discuss something among themselves animatedly. Then, the kind little people fell silent once again and one of the gnomes with a very long beard slowly and solemnly went up to Beta. It appeared that he was the oldest and wisest gnome present at the festival. He first briefly introduced himself: his name was Beglakh. Then he asked Beta and the seven Tuata who they were and why they had come to the gnomes’ underground caves. When the fairy and the Tuata had given him a detailed account of the purpose of their journey and how they had found themselves in the land of Uim, the kind gnome began to smile, stroked his beard and invited the friends to sit down at a table. At the same time he gave a sign to the rest of the gnomes, and after a minute or two plates and cups filled with every kind of food and drink appeared on the table in front of Beta and the seven Tuata.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_13.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While the friends were eating and resting the gnomes began to discuss something amongst themselves again. Then several of them ran off somewhere and soon returned carrying three packages. Beglakh explained to Beta and the Tuata that in the first package was food for them all for the journey, while in the second were precious emeralds especially for the fairy. The gnomes had taken a particular liking to her.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“She is as wise and kind as we are! And so wondrously beautiful too!” said one of them with delight.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And in the third package lay a single sweet wrapped in paper. The Tuata were surprised that a sweet could help them on their journey, as it would be very difficult to divide it into eight parts, but the wise gnome advised them not to jump to conclusions.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“When you leave our mountainous land of Uim, you will reach the bank of the fiery river Tan. This river does not look very wide, deep or fast-moving at first glance, and some think that it is even safe to wade across it, but they are mistaken. The quiet river Tan is a dangerous river. As soon as something or someone enters it, its water turns into flame. And that is why we are giving you this sweet. When you approach the bank of the fiery river, you should immediately throw the sweet into it and you will see what happens next”, Beglakh said to them and smiled again.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course, the seven Tuata really wanted to know what would happen to the fiery river when they threw the sweet into it, but they did not question Beglakh any more about this, as they did not want to tire the wise gnome with their excessive curiosity. He had told them that the sweet would help them, and so that is what would happen.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Beta and the Tuata had rested well and even slept for a while, the gnomes led them through the labyrinth of underground passages. They knew all the underground routes and paths very well, so it was not long before they had led the travellers all the way back up to the surface. The high snowy mountains were behind them. The friends were now standing on top of a green hill, at the foot of which flowed a placid river that glittered in the sunlight. At this point, Beta and the Tuata thanked the kind gnomes for their gifts and hospitality, said goodbye to them and continued on their way, and the gnomes went back into their underground caves.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Tuata and Beta moved slowly down the side of the hill. Around them they could smell flowers and grasses, birds were singing and the Sun warmed them gently, and the seven Tuata found it hard to believe that the beautiful little river at the bottom of the hill held so many dangers. The friends were already beginning to doubt whether this could be the river that the wise gnome had told them about, but to be on the safe side, when they reached the warm sandy bank of the quiet and peaceful-looking river, Anun threw a little stone into the water. As soon as the stone hit the water, flames leapt up in the air before disappearing again, and this convinced the Tuata that the kind, wise gnome had been right about the dangers of the river. Nevertheless, they still had doubts about the magic power of the sweet, but the fairy advised the friends that there was no time to lose and that they should test it as soon as possible.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Whatever you may think, it is better to do as Beglakh told us rather than stand around wasting time on the river bank”, said Beta, and with these words she threw the chocolate sweet far out into the river. To the surprise of the seven Tuata, this time the river did not burst into flames. It actually began to grow even calmer and more placid than before, except for one large wave that suddenly crashed loudly against the bank. And at the same time, as if from nowhere, a man in reddish-gold clothes suddenly appeared next to Beta. With a smile of delight on his face he than ran up to the fairy, took her hand and began to thank her whole-heartedly for her kindness and generosity.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Tuata, who were standing nearby, looked at the strange red man and Beta but had no idea what was happening. It was only after the friends had listened attentively to what the stranger was saying to Beta that they guessed that they were dealing with the Master of the River Tan himself. It seemed that he was very fond of sweets, but no-one, besides the gnomes, ever treated him to any.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And because you were generous with the sweet and decided to share it with me, I promise that I will help you to cross the fiery river”, said the Master of the River to Beta and her friends and clapped his hands loudly.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At the same moment a brightly-painted wooden boat appeared beside the riverbank. As a precaution the Tuata touched it first with a twig, but the boat did not burst into flame, and so the friends calmly climbed into it and waited patiently for Beta, who was still talking to the Master of the River. The fairy was questioning him in detail about the route ahead, and he told her that it was not far now to the palace of Lugus: they only needed to pass through the forest of Dokart in which the mischievous wood-spirits lived. The Tuata heard him explain to the fairy that these wood-spirits liked to tickle travellers and surprise them by running across their path; they also like to scare them with mournful groaning and sad sighing, to shroud the path in fog, and to make travellers feel sleepy by singing lullabies. The Master of the Fiery River advised Beta and her friends to follow only the sandy path through the forest of Dokart, and not to turn off it or look to either side, to think only about the meeting with Lugus and not to pay any attention to the tricks of the wood-spirits.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“That way, they will soon grow tired of playing pranks on you and will leave you in peace”, said the fiery-red Master of the River Tan, and promised that from this day onward, Beta and her friends could use his river without being troubled by fire. He cheerfully invited the fairy and the seven Tuata to come and visit him in future, to sit in the evening on the riverbank in front of a campfire and talk at leisure about all the things in the world. The Tuata and the fairy gladly accepted his invitation, and then Beta joined her friends in the boat and the Master of the Fiery River carefully pushed the boat away from the bank. It glided smoothly across the river by itself without oars or sails, and Bradag and Ebor only needed to change its course every now and again with the help of long poles.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_14.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While the friends were crossing the fiery river, its master stood and watched them from the sandy bank and waved a brightly-burning torch that had appeared in his hand as if from nowhere.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And so Beta and the Tuata overcame another obstacle on the road to the Land of the Sun and its wise master, Lugus. On the opposite bank of the fiery river they found the sandy path without difficulty, followed it past green hills covered in flowers, and finally reached the unusual forest of Dokart where the mischievous wood-spirits lived. The travellers had only taken a few steps into the forest when they felt some kind of strange movement around them. It seemed as though the whole forest had suddenly begun to stir and rustle, and then everything happened just as the Master of the Fiery River had told them it would: they began to catch sight of the wood-spirits, dressed in white, darting here and there across the path and trying to frighten the travellers with their loud moans, sighs, whistles and laughter. Even though the Tuata tried hard to ignore this, every now and again they still glanced to the side, sometimes meeting the glances of the wood-spirits and then finding themselves moving much slower. As a result of this, Anun and Kana fell behind the rest of the Tuata and almost lost their way, and so the wise fairy had to take decisive action. She took the large green emeralds from the package that the kind gnomes had given her and placed it in the palm of her hand so that it was clearly visible to the wood-spirits. As soon as she did this the groans, sighs and laughter in the forest stopped. The wood-spirits of Dokart understood immediately that the fairy could only have obtained such an emerald from the gnomes, and if she and her friends had passed through the underground passages and caves of Uim unharmed, then loud groans, whistles and laughter would certainly not frighten them. And so the wood-spirits fell silent, and instead of trying to hamper the progress of the travellers, they watched the Tuata and Beta from a distance with great curiosity and respect.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nothing else managed to delay the friends on their journey. They moved quickly and easily along the good sandy path and they soon left the forest of Dokart behind them. The Tuata waved farewell to the mischievous wood-spirits, who they were no longer angry with, and pressed on without slowing their pace or stopping along the way. The Tuata could feel that they were already getting close to the Land of the Sun and they were absolutely right. When the path climbed to the top of a hill, they could see before them a wonderful emerald-green valley surrounded by strangely-shaped mountains and cliffs coloured the same shade of green. At the bottom of the valley they could see a large deep-blue lake with fluffy white clouds reflected in its waters. On a flat area of the lake shore a park of astounding beauty had been laid out. It was filled with all kinds of flowers that were brightly-coloured yet not too overpowering; carved wooden bridges had been built over the cool, clear streams; little summerhouses with red and gold roofs were dotted here and there in the lush meadows; and amongst the blossoming trees and bushes the Tuata could make out a very unusual building. It was made entirely of wood and its columns, roof, windows and doors were decorated with carvings, so that from the top of the hill it seemed to the seven Tuata that the building was made from lace. They guessed immediately that this was the palace of the great Lugus.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_15.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And there, it seems, is the ruler of the Land of the Sun himself”, said Beta thoughtfully, when a tall man in a very simple and modest cloak appeared on the threshold of the wooden palace.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Hurrah! Hurrah!” cried the Tuata, and began to jump up and down with happiness and clap their hands. They ran off to greet Lugus and Beta did not try to stop her friends, but just gave a little smile and followed them at her own pace.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the Tuata met Lugus he seemed a very kind and down-to-earth person. The ruler of the Land of the Sun was neither imposing nor arrogant. He embraced the seven Tuata in turn and said something pleasant, kind or comforting to each of them. From what Lugus told them, the Tuata understood that he already knew who they were, where they had come from, and why they had come to him. The friends, of course, were surprised that Lugus was able to find out about their arrival in advance, but they hesitated to tell him this. By this time Beta had caught up with them, and Lugus gave her a particularly strong embrace and shook her by the hand. He also said that of all the fairies that he had ever met, Beta was not only the wisest and kindest, but also the bravest. The Tuata clapped their hands loudly in agreement, and then the great and wise Lugus invited them and Beta into his palace.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The palace was even more beautiful inside than it was outside. Its rooms and halls were filled with carved wood, gold and silver. Every wall, ceiling and floor of the palace was decorated with multi-coloured paintings and mosaics. There was beautiful wooden furniture everywhere and the cupboards and shelves were filled with books both large and small. The Tuata had never seen so many interesting and beautiful things before, and at first they were completely lost for words. The friends did not know where to look first, but they soon grew accustomed to the palace and found it very light, elegant, warm and comfortable.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Over a celebratory supper Lugus suggested that Beta and the seven Tuata should stay with him for several days, rest in the palace and familiarise themselves with the Land of the Sun, but the fairy and the Tuata politely declined. They told him that they needed to return home as soon as possible to bring back the lost happiness to their native island. The seven friends and Beta could not allow themselves to rest and admire the beauty of the Land of the Sun while the Tuata at home were in such a terrible situation and were waiting impatiently for them to return to the island.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lugus treated their decision with understanding and respect. Their refusal even made the ruler of the Land of the Sun rather happy: neither the fairy nor the Tuata had been dazzled by the splendour, beauty and richness of his palace, which made him genuinely pleased with his guests. And so the friends had successfully passed the final test.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The following morning Lugus led Beta and the seven Tuata to the lake, where they could see magic green stones dotted all around on the rocks and cliffs. The ruler of the Land of the Sun took one of the stones and presented it to Beta. This magic stone of happiness was intended for all the Tuata. Lugus gave a second stone to Beta for herself, and for each of the seven Tuata he had prepared a ring with a small green stone set in it for happiness.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After this Lugus did not wish to delay the friends in the Land of the Sun any longer, and so he led them as far as the forest of Dokart, wished them success for the return journey, and invited Beta and the seven Tuata to visit him again if they were ever passing that way.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_16.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Tuata and the fairy thanked the wise ruler of the Land of the Sun with all their heart for his help and hospitality and set off filled with happiness on their return journey. The road home was of course much easier. The friends were now familiar with it, and knew all its dangers and obstacles, and so these did not seem quite as bad. What is more, all along the way home, Beta and the Tuata met their friends both old and new – the Master of the Fiery River, the kind gnomes, the meadow-elves, Master Dan, the seagull-people, and the Ruler of the Sea, Nuada. They all wished the travellers a pleasant journey and helped them wherever possible. The mischievous wood-spirits and the crafty marsh-elves, impressed by the courage and resourcefulness of Beta and her friends, also began to respect the travellers and did not try to hinder them. And so eventually the seven Tuata and the fairy found themselves back on their native island.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The friends had returned home just in time. As a result of the endless rain, all the rivers on the island had broken their banks and flooded the valleys, the Tuata’s houses were starting to collapse, the Tuata themselves had stopped talking to one another again, and war seemed likely to break out on the island at any moment. When they found out about the situation at home, the seven Tuata and the fairy did not just walk, but ran to the centre of the island where the magic stone of happiness had once stood.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As soon as Beta placed the new magic stone on the large granite boulder everything on the island suddenly changed for the better. The heavy grey clouds began to disperse, the rain stopped, the Sun that the Tuata had not seen for so long peeped out from behind the clouds, and a bright rainbow shone over the whole island.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For the Tuata in their unhappy villages it was as if they had suddenly woken from some kind of terrible dream. They threw their arms in the air, smiled at one another and hurried towards the centre of the island. After just a single glance at the new magic stone of happiness, the people forgave each other for their past insults, thanked the seven Tuata and Beta for their kindness and courage, embraced them and congratulated one another with new found happiness.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Soon the king and queen came to the large granite boulder too, and a festival began on the island that was happier than any the Tuata had ever known. All day and all night the people of the island sang and danced, read one another the most wonderful poems, and of course, listened again and again with great interest to the seven friends as they told the story of how they had travelled with Beta to the Land of the Sun. And meanwhile, no-one even noticed that many of the Tuata’s clothes were ragged, their shoes were worn out and the puddles around the boulder had still not dried up.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With time, however, the Sun did dry these puddles up and the Tuata sewed themselves beautiful new clothes. When the festival had ended the people of the island set about mending their collapsed houses, they cleared their overgrown gardens, and once again began to greet the dawn and watch as drops of morning dew appeared on the petals of their beautiful roses. Peace and happiness returned to the island, but after all the hardships and troubles they had been through, the Tuata understood that without hard work and effort, happiness will not last for ever. The people realised that it needs to be protected and nurtured, like the most beautiful rose.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And so all the people of the island gathered together one day and decided to build a large park around the magic stone, similar to the one that the seven Tuata and Beta had seen in the Land of the Sun. The Tuata laid out sandy paths around the big granite boulder, planted many flowers and trees, began to visit the park in the evenings and never again forgot to wipe the dust from the magic stone.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After Beta returned to the Island of Happiness she opened her house on the cliff to everyone, and the Tuata would often visit her just to say hello or for some wise advice. After her travels the fairy came to realise that it is good to know a great deal, but to be knowledgeable for its own sake is not enough. She understood that wisdom should be shared, and so she began to teach the Tuata’s children everything that she knew. The fairy proved to be an excellent teacher and each morning the children would run to her house to learn something new from her.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The seven Tuata, on returning home, became even better friends than they were before. They also did not forget Beta and often visited her, bringing her the very best flowers, fruit and vegetables from their gardens. You see, during the journey to the Land of the Sun, the seven Tuata had realised that there is no greater happiness in the world than true friendship.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A Journey Through Time<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_17.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Everything has a beginning and an end, summer arrives to take the place of winter, the Sun rises and sets. Civilizations and peoples arise and perish. Time… Everything is subject to it. It is present at the dawn of civilizations, but it also swallows them up. Everything slips away into Time. It records in the memory of the Universe every event that occurs on Earth or in the Heavens.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;* * *<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Who is responsible for this universal chronicle and where can it be found? In the boundless sky among the shining stars lies the Land of Time – Watil. The people of this land record the entire history of the Cosmos and the Earth in their great books.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Watil is a beautiful land with hills of different colours, numerous rivers and lakes, bright flowers and singing birds. The people of this land, who are known as the Keepers of Time, are kind, tall and proud. Some of them record in their great books the story of the origins of civilizations, states and various events. Others write the story of the end of peoples and nations.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the sunny valley of Watil live two Keepers of Time: Luili, the keeper of the beginning, and Ruar, the keeper of the end. They decided to write the history of a certain city-state, Beorgia, which once existed on Earth high up in the mountains and not far from the sea. The city was beautiful and a pleasant place to live. On the hills the people of Beorgia had built the White Pyramids, and their cave temples were known for the beauty of their carvings, paintings and fountains. But that is all that was known about Beorgia.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Ruar, it is terrible, we know almost nothing about this city. How can we write its history? And I am sure it must be a very interesting history!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Let us think, Luili. You remember Uratamorika? Around every planet there exists an invisible world, a Land of Memory. In this world, just like in the cinema, all events that have taken place anywhere on the planet itself are reflected. In the memory of Uratamorika are all the reflections of the ancient cities and states on Earth. There is nothing for it but to go to Uratamorika, the Land of Memory. There we shall see ancient Beogria, its inhabitants and everything that happened to them. And afterwards we shall record everything in a great book.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You are right, Ruar. We shall head for Uratamorika first thing tomorrow morning!”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Ruar, it feels so strange to walk on an invisible staircase. We walk on the steps but cannot see them, and it is as if we are walking through the air!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, it is an invisible white staircase that connects the Land of Time with the Land of Memory. Look below, it seems we have arrived. There is the sea and the mountains, and high up in the mountains is the lost city with the white pyramids. It has to be Beogria!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“What do you think, Ruar, where should we head for first?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Usually an inspection starts from the centre of the city. Let us go higher and see where the main square of Beogria is. We shall start there.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Good idea.”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And here is the main square, Luili. On one side it looks straight out over the sea and on the other it is encircled by mountains.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And in the mountains I can see the famous cave temples.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Let us start with the first temple on the right, and then go through all the other halls. We shall see how the Beogrians lived.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Shall we go down now?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes.”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Ruar, how beautiful it is here!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Beautiful and extraordinarily quiet. It seems as if eternity itself has settled in this hall.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“How wonderful – some guests have arrived to visit me. No-one has been here for a thousand of years and I have not spoken to anyone. Who are you?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“We are the Keepers of Time from the land of Watil.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And I am the Sphinx of Time, Eo.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“We are very pleased to meet you, Eo, but we did not realise that sphinxes could talk – we thought they were just statues made out of stone.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Well it is all to do with the people who built the sphinxes. They loved their work and put part of their energy, the Spirit, into each sphinx. And sphinxes with a Spirit are no longer just stones, but living sphinxes that are able to talk. And not just talk… Anyway, you will see everything for yourselves when you pass through the halls of the cave temples.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Eo, could you not tell us what the Beogrians thought about Time and why they made you – the Sphinx of Time?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Of course I will tell you all about myself and about Time, but first let me tell you about the inhabitants of Beogria themselves. They were tall, red-haired people with green eyes. They had a detailed knowledge of astronomy and geometry, physics and medicine. They wrote wonderful poems and music. Their thoughts were kind and flew high up into the sky, their senses were heightened, their clear Spirits rose swiftly beyond the clouds. The Beogrians placed harmony in the world above everything else and lived according to the laws of Truth, Kindness and Beauty. They believed in infinity and worshipped Time.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The people viewed Time as divided into three parts: Past, Present and Future. The Past they accepted as absolute truth and respected it. The Future they considered to be moving forward towards something better. And the Present they saw as just a bridge from the Past to the Future. The Beogrians represented Time as a huge invisible river flowing from the Past, washing over all objects in the Present and carrying them into the Future, and so into Eternity and Infinity.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_19.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The ancient people built me, the Sphinx of Time, as a symbol of the Past, Present and Future, as a symbol of Eternity. That is my whole history. But I completely forgot to mention that in Beogria the dark blue sapphire was considered the stone of Eternity. Here, at the bottom of this stream, lie sapphire spheres; take one for yourselves as a souvenir.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Thank you, kind Sphinx, for the story and the gift.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Soon it will be evening. I advise you to go down to the Fire Temple and watch the setting of the Sun from there. When the Sun bows down to the horizon, the last rays fall directly on the Fire Temple and colour its walls with a red and golden light. It is beautiful. The ancient inhabitants of Beogria would gather in the Fire Temple every evening and watch the sunset.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“There you will see many figures and spheres made from jasper. The Beogrians believed that with the coming of night the forces of darkness were awakened, and these would frighten people by sending them bad dreams. The jasper stored up all the sunlight it had gathered during the day, and so at night it kept away the darkness and protected the inhabitants of Beogria from bad dreams.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Take something made of jasper for yourselves as a present. I know that the Beogrians always gave their guests many presents.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Thank you, Eo. We will head to the Fire Temple right away. The Sun is already setting and we would not want to miss such a beautiful sight.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Have a good journey!”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The Fire Temple not only looks beautiful in the rays of the setting Sun. At dawn, in the morning haze, it looks just like a fairytale castle.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And it is wonderful here at night too. From the Temple one can see how the Moon rises and how its light is reflected in the sea. And what a view of the sky, Luili! What a beautiful Milky Way! It seems as if the stars are hanging so close that you could reach out and touch the brightest of them.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Ruar, I would like to see another temple in the first rays of the rising Sun. The next temple may be even more beautiful than the Fire Temple.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Then let us go and see. Quickly, Luili, or the Sun will already have risen above the sea.”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“There is no-one here, Ruar, but I hear music. Can you hear it too?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, I can. Beautiful music.”<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_20.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Where is it coming from?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Look out the window, Luili. The Morning Wind is flying over the mountains and playing his horn. And by the window I can see some kind of instrument, which looks rather like a harp. The wind is moving the strings and producing soft music.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I would be interested to know where we are. What is the name of this temple? Is it the Temple of the Morning Wind?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Either the Temple of the Morning Wind or the Temple of Music. Since the ancient Beogrians left a musical instrument in this hall, they must have loved and valued music very much.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Do you think they knew about the music of the Spirit”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, Luili, of course they knew. They built the temple in its honour. This music is born in the boundless Universe among the bright stars, it passes through time and space, and reaches people through their Spirit. Joy settles in their hearts, they want to sing and enjoy themselves. The Beogrians understood that such music is the best medicine for broken hearts and a restless Spirit. The Beogrians understood and loved music.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Perhaps in the mornings people would gather in this temple, sit by the window and listen to the music of the Spirit. Sometimes they would play on the great harp. The Morning Wind would accompany them on his horn. And from the window would pour the sounds of beautiful music, like iridescent pearls in the first rays of dawn.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Luili, you know how to play the harp, and real music has not been heard in the Temple of Music for a thousand years. Play the ‘Melody of Peace and Stillness’ and the temple will be brought back to life.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“With pleasure. The Morning Wind will accompany me on his horn, and everything will be as it was in the days of old.”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The Sun has risen high over the sea. You know, Ruar, I would like to take one more look at the Temple of Fire, but from the outside this time.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Good idea. I will wait for you here, play a little on the harp and listen to the music of the Wind.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I will not be long.”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Oh, a new sphinx! Good morning. My name is Luili, I am a Keeper of Time from the land of Watil.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Good morning, Luili! My name is Imaral. I am the Sphinx of the Moon, Light and Medicine.”<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_21.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“All of these things? How is it possible to combine Light, the Moon and Medicine?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Oh, the ancient people combined these ideas very easily. If you like I can tell you about it.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I would like that very much.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“So, I will start with Light. With the setting of the Sun comes night. At this time, evil and darkness would like to leave the remote valleys where they dwell, steal into people’s houses and send them bad dreams. But in the sky the Moon appears, and its soft light spreads over the mountains and valleys, and the evil and darkness decide to stay hidden.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The Beogrians loved the mysterious light of the Moon. In this light the Fire Temple seemed as if it were made of gold. During a full Moon people would very often come to look at the fabulous temple.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The inhabitants of Beogria, and especially its doctors, had a deep knowledge of the phases of the Moon and its influence on all living things. During a new Moon, for example, all plants have a great deal of energy and can give this energy to people, whereas during a full Moon both plants and people absorb the energy of the Cosmos. The Beogrians knew this and sowed their plants only during a new Moon. Doctors would also treat their patients in earnest during a new Moon, but during a full Moon such treatment was considered useless.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“So you see, Luili, how easily the Moon was combined with Medicine in ancient times.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Indeed… But even in our Land of Time all the flowers bloom during a new Moon.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Imaral, you are the Sphinx of Light, the Moon and Medicine, but why do you have horns?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Remember the Moon, Luili. The new Moon looks very similar to the horns of an animal. Besides, the ancient Beogrians knew the path of the Moon’s motion across the heavens. Over the course of a month it traced out the shape of a pair of horns in the sky. And so my horns are a symbol of the Moon and its motion across the heavens.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And I would also like to ask you what these green spheres are that lie near the temple.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“They are emerald spheres. In Beogria, emerald was believed to be the stone of the Moon and Medicine. If you take one in your hands and concentrate it is possible to see what is making a person ill. In fact, you can try to see anything you wish.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I cannot see any illnesses, but I can see Ruar; it seems that he has grown tired of playing on the great harp and is waiting for me.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“There are many beautiful and interesting things that you must see in Beogria. Take an emerald sphere as a souvenir, and when you return to Watil you will look at it and remember Beogria and me, Imaral, the Sphinx of Light, the Moon and Medicine.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Thank you, Imaral, for the story and the gift. I will certainly remember you.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Farewell! Have a good journey!”<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_22.jpg"><br><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You are still here, Ruar? Have you been waiting for me?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes I have, Luili.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You have not been too bored?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Not at all. First I played on the great harp, and then I talked a little with the Morning Wind.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Wonderful, but is it not time for us to move on?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“It is long overdue. Listen, Luili, I can hear something dripping nearby as if it is raining. But I can see that it is not raining outside.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“That means something must be dripping in the next hall.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“That is what I thought too, and I would like to find out as soon as we can what it is. Let us hurry and see!”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“What a big flower, Ruar. I have never seen one like this before, even in our Land of Time.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, it reaches from the floor to the ceiling. And water is flowing down over its leaves and dripping into a pool. This is the rain that we could hear.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I am interested to know what kind of flower it is, and what kind of temple we are in.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“There seems to be no-one here.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Miaow! I have guests – the Keepers of Time. How nice of you to visit me.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Who are you? We cannot see you.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I am the Sacred Cat, and I am here, on the wall.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Oh! We are already used to living sphinxes, but a living wall carving…”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The Beogrians made me with as much love and inspiration as the sphinxes. The spirit of the ancient builders is expressed in me, and so I am a living image.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You would probably like to know the purpose of this temple and its flower that I protect?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“If it is not too much trouble, dear Sacred Cat, then please tell us about it.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“With pleasure. You have found the Temple of Learning. This was one of the most important and revered temples in ancient Beogria. The Beogrians worshipped Learning, but not simply learning in the form of dry scientific facts. The people worshipped good and wise Learning. They understood that such knowledge as how to split the atom means nothing whatsoever if one does not know how to use it wisely. And to use it wisely means to direct it towards good.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_23.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The flower in the middle of the temple is the Flower of Wisdom. Do you see how it grows straight out of the pool? From space the Earth appears blue, and so the pool, or water, is the symbol of our Earth. The leaves of the flower reach up as far as the ceiling of the temple. The ceiling symbolizes the dome of the sky, the Universe with many different worlds. The Flower of Wisdom shows that there are invisible links between the Earth and the Cosmos. And only wise relations between the people on Earth and all the worlds in the Universe can make the invisible links exceptionally stable.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Now I expect you would like to know how the Cat is related to wisdom and learning?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“How did you guess?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Well, I am the Cat of Wisdom because I know everything and can guess everything.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The inhabitants of Beogria believed the Cat to be the most thoughtful, wary and wise animal in the world. The Cat was a sacred animal in Beogria, and so they called it the Sacred Cat of Wisdom.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Look what I have found! There are some red stones lying in the pool. How beautiful!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“They are red rubies. The Beogrians considered the ruby to be the Stone of Learning. It sent wise thoughts to the person that carried it.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Take the red spheres for yourselves. The people of Beogria always gave their guests rubies, so that the guests would be good and wise people and would come to Beogria more often.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Dear Sacred Cat, we shall take the ruby spheres, become wise and visit you often in the Temple of Learning.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“A worthy speech. I am very pleased to have had the chance to talk to you. But now you must continue on your journey in search of new experiences.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Thank you, Cat of Wisdom. Until we meet again!”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Look, here there are two temples side by side. Which one should we go into?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The one on the right!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Why?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“This morning I talked to the Wind. He invited me to visit and told me how to find his temple. The temple on the right is the Temple of the Wind.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“But in the other hall I can hear the sound of water and would like to see where it is coming from.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Luili, I have an idea: you go into the temple on the left and I will go into the Temple of the Wind. Afterwards we shall meet and tell each other what we have seen.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Agreed.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“See you later!”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“How beautiful it is in here, and so light and warm. This is the most wonderful hall that I have ever seen. Oh…what is this?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“This is the Temple of Life, through which the River of Life flows, and I am the Spirit of Life or the Keeper of Life, whichever you prefer. My name is Aruya.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Aruya…What a beautiful name. And I am Luili, Keeper of the Beginning of Time.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I know. The Sphinxes have already told me about you. You are travelling through the Land of Memory to find out about the life of the Beogrians and their view of the world.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, that is correct.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Then I shall tell you what the Beogrians thought about Life.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Excellent!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I should first mention that the life of this ancient people was associated with infinity, that is immortality. Why did they think in such a way? Because life unfolds according to a circular law. But what is a circular law? Now I shall explain. We take a ring or a circle and fix a particular point on it. Let this be the beginning of Life. So, Time or Life flows from a beginning, passes around in a circle and finds itself at an end. But any end point on a circle is just another beginning. From this law it follows that when Life ends it begins all over again.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The Beogrians were great philosophers!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, they developed the philosophy of Life. The inhabitants of Beogria in their own way understood the aims and principles of Life, as well as Life itself.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Tell me about this, Aruya!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Very well, first I shall talk about Life. The Beogrians tried to live happily. They believed that there are so many wonderful and interesting things in the world that the years of one’s life should not be wasted in sadness or hatred. They believed that one should live properly and achieve something in life, and that it is only possible to achieve success when your life is happy. Inspiration comes to people who are happy. And so the Beogrians lived and worked with a cheerful Spirit and the Sun always shone over their country.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Now I want to tell you, Luili, what the ancients thought was the reason for Life. However strange it may seem, the inhabitants of Beogria believed that one reason for Life is Life itself. You see, without it the Universe would be empty, cold and of no use to anyone. The people believed that another reason for Life is the Mind, since without it, Life and the Universe itself would be impossible.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And there is more to tell about the aims of life. Are you interested, Luili?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I am so interested that I am left speechless!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The Beogrians’ thoughts about the aims of life were also unusual. In the present day, these aims have been completely forgotten on Earth. You see, for the Beogrians the aim of Life was Life itself. They believed that Life was given to person as a gift and that he or she should be happy with this gift. What is more, Life is a precious gift, and as with anything precious, it should be protected and used intelligently. Life should not be regarded as something trivial; one should remember that the second aim of Life is posterity. And in order to achieve this second aim, it is necessary to live one’s earthly Life properly. But to live Life properly, it is necessary to always remember the aims of Life.”<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_24.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“At first glance, the philosophy of the Beogrians is very complex and incomprehensible. But there is nothing complex in it for those who know how to think.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Then the Beogrians must have thought a great deal.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“They did not do it a great deal, but in moderation; they did everything in moderation, even thinking. They always aimed for a happy medium in whatever they did in life.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“So that is why you hold the scales in your hands!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“That is one of the reasons.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“But why else?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You see, Luili, in life there exists both good and evil. A person is always free to act for good or bad. And Life is a great judge, it always judges people according to their actions – good or bad. And since I am the Spirit of Life, I must have the scales.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Aruya, in each temple we have found different stones. Which stone symbolized Life in Beogria?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The symbol of Life was quartz, Luili.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“But these crystals are so fragile.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, and that is why they were the symbol of Life. You see, if you think about it, our life is very delicate and fragile, just like the crystals.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“This stone was also known as the ‘tears of the sky’ in Beogria. Only these were tears of joy. The sky was pleased with the lives of the Beogrians. Look at the quartz – it is transparent. Only tears of joy are transparent, whereas tears of sadness are dull.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Your story is like a song, Aruya. I could listen to it forever, but I am afraid Ruar is already waiting for me.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I will not keep you any longer, Luili, but please take a few crystal spheres with you as a souvenir. They will sparkle in the Sun and bring you joy.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Thank you, Spirit of Life and Keeper of the Source. I shall go and look for Ruar as I cannot wait to tell him about the life of the ancient Beogrians.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Goodbye, Luili!”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Good day to you, Wind. Your temple proved to be very easy to find. But Luili has decided to visit the temple next door.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I know, she is talking to the Spirit of Life. I just saw her while I was flying past the window. It is very interesting to talk to the Spirit of Life, but I would also like to show and tell you some equally important things. Before we start, I should introduce myself: my name is El.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Pleased to meet you.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“First I would like to show you the musical shell.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You can hear the sound of weaves breaking on the seashore inside it.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And not only that. This shell can also play the music of the heavens and the melody of the Universe.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The melody of the Universe? How is this possible, for the shell has never travelled through the Cosmos?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Well, Ruar, the shell is constructed in the shape of a spiral, and the Universe is also arranged in a spiral, so that the unfolding of the Cosmos proceeds along it and all life within it. Therefore, from its very birth, the shell has stored inside it the music of the Universe, since the shell and the Universe are arranged according to the same principle.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“But I also heard another kind of music being played here.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Do you see these pipes on the wall? The air currents make them sing.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“This instrument reminds me of an organ.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Perhaps.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And what kind of bird is that next to the organ?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“That is the bird of the Spirit. Wherever there is beautiful music to be heard, many Spirits gather. In Beogria, the bird was the symbol of the Spirit.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And there is also one other symbol – pink agate. The Beogrians believed that this was the stone of joy and good humour. When a person is in a good mood he wants to sing and listen to music, so agate is also found in the Temple of the Wind since it is a musical temple. Ruar, take an agate sphere for yourself. It will be a gift for you and Luili. In fact, she has already finished talking to the Spirit of Life and is on her way here.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Then it is also time for me to go, El. It has been a very interesting visit. I shall tell Luili about the musical shell and show her the pink agate. Thank you for everything.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You are welcome, Ruar. I am sure we shall meet again as every morning I play my horn in the mountains.”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“These are interesting stories that we have heard from the Wind and the Spirit of Life! I have a present for you, Luili, from El the Wind. A pink agate sphere.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And the Spirit of Life gave me some quartz spheres. We have a lot of presents already!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And there are still two more temples nearby to visit.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Where shall we go first?”<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_25.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Well, Luili, I suggest that as before we each visit a different temple, and then meet afterwards to tell one another what we have seen and heard.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Agreed. So let us begin.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Now it is your turn to go into the temple on the right, and I shall go into the one on the left.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“That sounds good. See you later, Ruar!”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I can see no-one here. There is a flower painted on the wall, but as far as I know flowers cannot talk.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“But I can talk.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You just passed through the wall, that is impossible!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Impossible for a person, but perfectly natural for a Spirit.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“So you are a Spirit?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, I am an Earth Spirit.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I have never met an Earth Spirit. Please tell me about yourself.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Of course. It is all very simple. Each city and each part of the Earth has its own Spirit. I am the Spirit of Beogria. My name is Ula. And you are Ruar, I already know that.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I always imagined an Earth Spirit to be so big and strong with burning eyes and a red beard. But, dear Spirit, you are not a giant, you have dark golden hair and kind green eyes. And in your white cloak you look just like a cloud that melts away in the morning haze.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“How funny you are. Surely you know that all Earth Spirits are female, very often with golden hair and green eyes? And that giant Spirits do not exist.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Why is that?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Well you see, Ruar, frequent visits to the houses of people were one of the duties of an Earth Spirit. I was always going from house to house, dressed in a traveller’s cloak. I saw how the people of Beogria lived, whether they were at peace with nature and with each other, whether they were rich or poor, how they raised their children. So how could I be a giant? The Beogrians, especially the children, would have been frightened of me and would not have allowed me into their houses.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Tell me, Ula, could they distinguish you from a normal person? Did the people know that you were an Earth Spirit?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“It was very difficult to distinguish an Earth Spirit from an ordinary Beogrian. The Spirit had just one special characteristic. When a person walks he touches the ground, but when a Spirit walks he does not. But it is very difficult to notice this. What is more, the Beogrians were kind and hospitable people. They treated everyone the same, whether they were Earth Spirits or ordinary people. A visitor to one of their houses could expect food and a bed for the night. The Beogrians liked to give their guests milk. They always placed a cup of milk on the doorstep for any Earth Spirits who may be passing, just in case they were tired from their journey and needed some refreshment.”<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_26.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Did you enjoy protecting the land of Beogria and its people?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, very much. You know, Ruar, they called me the Teacher.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Why?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“When I visited a house, we often talked about goodness and tranquillity, and about the correct way to bring up children. The Beogrians believed that I taught them how to live properly in the world. This is indeed so, Ruar. You see, for an Earth Spirit the most important things of all are peace, kindness and tranquillity in the world. Do you see the flower on the back wall of the temple?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, I see it.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The flower has three petals. These are symbols of peace, kindness and tranquillity.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Ula, do you like living flowers?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“What kind of Earth Spirit does not like flowers? I love wild flowers, especially forget-me-nots and bluebells.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And what else do Earth Spirits like most of all?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Beautiful landscapes: small mountains, green hills, warm meadows with flowers and streams. Earth Spirits usually only live in pure, beautiful places. It is no good looking for them in places that are dirty or where the landscape is ugly.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“It is beautiful in Beogria, and what wonderful scenery can be seen from your temple! Ula, what kind of pyramids are they beside the river?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The Beogrians built these, and they are known as the Pyramids of the Sun and the White Pyramids of the Spirit. The latter were built in honour of the sublime, clear Spirit. The people of Beogria believed that peace and prosperity could only be achieved when a person has a pure soul, clear thoughts and a sublime Spirit. And so they built the White Pyramids of the Spirit as a symbol of goodness and light.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The White Pyramids really do look beautiful in the sunlight against the background of the blue sky. No-one could have evil thoughts in the presence of such beauty.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And I still want to ask you, Ula, about the symbol of the Earth Spirit. In each temple Luili and I have seen a different stone that was the symbol of the temple. But what is your symbol?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Ruar, all the ordinary stones in the fields and on the seashore, the rocks in the mountains – these are the symbols of the Earth Spirit. You can pick up any stone on the seashore and it will be my stone.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Luili and I will be sure to go down to the sea and find some stones there with holes in them, for luck.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“This will be a good way to remember the Earth Spirit.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“It is already time for me to go as I am sure Luili will be waiting for me.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I must leave also. I have promised to visit the Sphinx Eo today.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And you will pass through the wall again?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Of course, and not just one wall. How funny you are. Goodbye.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Goodbye, Ula! Oh, she has disappeared…”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Is there anyone here?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“A living wall carving?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Will you tell me a new story about this temple?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Of course.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“My name is Luili.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And my name is Mena. You have come to the Temple of Memory, and I am the symbol of memory and reminiscences.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The Beogrians probably knew something special about memory.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“What they knew about memory was for them entirely natural, although in the modern world these accomplishments seem like a fairy tale.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“But I will start my story from the beginning. For the Beogrians, memory was a material thing. They said that somewhere in the endless sky, among the stars, lies the world of Memory, which looks like a misty ocean. It does not have permanent, well-defined outlines but changes every minute, taking one form or another. In the world of Memory are images from the lives of every person that has lived or is living on the Earth.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The ocean of Memory quivers, a large wave rises up on it, and there on its surface appears the mysterious shape of a forgotten tale. The face of a rather sad woman suddenly smiles, she holds out her hands as if wanting to say something and then disappears, dissolving into the infinity of the Universe, as a golden cloud melts into sea-mist at dawn. This was Memory.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Mena, it seems that you were talking about yourself just now. Your portrait on the wall appeared as if from nowhere and could disappear at any moment.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“It is possible.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Mena, why are you portrayed with wings on either side of you?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You have probably heard the expression ‘winged memory’, Luili”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, I believe I have.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Memory has wings. When a person thinks about something or remembers something, then their thoughts and spirit fly far, far away. Feelings also have wings and can fly up into the sky. The person remains on the Earth, but at the same time they fly, as if on wings, to the Ocean of Memory. If the memories are happy and good then the wave-images are painted with bright colours and rise up high above the surface of the ocean. But when the memories are sad, then the water in the Ocean of Memory become thick and muddy, and the waves disappear altogether.”<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_27.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Your story is like a beautiful magical fairy tale, like music.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“A soft, solemn music can always be heard over the Ocean of Memory.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Why?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“It has always been that way.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And Mena, what was the symbol of memory in ancient Beogria?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Flowers, Luili, the most beautiful flowers.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Just think, when people want to honour the memory of their ancestors they give them flowers. When someone wants to leave a good memory after themselves, they bring flowers. Why? It is all very simple. In their hearts, people want the memory of their ancestors or of themselves to always be as beautiful and everlasting as the flowers. Flowers wilt every autumn, but in the spring they flourish again. A person leaves nothing after themselves except memories. Everyone should leave a beautiful, good and everlasting memory. And that is why flowers are the symbol of memory and reminiscences.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Wonderful. And does memory have a stone symbol?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes. Over there you will see a sphere of plain stone. It is granite. The ancient people believed that the memory of a person should be simple and quiet, without unnecessary splendour. And such a modest memory should last for centuries, like granite. Quartz was also a symbol of memory. Here is a sphere made from green quartz. The Beogrians used quartz in their medicine. They believed that the stone had disinfectant properties and kept away evil energy from a person. A memory should be good, light and clear like quartz. And that is the whole of my story, Luili.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“It feels like I have in actually travelled through the Cosmos and seen the Ocean of Memory. Your story was beautiful, just like the flowers.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I am very glad that you liked it. When you and Ruar return to Watil, remember Beogria and come and visit us more often.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You can be sure of that, Mena. I shall go and tell Ruar this. Goodbye.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Until we meet again, Luili.”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Your story about the Earth Spirit was simply wonderful.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yours was just as interesting, Luili.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Look, Ruar, there is another temple.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Shall we go into it together?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Good idea!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I am interested to know what kind of temple this is, and who is its keeper?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I don’t know what kind of temple it is, Ruar, but I can already see its keeper. Or rather, its female owner. Greetings, we are the Keepers of Time – Luili and Ruar!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I am very pleased to see you. My name is Aria – the Dawn.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“So this is the Temple of Dawn?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Dawn, the Music of the Spirit and Radiant Energy.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I never thought it was possible to worship the Dawn, but I expect that the ancient people knew something special about this time of day.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You are absolutely right, Luili. The Beogrians worshipped the Dawn because they knew many unusual things about this particular time.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“What kind of things, Aria?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“When the stars are extinguished and the first rays of the Sun colour the sky, the purest, most radiant energy descends from the Cosmos to the Earth. It is as if the light of the Sun passes along the corridor of night and opens the door to a new day. All living things rejoice in this bright new day. At dawn, all the flowers and trees absorb the positive energy, the world gathers strength and is renewed.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“That is why the Beogrians tried to greet the sunrise as often as possible.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“This was especially important for poets and artists, since the first rays of the Sun carry the most inspiration.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“But it was most important of all for musicians to greet the daybreak, since the human Spirits only sing at dawn. At precisely this time, musicians could hear the Music of Dawn and the Songs of the Spirit, memorize these high-pitched melodies and afterwards play them to all the people.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I can see a lyre here. Were the melodies of Dawn played on a lyre?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, very often they were.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Aria, you have a bird in one hand and a key in the other. What do these signify?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“These are my symbols, Ruar. The bird is called the Bird of the Spirit. You see, at dawn the Spirit rises high in the sky like a bird to look down on the Earth in the first rays of the Sun. The Spirit sees the beautiful blue Earth and sings like a bird.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And the key is the symbol of the new day, new inspiration, new joy. As I said, the Sun’s rays open the door of the night like a key, and announce to the world the arrival of the new day.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“After hearing your story we do not want to leave here.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And you do not need to. You can stay here until the evening, listen to music or play on the ancient lyre. And in the evening I advise you to go down to the Temple of Good Dreams. It is a wonderful temple!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Very well, Aria, that is what we shall do. Luili will play on the lyre, I will listen, and in the evening we shall head for the next temple to see beautiful dreams.”<br>
<br><br><br><img border=0 src="_28.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Ruar, it is already evening and so time for us to go to the Temple of Good Dreams.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You are right, it is time. And I am ready to sleep, Luili.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Here we are. Look, Ruar, that must be the entrance.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“How beautiful and cosy this temple is!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And so quiet…In fact I have never known a temple to be so quiet. What do you think, Luili, did they worship dreams here? I never thought that it was possible to worship dreams.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Of course it is possible, and that is what the Beogrians did. But do come in, make yourselves more comfortable and we shall talk about whatever you wish.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I am the sphinx Erdana. Why are you standing there in silence?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Oh, dear sphinx, we have already seen talking sphinxes, living wall carvings, but we never imagined we would see a sphinx that could walk.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“What is so strange about that? Since sphinxes are living things and are able to speak, then why should they not be able to walk? It is true that we only walk around the cave temples, and have never been into the city or beyond. But the inhabitants of the temples often visit one another. We are never bored or lonely. And if sphinxes were unable to walk, it would be harder for them to see their friends.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Living sphinxes – that is wonderful!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, yes, of course, but you really must come in and sit down. The people of Beogria would often come into this temple with their children, sit here for a long, long time, and watch the Moon rise from behind the horizon, the stars light up and the Moon’s reflection appear in the sea. And some of them would spend the whole night here, thinking in silence and dreaming pleasant dreams.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“But why did they bring their children here?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“It was natural. You see children should dream the most pleasant, cheerful and multi-coloured dreams. And the best dreams are found in the Temple of Good Dreams. The adult Beogrians knew this and so they brought their children here.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The ancient people took dreams very seriously. They believed that when a person had a happy, bright dream, then the following day he would be cheerful, merry and able to work well. But if someone had bad dreams, then in the morning they would wake up tired, think about these bad dreams during the day, and not feel like doing any work.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“When many people came to the temple I would burn various herbs in a special dish. The whole hall would then be filled with the smell of mild smoke and herbs, which helped the people to have even nicer dreams.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Which herbs did you use to make this smoke, Erdana?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“First of all I would burn poppies, as the poppy is the symbol of the world of dreams; then I would use wormwood, thyme and other herbs, all of which had a strong smell.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Look, Erdana, Ruar has fallen asleep, and he did not need any smoke to help him have pleasant dreams. I am sure that he is now dreaming about something very nice.”<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_29.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Then let him sleep. And what will you do, Luili?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I will sit for a while, look at the Moon and its reflection in the sea, and listen to the silence.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The Beogrians also valued silence very much. They believed that only when it was silent were they able to hear the voice of their Spirit and the beat of their Heart. Silence allowed them to think about themselves and about life; they could dream about distant worlds and galaxies, and rise above the bustle of everyday life.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Why were many great discoveries made at night? Because at night, in silence, a person can hear the voice of their Spirit and the voice of the whole Universe. And these things know far more than the mind of the person.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The ancient people believed that in order to comprehend truth, the mind should be asleep and the heart should begin to speak. That is why they loved silence so much and built the Temple of Dreams and Silence, to give it its full name.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I agree with the ancient Beogrians. Here I am, sitting in silence and looking at the beauty around me, and it feels as if I am in a magical fairy tale.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“If you like, I can sing you a soft song.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You know how to sing?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes I do, and I like to sing very much.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Very well, and perhaps while listening to your song I shall see a wonderful, fairytale vision, and it will bring me happiness.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And so it will be, Luili! I shall sing you a song of silence, flowers and moonlight. You will love it.”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You know, Luili, it is already midnight, and if you want to see something particularly interesting you should go into the temple next door.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“What do you speak of, Erdana? Where do I need to go?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Oh, Ruar has woken up.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“That is excellent, as it means we can go right away. And what should we see in the temple next door?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Now, now, look! Over there, the light from the Moon is coming through the window and being reflected in the white columns.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Oh, someone has appeared in the window and is coming towards us. Who is it?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“It is the Moonbeam, Inis.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Look, Luili, here is another Moonbeam and another. The whole hall is filled with them. What are they doing, why are they running here and there?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You should realise first that this is the Temple of Infinity, Rhythms and Rotation of the World. The Moonbeams are the symbols of all this. You can see how each Moonbeam springs up from the moonlight in a certain window, then runs to another window and disappears through it, and several seconds later this same Moonbeam appears once more in the first window. The Moonbeams are like water, which falls as rain onto the ground, evaporates, rises up into the sky and then falls as rain once more. And so on, day after day, year after year. This is the rhythm of nature and the world, this is infinity.”<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_30.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Tell us, Erdana, do they run around here all night?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, Ruar, all night until dawn arrives.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And what happens then?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“At dawn the Sunbeams appear in the temple. Do you like this temple?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, very much, but my head is already spinning.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Don’t worry, Ruar, it will soon be morning. And since the Temple of Infinity and the Rhythms of the World is the last temple, at dawn you shall leave for home on the invisible white staircase.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, we must return home to note down everything we have heard in the Great Book, before we forget anything.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“If you do forget something, you can always come to us and drink some tea, and the sphinxes will tell you their stories again with pleasure.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“If you look you will see that all the sphinxes have already gathered in front of the temples in order to see you home.”<br>
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Sphinx Eo, sphinx Imaral… We have had such a pleasant and interesting time in Beogria that it will not be long before we visit you again, dear sphinxes. As soon as we have finished writing the book about Beogria, we shall come to visit you and read it aloud together.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes, what an excellent idea! We shall wait for you.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I don’t want to say goodbye.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“But somehow we must, Ruar!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yes. Farewell, kind living sphinxes!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Farewell, Ruar! Farewell, Luili!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Until we meet again!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Have a good journey, Keepers of Time!”<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_31.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Tale of the Moon-Elves<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_32.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_33.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once upon a time, in the vast empty spaces of the Universe, there was a round yellow Moon. And on this Moon lived the Moon-elves. They were kind and merry little folk. Each elf had his own cosy little house, and around each house was an orchard and lots and lots of flowers. Out of all the flowers, the Moon-elves were particularly fond of roses, and they looked after them with special care. The Moon-folk spent their days working in their little gardens, and in return for their hard work the trees gave them Moon-apples and Moon-pears all year round. Wild strawberry bushes gave plenty of berries, and beautiful flowers made everyone happy.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Every morning the little elves collected dew from their flowers and spent the day drinking it. They thought that the morning flower dew was the best drink in the whole Universe. In the evening everyone would gather together to tell each other magical stories and sing merry songs. Life was good for the Moon-elves.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But one evening the elves ran out of stories and songs. There was nothing left for them to tell and sing to each other. And the little elves grew sad; they stopped working in their gardens and tending the roses, and even gave up drinking flower dew. Day and night the Moon-folk sat and tried to think what to do. How could they be happy again, and where could they find new songs and stories?<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_34.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_35.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now on the Moon lived two elves called Ommi and Ofa who were the best of friends. They were unhappy too, and wanted to help themselves and all of the Moon-folk.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One night, when the blue Earth shone in the window of Ofa’s little house and the two elves could not sleep, Ommi said, “Ofa, I have heard that people also live on other planets in the Solar System, and they have kind rulers who look after them. But here on the Moon, Ofa, there is nobody to take care of us. Perhaps we could fly into space on a comet and look for a king who would love the Moon-elves and make up new stories, poems and songs for us.” Ofa was very pleased with the idea, and the two of them decided to set off straight away to the edge of the Solar System to begin the search for a Moon-king.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_36.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_37.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_38.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The first person they met was King Tarvis, the ruler of the planet Pluto. Even though there was no Moon-king on Pluto, they decided to visit the planet anyway. Pluto was slightly larger than the Moon, and its people were gentle, kind and intelligent. Ommi and Ofa saw how each little house had a telescope peeping out of the roof, which could see other worlds. The people of Pluto also loved medicine, and in their little gardens they grew special herbs and flowers to make people well again. The King himself loved medicine and astronomy, and he showed the Moon-elves his enormous telescope and his many learned books.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Over a delicious cup of tea, King Tarvis told the elves that at the very edge of the Solar System were two more planets, although he advised them not to go there. Prada, the queen of one of the planets, was so proud that she hardly ever appeared in public. And even when she did meet the rulers of other planets, she would turn her back on them. She thought that she was the cleverest and most beautiful person in the Universe, and wanted nothing to do with anyone.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_39.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;However, the ruler of the other planet, Queen Oris, was so shy and timid that she never spoke to anyone. But she was also very curious and her large eyes could be seen gazing across the Universe.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Moon-elves listened to King Tarvis and decided that it was not worth asking the queens of these two planets for help. And following his advice, they set out for the planet Neptune.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;* * *<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nuatas, the King of Neptune, gave a hearty welcome to Ommi and Ofa. He treated the elves to sweet cake and light pastries. The people of Neptune were very hospitable, and they arranged a concert for their little guests. They were excellent musicians and played pipes, harps and sea shells of various shapes and sizes. The two elves had never heard shell music before and they were enchanted by the melodies of the cockleshells.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;King Nuatas composed wonderful music and could play many different musical instruments. Ommi and Ofa would have loved him to be their Moon-king, but he already had the people of Neptune to look after. Nuatas begged the the Moon-elves not to be upset, and he told them that they might find a Moon-king on the planet Uranus. Its ruler, Suatar, was the wisest king in the whole Solar System. “Suatar is a great historian and knows the history of the whole Universe. He can also read thoughts and see through objects”, said King Nuatas.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Fly to see him and he may be able to help you in some way”, said Nuatas, and he played a Sea Sonata for the elves.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_40.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_41.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;* * *<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So Ommi and Ofa flew on a comet to Uranus. Even from far away they could see King Suatar. He was sitting with a huge book in his hands and writing something down in it. The little elves stopped in their tracks. “Perhaps we had better not disturb the wise King, as we may distract him from his work”, thought Ommi and Ofa. Before they had time to think, King Suatar put down his book and went to meet the elves. He offered to show them his planet, even though there was no Moon-king for them on Uranus. Ommi and Ofa agreed to stay for an hour or so, as they wanted to find out more about the people of Uranus. The little elves were also very interested in King Suatar’s ancient book, and they were keen to know what was written inside it.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;First of all, King Suatar introduced the elves to the people of Uranus who were all busy writing. Some were inventing their own stories and others were noting down the history of the Solar System and its planets.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_42.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_43.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suatar then showed the Moon-elves his ancient book. The whole history of the Universe was written in it: how the stars, planets, comets and meteorites came to be. The book also told of all the rulers in the Solar System, and each story had colourful little pictures to go with it. Ommi and Ofa learnt many new things about the Universe from this enormous book, and they were very pleased. But they still needed to find a Moon-king, and so they set out once more on their journey.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The next planet was Saturn. King Suatar warned them that the inhabitants of Saturn were great chemists, and were always inventing new substances and materials. Now and again, because of the chemical experiments on Saturn, something would explode. These explosions never hurt anyone but they produced a lot of smoke. To stop any smoke from drifting into the pure, clean Solar System, the people of Saturn had surrounded their planet with meteorites and rings of different energies. King Suatar had promised to send a thought message to the ruler of Saturn so that the Moon-elves could pass safely through these rings.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And sure enough, as Ommi and Ofa approached the planet, they saw King Keriar waiting for them. He looked a little stern and sombre, but the elves thought that this must be because he was always thinking of solutions to chemical problems.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;However, these thoughts disappeared when Keriar came up to the little elves, took them in his arms and carried them through the protective rings. Right away he began to show them his planet, and Ommi and Ofa saw how the people of Saturn were all busy inventing things in their little houses. Smoke, steam and sparks flew out of the windows of these houses, and King Keriar explained the inventions to the elves.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;King Keriar himself was also a great inventor and had designed many useful things, including an elegant new fabric which would be used to make a dress for the Queen of the Sun. The Moon-elves were delighted by this, and King Keriar already seemed less stern and sombre, even though he told them that there was no Moon-king for them on Saturn. But Ommi and Ofa had no time to be sad, as King Keriar treated them to his new invention: sparkling water. The water proved to be so sweet that the elves forgot about all their troubles.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_44.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_45.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After this, Keriar took the elves in his arms again and carried them back through the rings of Saturn. He then sat them on a bright comet and sent them on to Jupiter.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Before they got close to Jupiter, Ommi and Ofa were amazed at how huge it was. It was simply enormous. The Moon-elves decided that the ruler of Jupiter must be a giant to rule such a planet. But when Ommi and Ofa met King Ulnis in his castle he turned out to be absolutely normal.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_46.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_47.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He was seated behind a table which was covered in books and papers. The little elves were curious because he seemed to be writing some kind of scientific book, but King Ulnis explained to them that it was actually a book of laws. It was the duty of King Ulnis and the people of Jupiter to write new laws for the Solar System, so that all the planets could live in peace and harmony.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people of Jupiter were also the best clothes makers in the Solar System. While Ommi and Ofa were strolling round the planet they saw lots of workshops where people were designing and sewing wonderful suits and dresses. King Ulnis told the Moon-elves that dresses were even being made for the Queens of the Sun and Venus.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Everybody was so hard at work that the little elves decided not look for a Moon-king on Jupiter. “Surely he would be helping King Ulnis to look after his huge planet”, they thought. So Ommi and Ofa made ready to travel to the next planet. As they were saying goodbye, King Ulnis gave Ommi and Ofa some wonderful presents: the most beautiful elf-suit and the most fashionable elf-dress in the Universe. The little elves were delighted with these gifts and set off for Mars full of joy.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_48.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;* * *<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the way to Mars, a strange ringing noise and the endless tapping of hammers could be heard. This was the sound of the people of Mars working in their forges and their little homes. You see, Mars was famous for its jewellery and skillful metalwork. The people of Mars made beads, bracelets and rings of outstanding beauty. Their gold plates, silver cups and bronze jugs were used all over the Solar System and even the Moon-elves drank dew from little silver Mars-cups.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Ommi and Ofa met the King of Mars, they were amazed by his energy and talent. King Keltan was always thinking of new designs for precious necklaces, bracelets and rings, and he also made the finest jewellery and ornaments on the whole of Mars. King Keltan and his people never grew tired of working, and you could always hear the sound of their hammers.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Unfortunately there was no Moon-king on Mars, but the elves were not sad because the people of Mars were so cheerful and hard working. Ommi and Ofa were especially happy when King Keltan gave them a precious brooch and tie-pin to remember him by.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_49.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_50.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The next planet was Earth, which the elves used to see shining blue in their Moon sky every evening. It looked beautiful from the Moon, but when Ommi and Ofa landed in one of the flowery glades on Earth, it was even more beautiful than they had ever imagined. There were so many pure rivers and crystal-clear streams; so many seas and oceans of crested waves; so many golden fields and sweet-scented meadows! The Moon-elves were beside themselves with delight, and simply stood in the clearing amongst the many-colored flowers until they were found by the Queen of the Earth herself, Evia. When Ommi and Ofa saw Evia, they were even more delighted. She was so beautiful, with golden hair and bright blue eyes like the sky. She sat down on a stone next to the elves, and told them that she was the guardian of pure springs and fresh water-wells. You see, the water on Earth is the purest and the most delicious in the whole Solar System. Queen Evia and her people protect the water by looking after the wells and keeping the springs clear. Evia also told the elves how people from other planets would fly to Earth just to drink the Earth water.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_51.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The little elves listened to Evia with wide open eyes. The Queen of the Earth was so kind and beautiful and the flowery glade was so peaceful. Ommi and Ofa did not want to disturb Evia with their quest for a Moon-king. They just drank the delicious spring water until it was time for them to leave.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_52.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The next planet on their path was Venus. Ommi and Ofa had heard much about the beauty and kindness of the Queen of Venus. And when they met Queen Ruanita they found that it was all true. Ruanita was indeed beautiful, especially kind and so thoughtful. As soon as they arrived, she seated the Moon-elves on soft white pillows so that they could rest after their journey. She then treated them to some delicious cake. And while the elves rested and ate, Ruanita told them about her planet. It turned out that all of the people of Venus loved art, and there were many artists and galleries. They also made the best carpets and curtains in the whole Solar System. The people of the other planets used these in their own little houses.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No one in the whole Universe loved children more than the people of Venus, and Queen Ruanita had invented her own special way of bringing up children. Teachers on other planets taught their pupils in this way, and if parents needed to go and see friends and relatives they would bring their children to Venus, where they would be looked after. Ommi and Ofa could see how much the people of Venus loved children. While they walked around the planet, people ran out of their little houses and offered those pies, pasties and fruit-drops.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_53.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_54.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_55.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people of Venus were very sad that the little elves could not find a Moon-king. As they were leaving, Queen Ruanita gave them a little basket of sweets for the journey, and everyone wished them good luck and invited them to come and visit many more times.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The planet Mercury seemed very small to Ommi and Ofa, although it was warm and pleasant. King Tanaris and the people of Mercury were all great poets and very imaginative writers, and the king himself had written stories to make people laugh. These poems and stories were printed in books of all shapes and sizes, and these splendid books were sent to all the planets of the Solar System. The Moon-elves were shown around the planet by King Tanaris and they saw how the people of Mercury made their books, and how much lovely wildlife there was on Mercury.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_56.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_57.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Unfortunately there was no Moon-king on Mercury, and this made the little elves very sad because it was the last planet in the Solar System. The only place left to try was the Sun, and what if there was no Moon-King there? King Tanaris tried to calm the little elves, and he told them that they would soon find a Moon-king. Meanwhile, he offered to write new songs and stories for the elves, and the people of Mercury would print these and send them to the Moon.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ommi and Ofa left feeling a little happier and set off to visit the Queen of the Sun. But as they got closer and closer to the Sun, the light got brighter and brighter until they could not see anything at all. They realized that they would not be able to reach the Sun and with cries of “Oh woe, woe!” they turned their comet around.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_58.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_59.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_60.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The little elves decided to visit Lady Universe who lived far away, but was the only person who could help them.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ommi and Ofa flew and flew, until they finally caught sight of a quiet, peaceful and comfortable house. In the window of this house they could see Lady Universe herself. She was making cosmic blancmange and pouring it into little glasses. Servants would then take this blancmange to the far corners of the Universe and pour it into space, where it turned into bright galaxies which decorated the Universe.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Through the window of the house, Ommi and Ofa also caught sight of Lady Universe’s husband, Lord Milky Way. He was sitting in an armchair and reading a magical book. The little elves knocked softly on the door of the house and Lady Universe opened it.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_61.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When she saw how tired and unhappy the Moon-elves looked, she almost burst into tears of pity for them. Lady Universe invited them in at once and prepared a snack for them and some soft little beds. Once Ommi and Ofa had settled down in their little beds and had pieces of cake in their hands, Lady Universe and Lord Milky Way listened to their story.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ommi and Ofa told them how good life had been on the Moon before they used up all of their stories and songs. They told how they had decided to look for a Moon-king who would know how to write new songs and stories. But even though they had traveled across the whole Solar System, they had not found such a Moon-king. Ommi and Ofa described how they tried to reach the Sun, but it was too bright and they had been unable to meet the Sun Queen, Solvia.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_62.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What were they to do now? How could they live without a Moon-King and with no new stories?<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After hearing their tale, Lady Universe again almost burst into tears because she felt so sorry for the little elves. Lord Milky Way went to fetch some raspberry pie, smoothed the little elves’ hair and tied some new bows for Ommi. The Moon-elves soon felt a little bit happier, so Lady Universe and Lord Milky Way started to think how to help them. At last, Lady Universe decided that they must ask Queen Solvia whether there was a Moon-King on the Sun. Lord Milky Way wrote a letter to Queen Solvia, and asked her to visit their quiet and peaceful house. He gave the letter to a servant and told him to deliver it to the Sun.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Very soon there was a knock on the door and into the room came the radiant Queen of the Sun. Ommi and Ofa hid themselves under the covers. “What if the Queen shines as bright as the Sun? We will hurt our eyes again,” they thought. But Solvia did not shine with dazzling light, only beauty and kindness. She greeted Lady Universe and her husband, and they told her at once about the poor Moon-elves. Solvia thought for a moment and then clapped her hands and ran to the little elves. She covered Ommi and Ofa with kisses and told them that there was no need to worry any more. She told them about her brother Erian, who wrote music and magical tales and who was very kind and clever.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_63.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_64.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Erian already had so many songs and stories that he did not know what to do with them all. He did not have his own planet to look after, and he still lived with Solvia on the Sun.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the Queen told them all of this, Ommi and Ofa could not believe their ears. And when she had finished her tale, the little elves lay on the soft feather beds and fell sound asleep. They slept the whole night long, singing joyful songs in their dreams.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;* * *<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And in the morning, as soon as they opened their eyes, they saw Erian standing by their beds! He was very much like his sister Solvia, but he looked like a perfect king for the Moon. Ommi and Ofa jumped out of their beds and rushed to embrace him. They could feel how much he loved them, and they knew that he was longing to tell them magical new stories. What a joy!<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_65.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lady Universe prepared a delicious breakfast for the Moon-elves, which they ate quickly. They were eager to return to the Moon with their new Moon-king. Lady Universe and Lord Milky Way gave them a small basket of sweets, wished them a safe journey and begged them to return to their quiet and comfortable house. Ommi, Ofa and Erian promised to visit soon and to bring the other Moon-elves with them.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;* * *<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That evening there was a big party on the Moon. All of the Moon-elves baked cakes for themselves and their new Moon-King, and they dressed up in their best little suits, dresses and caps. The little elves danced and sang to show their love for King Erian. And Erian took each little Moon-elf in his arms and gave them a present. Ommi and Ofa became heroes on the Moon because they had saved the Moon-folk from endless sadness.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And from that time onwards, life went on as normal on the Moon. During the day the little elves worked in their little gardens, looking after their trees and flowers. The trees gave them fruit and the flowers gave them morning dew. The roses bloomed and brought joy to the Moon-elves. In the evenings, all of the Moon-elves gathered together to sing songs and King Erian told them new magical stories. And everyone was very happy.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_66.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tales of the Consrellations<br></h3><br><br><img border=0 src="_67.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_68.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Astrologer Lee<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_69.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once upon a time there lived a girl by the name of Lee, who was an astrologer. She liked to travel, to observe the stars, the Sun and the Moon and to predict people’s fortunes using the stars.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On her wanderings across the Earth, Lee met artists and scientists who threw their instruments up into the sky, as well as good and wicked kings and queens, whom wizards turned into constellations.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The astrologer saw many times how princesses became goldfish and wonderful birds flew up into the heavens to become bright stars for eternity.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lee found these stories very meaningful, sometimes sad, sometimes happy, so she carefully noted them down on separate pages.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then one day, sitting on the seashore and looking through her telescope at the brightest, most distant stars in the night sky, Lee remembered the basket in which she had kept fallen stars and pages with the stories written on them.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There were so many pages that they almost did not fit into the basket.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lee took her magic wand, waved it over the basket and the separate pages of serious and humorous stories turned into a book. The stars that had fallen from the sky became wonderful pictures. In this way the “Tales of the Constellations” was created.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While travelling across the whole Earth, Lee the astrologer gave the book to adults and children alike. All of these people are still amazed by the mysterious glow of distant stars, enjoy the beauty of the world and love to read stories. Since the book is magical, whenever Lee gives a copy to someone, another appears in her basket.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If one of these books has found its way into your hands, if the stories of Lee the astrologer make the delicate strings of your spirit sing, then please raise your eyes and look again at the starry sky, remember that the world is mysterious and beautiful, and smile.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Legend of the Milky Way<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Long ago, at the edge of the world, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, lived the Selurts. They were a fine people, tall and handsome. The Selurts studied the night sky, calculated eclipses of the Sun and Moon, followed the phases of the Moon, compiled a calendar and built megaliths. [1 - Megaliths are stone structures found across the whole European shore of the Atlantic, from Portugal to the Faroe Islands. They consist of menhirs (individual standing stones set vertically), rows of menhirs, stone circles and various stone complexes (Stonehenge and Avebury in England, Carnac in France, Newgrange in Ireland and others). Often, various drawings and symbols are carved into the stones. Megaliths date from the 5th to 2nd millennium B.C. It is believed that megalithic complexes are ancient observatories.]<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Selurts never fought; they did not even know the meaning of war. Their life flowed peacefully and quietly. Then one day, a proud eagle brought bad news that a hostile tribe was advancing on the Selurts. The Selurts understood the language of birds and the eagle told them that the tribe was heavily armed.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There was nothing left for the Selurts to do but gather their things and leave for the mountains, or scatter to the islands. They abandoned their native lands, leaving behind megaliths and a great deal of knowledge encoded in symbols and drawings.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After the Selurts had left, the hostile tribe settled on their lands. The population of the tribe grew rapidly and the land soon became too small for them. The warriors assembled and decided to drive the kind Selurts from the mountains and islands.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The warriors encircled the mountains and then climbed right up to the Selurts’ highest village. But imagine their surprise when they found it deserted. Where could the people have gone? Down the mountains? Impossible, because they would have been noticed. Perhaps the Selurts had climbed higher still?<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The warriors climbed to the very peak of the mountain but did not find anyone there either. Where could the Selurts have gone to from the summit of the mountain? Only up into the sky! The warriors looked up and across the sky they saw a shining path made from sand, pearls and tears.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Selurts had been inhabitants of the coast and when they left for the mountains, they had taken sand and pearls with them. Leaving for the cosmos, they had dropped the sand and pearls… and tears.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No-one knows where the Selurts went, but behind them on Earth they left megaliths and, across the sky – the Milky Way … a path of sand, pearls and tears.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Great Dog and the Little Dog<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Canis Major and Canis Minor<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a village there lived a family and on the whole it was a good family. However, there were two brothers who were wicked. They were always arguing and squabbling.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At breakfast they would argue over a spoon, at dinner over a piece of bread and at supper over an apple. They argued all the time, wherever they went. They could not even walk along the same road together.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the brothers wanted to get married they both chose the same girl; this caused them to fight again. The girl knew that the brothers hated one another so she said: “Whichever one of you can run between these two stones the fastest will be my fianc&#233;”.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She knew that the brothers would never run to the same stone. And that is exactly what happened; instead of running from one stone to the other, the brothers ran off in different directions to get away from one another.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;They ran and ran, all the way to the sky itself, and there they stayed.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Even now, after turning into the constellations of the Great Dog and Little Dog, the brothers are still running across the heavens.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Perseus and Andromeda. The Lion and the Little Lion<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Perseus, Andromeda, Leo and Leo Minor<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once upon a time there lived two Kings who were neighbours. One King was very good but the other was very bad.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The bad King ruled over a large kingdom and had a son called Bert. Unlike his father, Bert was good; he would spend nearly all day reading books and knew many languages.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The good King had a daughter called Aris, who also grew up to be very good, intelligent and beautiful.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bert and Aris became friends and Bert wanted to marry Princess Aris.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the bad King found out about this he became very angry and went to war against the neighbouring kingdom. The good King had a smaller kingdom and a smaller army, so what could he do?<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The bad King defeated the good King and captured him, together with daughter Aris. He sent the girl into the fields to do backbreaking work. When Bert tried to stand up for Aris, the bad King sent him to work in the mines. Aris and Bert could no longer see one another.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The bad King thought long and hard about what to do with the good King. He found an evil wizard and ordered him to turn the good King into a foul creature such as a toad or a snake.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The evil wizard tried, but only managed to turn the good King into a lion. The lion turned out to be large and handsome with a huge mane.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Aris found out that her father had been turned into a lion she burst into tears. She reached out her arms and rose up into the sky. And there she stayed.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day Bert was walking home after work. It was already dark. Suddenly he heard the voice of his fianc&#233;e coming from somewhere. Bert raised his eyes to the sky and saw Aris; she was calling to him with outstretched arms.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Without a moment’s hesitation Bert stepped up into the sky, where he was reunited with Aris. He took her by the hand and they were never parted again.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile, the bad King became even more angry because the good King had been turned into a handsome lion rather than a horrible toad.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The bad King then ordered the wizard to turn him into an even bigger and more handsome lion than the good King. But however hard the wizard tried he could only manage to turn the bad King into a small, ugly lion with a short, tangled mane. The little lion was furious and started to chase the big handsome lion.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The big lion ran all over the Earth, then he jumped into the sky to be near his daughter Aris and her fianc&#233; Bert. The little lion jumped after the big lion, but fell short and found himself on the other side of the Heavens.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now we can always see Aris and Bert in the sky, happy and holding hands. Not far away strolls the Great Lion, and somewhere in another part of the sky the Little Lion rushes about in fury.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pegasus<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pegasus<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_70.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once upon a time in a village there lived a man by the name of Prat. He was an artist and every day he went to the rocky seashore to paint. Prat saw the world in his own way and not everyone could understand his pictures. He painted music, the Universe and the Earth seen from above. He was never short of ideas.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Prat lived on a farm with only his white horse for company. He really loved the horse; she did not do any heavy work about the farm. Every day she would follow the artist to the seashore and watch him paint.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But one day a tragedy occurred, the greatest tragedy for an artist; Prat ran out of new ideas and did not know what he should paint. This went on for several days.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then, while Prat was sitting on the seashore and feeling sad, he suddenly noticed that his white horse was galloping straight towards a sheer cliff.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Prat closed his eyes so that he did not see his friend fall to his death. Then, when he finally opened his eyes, he saw that the horse had not fallen and been dashed on the rocks below. The white horse had grown wings and now she was flying.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Prat could not believe his eyes – his horse had gone right up into the sky and turned into the constellation Pegasus, which was now shining brightly.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The artist suddenly had the idea of painting the white horse with wings flying into the sky, so he reached for his paintbrush.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Since that time Prat has never been short of new ideas; he has painted many new and wonderful paintings. His horse, now the constellation Pegasus, continues to gallop across the heavens and provide inspiration to all the artists in the world.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Archer, the Arrow and the Serpent<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sagittarius, Sagitta and Serpens<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Near one of the villages stood a large stone – a megalith. The local inhabitants called it the Spirit-Stone. There was a legend that the ancient people who built the megalith placed their souls inside it. So the stone became a Spirit and everyone thought of it as a living thing.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What is more, the Spirit-Stone had healing powers. The blind were led to it and their sight was returned; the lame were able to walk again.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But the stone did not like bad people and did not allow them to come near it. It also did not like evil words. If anyone spoke such words in the presence of the Spirit-Stone they were struck dumb.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All the villagers loved the stone and often brought flowers to it.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the village lived a man called Gaire and a woman called Vella, who were neighbours. Vella was beautiful and everyone thought she was good, but she was in fact a wicked, cunning person.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gaire fell in love with her and asked her to marry him. Vella said that she would only marry Gaire if he would test his strength against the Spirit-Stone and overcome it.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At first Gaire would not agree; the stone was good and kind so why should he fight it? But finally Vella persuaded him. So one morning, Gaire took a bow and arrows and went to the Spirit-Stone with Vella.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While Vella hid in some bushes, Gaire lifted the bow, drew the string back and sent an arrow right at the heart of the stone. But when the arrow neared the stone it suddenly changed direction and flew up into the sky, where it turned into the constellation of the Arrow.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then, from the bushes, Gaire heard a hiss and a rustle of grass. He glanced round and saw a serpent that was hissing and trying to slip away as fast as possible.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No-one ever saw Vella again. Gaire pined for her and felt ashamed that he had offended the Spirit-Stone. So one day he gathered his things and left the village, never to return, but in the sky there appeared the constellations of the Archer, the Arrow and the Serpent.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_71.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Sea Monster and the Water-Carrier<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hydra and Aquarius<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There once lived a King and his family in a faraway kingdom. All was well in the kingdom until one day, the Queen died and the King was left alone with his son. The boy’s name was Gilt and he loved to read books and knew a great deal.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The King and Gilt were extremely upset at the death of the Queen. As time passed the pain and sorrow eased and the King married for a second time.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The new Queen was beautiful but wicked; she had a son who was lazy and just as wicked as his mother. The Queen soon began to hate Gilt for his intelligence and kindness.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Queen thought that Gilt would stop her son from taking the throne, so she demanded that the King drive Gilt from the palace.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At first the King would not agree to this, but eventually he gave in and sent his son away.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gilt needed to somehow make a living, but because he was the King’s son he had not learned a trade. Gilt became a water-carrier and carried water around the town. His water was always pure and cold with the freshest taste.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Soon Gilt became the best and most well-known water-carrier in the town.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rumours about him reached the Queen. She flew into a rage and summoned her most wicked sorcerers, who turned Gilt to stone.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Even though Gilt had turned to stone, pure fresh water continued to flow from his jug. When people came to the stone-man for water they could hear how a heart was still beating inside the stone.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Everyone in the town talked of nothing except the stone-man that gave wonderful water. Again the rumours reached the Queen. The Queen was beside herself with anger, so one night she went to the stone-man and smashed it into tiny pieces.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Queen thought that now she would be free of Gilt and the memory of him for good. The people of the town were angry and upset when they saw that the stone-man was now just a heap of rubble. Some began to cry bitterly.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then suddenly, a fountain of pure, cold water began to spurt from the earth where the fragments lay and the jet of water magically lifted the fragments of the stone-man into the sky. There the stone fragments joined once more and Gilt came to life again as the constellation of the Water-Carrier.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Some time later, on the spot where the fountain had appeared beneath the fragments of the stone-man, a whole lake formed around a pure spring. All the people came to fetch water as it was the best for miles around. Everyone talked about nothing but Gilt the water-carrier and his spring, and once more he became famous.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One night the wicked Queen glanced up at the sky and saw Gilt the water-carrier. She was so angry that she turned into a sea monster.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The constellations of the Water-Carrier and the Sea Monster can still be seen in the sky.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Fishes and the Southern Fish<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pisces and Piscis Austrinus<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the land of the megaliths there lived two sisters, Uta and Nuta. They knew a great deal about the sciences. Using the megaliths, Uta could calculate the phases of the Moon and its eclipses. Nuta knew everything about the motion of the Sun and could predict its eclipses.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the sea, not far from the shore, was an island. This island was a good place to observe the Sun, but a megalith needed to be built there that was bigger than all the others.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Many young men courted Uta and Nuta, but the sisters decided that they would only marry someone if they could build the new megalith on the island. No-one had so far managed to do this.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day, a man called Ort arrived from a nearby village and he set about building the megalith. Ort worked for almost a year; he found a suitable stone, polished it and transported it to the island.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One morning Uta, Nuta and all the villagers saw a huge megalith on the island. Ort had done what Uta and Nuta had asked, but the sisters were both happy and sad at the same time. They were sad because now they would have to part as one of them would marry Ort and go with him to his village.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Uta and Nuta thought for a long time about what they should do as they did not want to be parted. Then one day the sisters disappeared from the village and however hard the people searched, Uta and Nuta were nowhere to be found. All at once the constellation known as the Fishes appeared in the sky. Ort looked up at the two silvery fishes and suddenly understood that it was Uta and Nuta.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ort was very kind and certainly did not want to part the sisters. He wanted to tell Uta and Nuta this, so he turned into a large golden fish and rose up into the heavens. There he told Uta and Nuta that he would not separate them and they could always stay together.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So the sisters stayed together for ever and now we can see them in the constellation known as the Fishes. Ort went to another part of the sky and turned into the constellation of the Southern Fish.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Scales<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Libra<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_72.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the hills there was a village. It was called the village with the Green Stone for the reason that in the centre of the village stood a big green stone. People considered the stone to be magic as it helped good people but would not let bad people near it.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If a person came to the stone for advice or with dreams of good things, then all their dreams would come true. People often gathered around the green stone. They believed that the presence of the stone made it impossible to deceive or tell lies. If there was a festival in the village then it would take place around the magic stone.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the village lived two brothers, Unas and Rud. Their parents had died and left the brothers a large pot of gold and precious stones, as well as many wise books. Both Unas and Rud wanted the pot of gold; they thought it was better than having a large library.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A year passed, then two, and the brothers still could not divide up the inheritance. Then the villagers decided to gather around the green stone and ask its advice on how to settle the brothers’ dispute.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So one morning all the villagers assembled around the stone to ask it for help. Suddenly the big stone began to shake and a door appeared from somewhere. The door burst open and out of the stone came a girl carrying a pair of scales. She went up to the people, took the pot of gold and placed it in one cup of the scales.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she took a single page from one of the wise books and placed it in the other cup.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Everyone froze with amazement as one page of the book, yellow with age, outweighed the pot of gold and precious stones.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Without a word, the girl went through the stone door and disappeared.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The scales that she had left on the ground suddenly began to rise up into the sky and, shining in the heavens, became the constellation known as the Scales.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now, whenever people look up to the sky they see the Scales, where a page of an ancient book outweighs a pot of gold to remind the people of true value.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And the brothers, Unas and Rud, settled their differences. They divided all the gold and precious stones among the villagers, but kept all the books, and looked after them as the most valuable thing in the world.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_73.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lynx, the Eagle and the Scorpion<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lynx, Aquila and Scorpius<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_74.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On an island there lived a princess called Princess Belta. She was very beautiful, kind and intelligent. The princess lived with her father, who was King of the island, and her stepmother. Belta’s stepmother did not like her and was always thinking of new ways to hurt her.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Such an opportunity soon arose. A prince from a neighbouring island had asked for Belta’s hand in marriage. The day of the wedding was already fixed.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But how could the wicked Queen agree to something that would make Belta happy? She shut herself in her room and summoned all the evil in the world to come to her assistance.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And the evil came.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A stranger arrived on the island. He was very tall and dressed all in black. His hat was pulled right down over his eyes and he never took it off. He introduced himself as a Prince from a distant island, who had come to ask for Belta’s hand in marriage. The Princess was horrified as she was scared of the man in black; the King did not like the new suitor either.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But the Queen was happy and insisted on Belta marrying the man in black. She spent a long time trying to persuade the King. The wicked Queen said that the Black Prince was much richer than the Good Prince, and that he would make Belta wealthy and happy.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The King finally agreed to give his daughter to the prince from the distant island.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But the Good Prince was very unhappy. With the help of a wizard he turned into a large eagle and began to circle above the man in black. The eagle then flew down and tore the hat from the Black Prince’s head. Everyone was paralysed with fear.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The man had only one eye in his forehead, and this eye shone with evil.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The man in black tried to snatch the Princess and run away. But the great eagle threw sand into the monster’s eye, which forced him to let the Princess go.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile, Belta had floated unnoticed into the sky. She had turned into a lynx so that she could leave quietly, as nothing moves more silently than a lynx. Together with the lynx, a great eagle rose up in to the sky – the Good Prince.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The one-eyed man in black, having rubbed the sand from his eye, ran after the Prince and Princess, but he could not catch them.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But in the heavens, together with the constellations of the Lynx and the Eagle, appeared the constellation of the Scorpion. You see, the evil one-eyed man, when he reached the sky, had turned into a big black scorpion with one eye.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lyre and the Whale<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lyra and Cetus<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_75.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On a small island there was a village where lived a girl called Lin-Lan. She lived alone and had to work hard to keep her little house in order.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the daily work was finished, Lin-Lan would go to the seashore, sit on a big stone right beside the sea and sing.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eor, the mermaid, loved her singing more than anything. Every evening she swam up to the seashore and listened to Lin-Lan’s songs. Eor had a friend who was a big blue whale; he also liked music and would swim to shore to listen to Lin-Lan.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day the kind mermaid decided to show Lin-Lan how grateful she was for her wonderful singing and gave her a magical lyre. The lyre would play any melody that Lin-Lan wished.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At sunrise and sunset, Lin-Lan could be found on the seashore with the lyre in her hands. Her wonderful singing was accompanied by beautiful music.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The mermaid was happy and the blue whale swam deep and then rose to the surface, releasing a great fountain of water to show how pleased he was.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With each day, Lin-Lan’s singing became better and better; the lyre played melodies each one more wonderful than the one before.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lin-Lan’s singing and playing soon became well known throughout the island and people even travelled from other islands just to hear her music.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then one evening, when Lin-Lan was sitting on the seashore and singing, Eor swam up to her and asked her a question. Would Lin-Lan like her music to be heard by all the inhabitants of the Earth and the sky?<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lin-Lan replied that of course she would like to make everyone happy with her music.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then Eor told the girl to take her magical lyre, run her hand across its strings and place the instrument on the whale’s back. Lin-Lan was a little surprised but she did what the mermaid had told her. She plucked the strings and the magical lyre itself began to play all the wonderful melodies and songs that Lin-Lan liked to play and sing most of all.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;* * *<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then Lin-Lan placed the lyre on the whale’s back, and the whale and lyre began to rise together higher and higher into the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The lyre suddenly began to play louder; all the people on the Earth and in the sky could hear the wonderful music. And so the constellation of the Lyre appeared in the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The big whale also remains in the heavens as the constellation of the Whale. He plunges deep into the waters of the heavenly ocean, rises to the surface and releases a huge fountain of water. He is happy listening to the beautiful music of the magical lyre, while Lin-Lan joins in with her singing from the Earth below.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_76.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Charioteer and the Little Horse<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Auriga and Equuleus<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once there lived two Kings, Gati and Dati. They were neighbours but did not get on with one another – they were forever arguing and could never share anything.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dati had a son and Gati had a daughter. When the two planned to marry, Dati said that his neighbour’s daughter was not intelligent or beautiful enough to marry his son. And Gati declared that his neighbour’s son was not worthy of his daughter.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But most often Dati and Gati argued about who owned which piece of land. The argument had been going on for years, sometimes dying down and then flaring up again.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day, Dati went off hunting and Gati was travelling over his estate in his chariot. The two Kings met at the boundary between the kingdoms, and Gati declared that Dati’s horse had strayed onto his land. Dati replied that it was Gati in his chariot who had trespassed onto his land.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This was the start of another argument that went on for many years. Whenever the two Kings met they would say nothing other than: “Horse!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Chariot!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Horse!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the meantime, the kingdoms fell into decline and people began to abandon their villages. Finally the peasants could stand it no longer and turned to the heavens to settle this terrible argument between Dati and Gati.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One morning a wanderer arrived in the village – a grey-haired old man with a long white beard who claimed to have been a judge. All the peasants began to beg him to help them by settling the dispute between the Kings.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The old man agreed and asked them to call Dati and Gati to him. The Kings rushed to see the judge as fast as they could; each tried to tell their side of the story at the same time. But other than the words “horse” and “chariot” it was impossible to understand anything.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The old man looked at them for a long time, and then said:<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I see that there is no way to settle your dispute. The only solution is to send you into the sky. There will be enough space and time for your arguments and you will not disturb anyone.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But in the sky you will take it in turns to be a charioteer and a horse. Dati will draw the chariot across the heavens for a year, and for the next year Gati will lead Dati. And so on, until you make up!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He struck the ground with his staff and Gati turned into a charioteer and Dati into a horse. When the old man struck the ground for a second time the horse and charioteer rose up into the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So first Dati led Gati, and then Gati led Dati across the heavens. Since we can still see the constellations of the Charioteer and the Little Horse in the sky, it means that the Kings have still not made their peace, but continue to argue.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Bull<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Taurus<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_77.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Long ago there lived a wild bull. He was big and strong with curved horns and was the leader of his herd. No wild animal dared to attack the herd while he watched over it. Even wolves and tigers were afraid of the big bull’s horns and hooves. The herd grew and flourished.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a nearby village lived a tame bull. He worked in the fields, pulling a plough; he was fed and looked after.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day the tame bull complained to the wild bull that his life was hard; he pulled the plough from morning till evening, day after day; it was so boring.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“It must be nice for you to be free, brother. You can go where you like and do what you want,” said the tame bull.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The wild bull thought it over and then said “You know what, brother, why don’t we change places for a while? I will plough the field and you can taste freedom.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course the tame bull happily agreed. The wild bull harnessed himself to the plough and toiled from morning till evening in the field. He worked well as he was very strong and sturdy and people were pleased with him.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But things did not work out so well for the tame bull. As soon as even a small wolf came near him he let out a bellow and charged into the middle of the herd to save himself. Word soon spread about this new bull, and the herd was soon reduced by attacks from wild animals. The tame bull grew thin and constantly trembled with fear.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day the tame bull came to the village and said to the wild bull that he had had enough of freedom. It was not as easy or safe as he had first thought. He was better off tilling the fields; even though it was boring, he always knew that people would feed and water him, as well as protect him from wild animals.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The wild bull smiled, handed over the plough and returned to his herd. He led them far beyond the hills where there were good pastures and the herd soon began to grow again.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then one day the wild bull led his herd into the sky. From there he watches over all the herds on Earth, so that they grow and flourish. The constellation became known as the Bull, in honour of the strong, brave bull with the curved horns.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_78.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Hare, the Toucan and the Crab<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lepus, Tucana and Cancer<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_79.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a village lived a hunter named Urt. He was a wicked and cruel man who would kill any animal he came across in the forest and he would shoot birds just for fun.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the forest there lived a wood-fairy called Nis. She had bright red hair and her amber eyes shone with kindness and happiness.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nis was very angry that Urt was killing the animals and birds in the ancient forest so she decided to teach him a lesson. The fairy summoned the fastest hare that she could find and ordered him to pretend to be lame in order to lure the hunter deep into the forest.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One morning, when Urt was setting off to hunt, he caught sight of the hare limping badly on the forest path. Urt decided that this was an easy catch. He began to laugh and reached for his bow and arrows.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But just as he was about to fire the hare cunningly took refuge in the bushes. The hunter became angry and decided to catch the lame hare come what may. But whenever he decided to shoot the hare darted quickly away.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suddenly, when Urt ran out into a clearing, he heard ringing laughter. The hunter glanced round and saw the wood-fairy, who was laughing at Urt’s unsuccessful hunting.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now this made the wicked hunter more determined to catch the hare and he let fly one arrow after another into the bushes.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But then the clever hare jumped out of the bushes and ran right up into the heavens. Urt froze with amazement, but again heard Nis laughing. He turned round to fire an arrow at the fairy, but Nis suddenly turned into a multi-coloured bird and flew up into the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Urt took fright and tried to back away into the forest, but before he knew it he had turned into a crab. Then, in the heavens, there appeared the constellations of the Hare, the Toucan and the Crab.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Dove, the Fox and the Dragon<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Columba, Vulpecula and Draco<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a quiet and peaceful village by a river lived a brother and sister, Uor and Tes. Uor was strong and skilful and was the best archer in the village. Tes was very beautiful, kind and intelligent. There was nothing that she did not know and nothing that she could not do.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All the villagers liked and respected the brother and sister. But rumours of Tes’s beauty and kindness spread far and wide, even to the most distant tribe in the land.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Mar, the chief warrior and archer of this warlike tribe, heard about the beautiful Tes he vowed to fight Uor and marry his beautiful sister.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The wicked Mar gathered his troops and set off to attack the peaceful village. Uor and Tes learned in advance of the enemy’s invasion plans. They heard this news from the birds, whose language they understood.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tes thought long and hard about what to do to save the village. The brother and sister went out to meet Mar’s forces, and Uor challenged Mar to fight. The wicked Mar burst into laughter, took his bow and arrow, and aimed directly at Uor. But just as Mar released the arrow, Uor turned into a white dove and flew up into the sky. No matter how many times Mar fired, not one arrow hit the dove.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then he threw away the bow and arrows and began to look for Tes, but she had disappeared. The soldiers had noticed that a red fox had followed the white dove into the sky. Mar then realised that this was the beautiful Tes.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once more he began to fire arrows at the dove and the red fox, but all of sudden the dove flew to one edge of the heavens and the fox ran to the other edge. Now Mar did not know who to fire at and in a rage he broke his bow and arrow and turned into a dragon.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Thereafter, in the sky appeared the constellations of the Dove, the Fox and the Dragon.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Wolf<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lupus<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_80.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a forest lived a pack of grey wolves. They did what wolves normally do – hunted, rested and howled at the Moon at night. But one day their routine was disrupted. A new fluffy little wolf-cub was born into the pack, but he was completely white.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The cub looked at all the round blue eyes and did not understand why the adult wolves were looking at him so suspiciously. Why was there anger in their eyes and why did they stop the other wolf-cubs from playing with him?<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There was much he did not understand but he soon got used to being lonely.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Time passed and still no-one would play with him, so he taught himself everything that a wolf should know.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the white wolf-cub grew into an adult wolf he was still white and the pack would not accept him.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The grey wolves said that a white wolf would spoil their hunting as he could be seen too easily. In fact, one white wolf among all the grey ones would be a disgrace to the pack.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The grey wolves decided to get rid of the white wolf. They made a plan; while the pack were out hunting, the white wolf would be blamed for making a mistake and letting their prey escape. The wolves shouted at the white wolf and said that because of him the pack would go hungry.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This happened again and again, and the grey wolves said that they did not need such a useless hunter, especially a white one.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The white wolf with blue eyes left the pack and wandered for several days in the forest. He knew that wolves must live in a pack and could not survive on their own.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The white wolf decided to go to a high cliff above the river and throw himself off onto the rocks below, but when he came out of the forest, he saw another white wolf who was also heading for the river. They looked at one another, smiled and walked side by side up to the cliff edge.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When they reached the very edge they saw yet another white wolf. He looked at the two others and turned away from the edge of the cliff.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The three white wolves went back into the forest. There they met some more white wolves, and then more. In the bushes they found some abandoned white wolf-cubs. Thus a whole pack of white wolves was formed.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But the grey wolves still outnumbered the white wolves, and they tried their hardest to drive the white wolves out of the forest.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then one day the white wolves left the woods. They had grown tired of living in a grey forest among grey wolves and they set off in search of a new, lighter forest.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Perhaps the leader of the white pack, the white wolf with blue eyes, led his pack into the sky because, you see, after the white wolves left the wood, the constellation of the Wolf appeared in the sky. Each night we can see the big wolf with the blue eyes leading his pack across the heavens.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Dolphin<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Delphinus<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a village lived a girl called Etta. She had no parents and lived alone in a little house. Each day she went to the high rocky cliffs by the sea and sometimes climbed down the steep path to the water itself.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Etta was an artist and she liked to paint by the sea most of all.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day she was sitting and painting right beside the water. Suddenly she noticed that a large black dolphin had swum up to the shore and was watching what she was doing. Etta threw the dolphin a piece of sugar and he leapt up, catching it in mid-air. When the dolphin surfaced again there was a merry twinkle in his eyes.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After that the dolphin came to the shore every day to play with the girl. She always brought him a treat. Each day the dolphin gave Etta a present of cockleshells and shiny pebbles of all colours; he also brought her pearls. The girl eventually accumulated a whole box of pearls and the shiny pebbles turned out to be valuable jewels.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In this way, Etta became rich and she bought herself a new house and new clothes. But despite this, she remained just as kind and went to the sea each day to paint a little and call on her friend. She named the dolphin Higi. He continued to bring Etta precious stones and she brought him treats.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then one day a nice man came from a nearby village and proposed to Etta. The day of the wedding was set and after the wedding Etta and her husband would journey to his village.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the day of leaving, Etta came to the sea to say goodbye to Higi. She cried bitterly as it was hard for her to part from the dolphin. But there was a twinkle in Higi’s eyes.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Etta went to her husband’s village she never suspected that the dolphin would swim across the sea after her.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the new village Etta grew sad and abandoned her painting. Her husband was a kind, intelligent person and he advised her to take up her paints again and go down to the sea, which she did. How she smiled with pleasure when she saw Higi by the shore!<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The dolphin leapt out of the water with happiness. Then he dived and did not appear for a long time, but when he surfaced a necklace of pink pearls landed at Etta’s feet.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Higi dived deep once more, surfaced again and leapt so high that he ended up in the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Each evening Etta saw her kind friend in the sky. Higi was smiling at her from above and his eyes were gleaming.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Etta and the dolphin were happy. They could see one another every day.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What is more, everyone can see the kind, cheerful Higi, since he turned into the constellation of the Dolphin and shines brightly in the heavens.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Phoenix, Cassiopeia, Orion and the Centaur<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Phoenix, Cassiopeia, Orion and Centaurus<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a village lived Meir and Nan. They both fell in love with a girl called Ulara. She was beautiful and seemed to be a very good person, but in fact she was wicked, greedy and cunning.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ulara promised to marry the man who would be first to catch and bring to her the bird of life : the Phoenix. The bird of life could fulfil any wish and Ulara wanted so much to be queen of the world, to rule over everyone and to become rich and powerful.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Meir and Nan went off in search of the Phoenix. They walked for a long time through the forest. Ulara followed unnoticed behind Meir and Nan. All of a sudden they came to a clearing around an ancient oak-tree and on one of its branches sat the bird of life.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ulara, Meir and Nan ran towards the tree.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Meir thought: “I wish I had my bow and arrows with me so that I could shoot the Phoenix”.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nan thought: “I wish I had the legs of a horse so that I could reach the tree first and catch the bird”.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ulara dreamed of becoming ruler of the whole world.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From somewhere above a crown fell and landed on Ulara’s head, and Ulara began to rise up into the sky. She wanted to be queen of the whole world, and where better to see the whole world than from the sky?<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A bow and arrows suddenly appeared in Meir’s hands. Nan unexpectedly turned into a creature that was half man, half horse. The upper part of his body was human but his legs were those of a horse.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The bird of life had fulfilled the wishes of all three people. She took wing and flew off into the sky. Meir and Nan ran after her and also found themselves in the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Thus in the heavens appeared the constellations of the Phoenix, the Queen Ulara, Meir the hunter and Nan the half man, half horse.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people later called these constellations Cassiopeia, Orion the hunter, and the Centaur, but the bird of life remained as the constellation of the Phoenix.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Cup<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Crater<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On a hill there stood a house and in the house lived the wizard Moron. Moron had two magic cups. One of these was made of gold and decorated with diamonds and rubies. This cup could give people as much gold and as many precious stones as they desired. People were always coming to the wizard to ask for gold from the precious cup.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Moron also had another cup. It was plain and made of simple baked clay. If a person asked, it would give them bread and water. No-one ever asked for anything from this cup, although the wizard looked after it just as well as the gold cup and placed it where everyone could see it.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One year there was a drought in the village; the sun scorched the fields and all the fruit and vegetables went without water. The villagers went to the wizard to ask the cup for gold coins and precious stones. With this money the people bought bread and vegetables in other villages and they did not go hungry.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The following summer the drought also fell upon all the neighbouring villages. The people went to Moron once more for money and they received it. But people were hungry everywhere and had no use for money and precious stones.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then the villagers remembered the wizard’s other cup, the clay one. Moron was pleased to let the people use it. The villagers were very happy as the bread and water meant that they were no longer hungry.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;News of the wonderful cup that gave bread and water soon spread to all the villages. Crowds of people began to come and there was enough bread and water for all of them. Autumn passed, followed by winter and spring and the next summer brought a fine harvest of wheat and vegetables. Everyone forgot about the simple clay cup and again went to the wizard just to ask for gold and precious stones.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day, when all the villagers had come together to ask Moron for money, the clay cup suddenly began to shake and rose up into the sky. There it turned into the shining constellation of the Cup.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people were ashamed that they had forgotten about the simple cup, which had saved their lives during the famine. Many of them refused the gold coins as they understood that not everything that is valuable in life glitters.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Great Bear and the Little Bear<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ursa Major and Ursa Minor<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_81.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The village lay nestled in the hills. It was an ordinary village, full of ordinary people. In the village lived a family who were known for their kindness, especially their daughter Ayna.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Life went on as normal in the village until one day at dawn, a black carriage appeared on the main street. It was pulled by black horses and was driven by a man dressed all in black. For some reason he was extremely happy, smiling broadly and occasionally bursting into laughter.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A black cage stood on the carriage and inside it on a chain sat a little fluffy white bear-cub. He was licking his paws and tears streamed from his eyes.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people in the village looked out of their windows, went out into the street and scolded the man in black: was he not ashamed to hold the white bear-cub on a chain and torment it so?<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Only the kind family offered anything beyond harsh words. They made the carriage stop and Ayna began to beg the driver to release the unhappy bear-cub. The stranger smiled and said that he would only free the animal if someone would give up their eyesight in return.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Everyone fell silent.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then Ayna stepped forward and said that she was prepared to do so. The man in black roared with laughter and opened the black cage. The fluffy white bear-cub came out of the cage and poor Ayna lost her eyesight.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While the inhabitants of the village examined the bear-cub and said sympathetic words to Ayna, the man in black on the black carriage disappeared.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The bear-cub had stopped crying but Ayna’s tears flowed freely. Then the cub took a rope in its teeth and began to lead Ayna around the village, over the hills and through the fields.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the days passed the pair became a familiar sight in the village, until one evening the people looked up and saw that the fluffy white bear-cub was leading Ayna up into the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Since that time the little bear-cub has led Ayna across the heavens. They are always visible in the sky so that people are reminded about good and evil.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Virgin, the Swan and the Hunting Dogs<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Virgo, Cygnus and Canes Venatici<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_82.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the Moon lived a beautiful Princess who was kind and intelligent. The King of the Sun and the King of the Earth asked the Princess to choose one of them to become her husband. She said that it should be decided by a competition.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kings would have to go to the lake the next morning where they would see a swan. The first one to catch the swan would become the Princess’s husband.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The next morning the Kings went to the lake and not far from the shore there was indeed a beautiful white swan. The King of the Sun began to feel sorry for the swan and at first he could not bring himself to shoot it. But when he saw the King of the Earth preparing his bow and arrows he followed suit.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kings fired but it was as if the swan was protected by an invisible wall. The arrows either fell short or flew too far, so not one of them hit the swan. Then the Kings decided to use their hunting dogs to catch the swan.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The dogs broke into a run and chased the swan around the lake, but then the swan flapped its wings and flew up into the sky. Suddenly it divided into two, with one part remaining as a swan and the other turning into the Princess.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Thereafter, the constellations of the Swan and the Virgin appeared in the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;However, the dogs were so carried away by the chase that they tore after their quarry right into the sky. Even now the Hunting Dogs run across the sky, not knowing whether to chase the swan or the princess.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Painter and the Bird of Paradise<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pictor and Apus<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a mountain village there lived the artist Karnan. His little house was high up on the side of the mountain at the edge of a forest.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Karnan would get up before sunrise each day as he liked to watch the sun rise over the mountains, the morning mist disperse and dew-drops appear on the grass like diamonds.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The artist loved to listen as all the animals begin to stir and the birds start to sing in the forest. Most of all, Karnan liked the song of a small but very beautiful bird known as the bird of paradise. She would often fly up to the artist’s house and sing and he would paint wonderful pictures while listening to her. They became friends.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But one day the bird of paradise did not come. Karnan waited for her for several days. He began to worry and set off into the forest to search for his little friend. He soon found the bird of paradise ; she was hopping along the ground and could not fly as she had hurt her wing.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The artist picked up the bird and carried her to the doctor in the village. To save the bird’s life the doctor had to cut off the damaged wing.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The bird of paradise became well again and she hopped along singing her wonderful songs. But she could no longer fly, so she went to live in the artist’s house.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day Karnan took his paints and paper and began to paint a picture of a wing from a bird of paradise. He painted all day without stopping to rest.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the work was finished the artist cut out the wing and tied it to the bird. He then took her in his arms and went into the mountains. There he threw the bird up into the air and away she flew. Higher and higher she went and the happy Karnan ran after her.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;They found themselves in the sky and so they became the constellations of the Painter and the Bird of Paradise; there the bird still sings her beautiful songs and the artist Karnan paints his wonderful pictures.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Indian and the Octant<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Indus and Octans<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There was once an ancient village on an island and it was said to be as old as the Earth itself. Great buildings used to stand there and the people lived in beautiful houses.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Time passed and the people changed; they no longer knew how to read the ancient books, the beautiful houses crumbled and their roofs became full of holes. None of the villagers bothered to repair their houses.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“When it rains it is impossible to repair your house” they said, “and when the sun shines there is no problem anyway”. The people did nothing but sit in their chairs and look at the sea. Over time the villagers came to believe that there was no other dry land on Earth and no other people.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day, after a heavy storm, a boat was washed up on the shore and there was a man in the boat. He told the people of the island that he came from a great land beyond the sea. Whilst travelling across the waters, the storm had dashed his vessel against the rocks but he had managed to save himself. The people listened but did not believe the stranger’s story – how could there be another land where other people lived?<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The stranger had brought an instrument with him known as an octant. He used it to show the islanders how to observe the Sun, Moon and stars, as well as how to calculate the position of the great land beyond the sea.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people listened to the stranger but did not believe that it was possible to solve such difficult problems with the help of this octant.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The man from the boat claimed that on the great land there were many different machines that were far more advanced than the simple octant. The people just looked at the octant in amazement…<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After a time the stranger could no longer bear life on the island where time stood still so he built a boat and sailed away.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One evening the islanders looked up into the sky and saw the stranger with his instrument. From the sky he tried to explain to them that there were so many new things in the world. Life does not stand still and the world changes. But the islanders still did not understand what the stranger wanted from them.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then the people stopped looking into the sky and forgot completely about the stranger with the octant. They passed into history and no-one heard anything more about the island or its inhabitants.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;However, the constellations of the Indian and the Octant remain in the sky and shine for all those people who believe in progress and want to learn more about the world.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_83.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Ram<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Aries<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_84.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the banks of a little river there was a village, much the same as any other village and life there was good. But one day there was a drought; the sun scorched everything and the river dried up.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The following summer there was another drought and hunger set in. The people began to slaughter their animals to survive.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the village lived a man called Ir. Ir had a large woolly sheep that he was very fond of. The woolly sheep lived in the house with Ir and he watched the peoples’ suffering with knowing eyes.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It seemed to Ir that the white woolly sheep understood him. He always talked to the sheep and shared his happiness and woes with him. After such conversations Ir’s soul became lighter.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But one morning the villagers came to Ir and said that it was time for him to slaughter his sheep. Ir begged them to wait until the following morning and the people agreed.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;During the night Ir secretly led the sheep out of his house and far into the hills; he did not want anyone to slaughter his silent but dear friend.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ir built a little house far from the village and lived there for a while with the sheep.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One night Ir heard a noise; the villagers had found his house. They started to demand that he hand over the sheep. Ir refused. At that moment, the woolly sheep came out of the house. His wool was unusually shiny. The sheep went up to the villagers and they made way for him. Then the sheep began to shake his head and the wool started to fly from him, although he remained as big and woolly as before.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suddenly the sheep started to rise slowly upwards, higher and higher, until he had risen so high in the sky that he had become a constellation.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the people came to their senses and looked down at where the wool had lain on the ground, they saw in its place a great number of gold coins. This money was enough to buy plenty of food from neighbouring villages, where there had been no drought.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ir kept looking into the sky at the twinkling outline of his dear friend. Suddenly, from somewhere above, a little gold bell on a blue ribbon fell into Ir’s hands. His sheep had worn just such a bell around its neck. Ir looked at the bell, smiled and gazed into the sky again.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The twinkling outline was now clearly visible in the sky and had turned once more into a handsome woolly sheep. The sheep was stamping his hooves and happily nodding his head towards Ir.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Since then, Ir has talked with his friend every evening and the constellation of the Ram has shone in the heavens.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Sextant and the River<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sextans and Eridanus<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Not far from a village lived a scientist called Trei. Trei owned many different scientific instruments such as magnifying glasses, telescopes and microscopes. Most of all, Trei liked to use a large instrument known as a sextant to look at the stars, the Sun and the Moon. The scientist was extremely proud of this sextant.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;People would come to Trei and ask him when they should plough, sow and harvest their crops.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One year, when it was time to sow the corn, it poured with rain day after day; it seemed as if it would never end. The villagers turned to Trei and he predicted that the rain would soon end and there would be a drought during the summer.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the summer there was indeed a drought. The sun beat down mercilessly and everything dried out, even the water in the wells dried up.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people became convinced that Trei and his sextant had brought drought to the village. They believed that because the scientist had predicted the drought, then he must be able to use his instruments to summon the sun and drive the rain from the fields.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A crowd of people went to the scientist’s house and however much Trei tried to tell them that he had not brought on the drought, they would not believe him.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The crowd began to shout and someone suggested that they should destroy the sextant. This was Trei’s most prized possession and he could not allow them to destroy it. Trei drew the sextant close to himself to protect it from the crowd.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then a miracle happened: a black storm cloud appeared from somewhere, there was a clap of thunder and a huge amount of water began to pour onto the ground. Soon a river had formed, separating Trei and his sextant from the crowd.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then the sun appeared once more and the fog lifted. When the people looked they could no longer see the river or Trei with his instrument, but in the night sky had appeared the constellations of the Sextant and the River.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now, from up in the sky, the scientist observes the Sun, Moon and stars with his favourite instrument and the River flows gently across the heavens to protect Trei from any attack.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Sculptor<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sculptor<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a village there lived a good man called Evon who carved sculptures out of wood and stone. Near the village he built a whole town out of stone sculptures. In the centre of this town he wanted to make a model of the light Spirit-Stone; so Evon set to work.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the same village lived another craftsman called Toran, but unlike Evon, Toran made dark and evil figures.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Toran found out that Evon was making a model of the Spirit-Stone, he wanted to do the same, so he also set to work.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The day came when the work was finished. The whole village gathered to look at the Spirit-Stones.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Evon’s model was made of light stone and its eyes seemed to be looking at people while it smiled; it was as if it radiated a soft light.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Toran’s Spirit-Stone was made from dark stone. When the people approached it, the stone began to shake, its eyes blazed with evil and wicked laughter was heard. The villagers stepped back in surprise.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The stone statue that had come alive began to laugh again and then said: “I am the dark Spirit-Stone! Now I shall rule over you and all people shall obey my command. But the light Spirit-Stone stands in my way. I shall destroy it!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With these words the evil spirit began to approach the good Spirit-Stone. Evon stood in its path to protect his creation. The dark spirit let out an evil laugh, raised a stone hand above Evon and was about to strike him when the light Spirit-Stone came to life: it began to shake and radiate light, becoming almost transparent.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The light Spirit-Stone picked up Evon and carried him high into the sky. Now the dark spirit could not harm Evon or destroy the good Spirit-Stone.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The dark spirit began to shake with anger and shattered into tiny pieces.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the sky there appeared the constellation of the good Sculptor. This constellation reminds people that good is stronger than evil and will always triumph.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Berenice’s Hair, the Northern Crown, the Southern Crown and the Herdsman<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Coma Berenices, Corona Borealis, Corona Austrina and Bootes<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_85.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a village stood a castle where there lived a King and Queen. The King spent little time at home but was always out hunting or feasting. The Queen, however, preferred to read books and she knew a great many things. Whenever a dispute arose in the village the people went to the Queen for advice and she always decided things fairly.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day in the Kingdom, a competition was announced to find the best person at telling stories and reciting poems.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The King was not at home, as usual, but the Queen did go to the competition. She won the prize for the best story-teller, which made her very happy.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_86.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The King returned from the hunt and discovered that the Queen had gone to the competition without consulting him. He was very angry as he did not think it proper for a Queen to do such a thing.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The King leapt onto his horse and rushed off to the competition. When he found the Queen, he shouted at her in front of everyone. He then tore the crown from her head in a rage, threw it away and said that she was no longer fit to be a Queen.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Queen burst into tears because she was so unhappy.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suddenly the Queen’s crown rose up into the sky and began to sparkle. As the people watched in astonishment, the Queen also rose up high into the sky and began to shine.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the evening, the King could see the Queen with her crown from the window of his castle. She was sitting and combing her long silky hair.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The King noticed for the first time that she had such beautiful hair. His soul stirred but he still felt angry with the Queen.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Each evening, whichever window the King looked out of, he could see his wife with her crown high up in the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then one day, the King realised how badly he had treated the Queen and that his life was empty without her. He hurled his crown out of the window and said: “What kind of King have I become? If only the Queen would forgive me, if only I could be with her again, I would be content to be a simple herdsman!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The crown that he had thrown down also rose up into the heavens and began to shine, but on the opposite side of the sky to that of the Queen. Another constellation appeared, known as the Herdsman.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No-one ever saw the king again.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Furnace and the Microscope<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fornax and Microscopium<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_87.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a village there lived two brothers, Tin and Dokar. Each day Tin would go to the seashore as he liked to look at the waves and watch the clouds rush across the sky. He had an instrument with lenses that could magnify objects – a microscope. He went everywhere with this microscope and would examine grains of sand and different insects. Most of all he liked to study flowers. Each morning, after the dew had settled, Tin would go into the fields to greet the dawn and spend hours admiring each dewdrop.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dokar did not have a microscope and he did not go into the fields to greet the dawn. Dokar busied himself with the housework. He swept the floors of the house, wiped away the dust, cleaned the ashes from the fireplace and prepared dinner.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;People said that Dokar did all the work in the house and Tin did nothing. Tin was not very popular in the village. Dokar paid no attention to the unkind words of the villagers; he loved his brother and tried to help him as much as he could.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dokar believed that each person should be allowed to do whatever he wished: if Tin liked to spend the whole day in the fields with the microscope, then so be it. Maybe Tin would make some kind of discovery? But Dokar was not interested in flowers or insects and that was why he did the housework. Each to their own.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day in the village, a competition was announced to find who could build the best furnace. Dokar won the competition. Everyone congratulated him and said that Tin was so lazy that he had not even taken part in the competition. Dokar was angry at these words, but did not know what to do to change the people’s opinion of his brother.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suddenly the furnace that Dokar had built began to shake and rose up into the sky, becoming a constellation. Tin’s microscope also rose into the sky and became another constellation.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;These two constellations shine in the heavens to remind people that to look through a microscope and make discoveries is no less important than to build a furnace. All kinds of work should be valued.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Giraffe and the Goat<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Camelopardalis and Capricornus<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a village there lived a girl called Ista and she had a horse and a goat.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The horse carried out all the heavy work on the farm; bringing water from the well, dragging stones to build a house and carrying wood from the forest.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;More than anything else, the horse was afraid of wolves in the forest and always dreamed: “If only I had horns like a goat or even just one horn, I wouldn’t need to be afraid of wolves as I could butt them”.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The goat grazed in the meadow and she was also afraid that wolves would leap out of the forest and kill her. She also had a dream: “If only I had a really long neck, I could see the wolves coming from far off and run away”.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day, when the horse was carrying wood out of the forest, a fairy appeared on the path. Everyone knows that a fairy can grant any wish. The horse begged the fairy to give him a horn, so that he could protect himself against the wolves. The wish was granted.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The very same day the goat also met the fairy; she gave the goat a very long neck.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Both the goat and the horse were very happy, but when they returned home Ista became frightened; she gave a cry and ran away.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Filled with grief, the goat and the horse rose up into the sky. There they turned into the constellations of the Goat and the Giraffe.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The constellations shine brightly to remind people that it is better for them to be themselves.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Water Snake, the Chisel and the Crane<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hydrus, Caelum and Grus<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_88.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the Earth there lived a sculptor by the name of Atur who made magnificent statues out of granite. The stone flowers that he carved seemed almost alive. It was as if a simple chisel became a magic wand in Atur’s hands.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day Atur decided to carve a statue of the goddess of harmony, Balikarna.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the work was finished it seemed as though nothing could be better than this statue. It was as if Balikarna, and harmony itself, had come to life.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The land that Atur lived in was ruled over by a King. The King had a daughter called Gafra. She was beautiful but wicked, arrogant and selfish.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day the King and the Princess were travelling around the kingdom and they visited the village where the sculptor lived.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Princess saw the statue of Balikarna and became very angry. She cried: “How can it be? There is a statue of Balikarna, but not of me, yet I am the most beautiful woman in the whole world!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gafra ordered the statue of Balikarna to be destroyed. Her soldiers set about carrying out the order.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;However, when the statue of Balikarna was thrown to the ground and smashed to pieces, the Princess turned into a water snake.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Atur took his chisel and ran off and no-one ever saw him again.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the sky there appeared the constellations of the Water Snake, the Chisel and the Crane.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;People said that the sculptor Atur had turned into a crane. Every night he flies over the destroyed statue of Balikarna and croons mournfully about the lost harmony.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Twins<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gemini<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_89.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On an island there was a village where the people lived a quiet and peaceful life.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day a terrible storm arose over the sea, the worst storm that anyone had ever seen. The waves were so huge that they seemed to reach right up to the sky. The storm lasted for three days and three nights.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The storm was at its fiercest on the third night. None of the villagers could sleep that night and they waited in terror to see what would happen next.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then, when there was a flash of lightning, someone noticed a small boat out on the raging sea. It was lifted up on the crest of a wave and seemed to fall to the very bottom of the sea. The people could do nothing to save it.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The next morning the storm died down and the sky brightened. The people found the boat washed up on the shore. Everyone was surprised to find two small children in the boat – a girl and a boy who were twins.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The islanders thought that a huge wave must have washed them out of the sky. Where else could they have come from? So the people called the twins the ‘children of the sky’.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Time passed and the people still thought of the new arrivals as ‘children of the sky’. The twins showed a great mastery of all the sciences and they were especially knowledgeable about the Sun and the Moon. They could also predict someone’s fate using the stars and their predictions always came true.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The children of the sky were very good and always helped the people in any way they could. The twins taught the islanders about floods, when to harvest their crops and the dates of the festivals.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rumours about the unusual powers of the children of the sky spread to the ruler of the island. He was just making preparations for war and he wished to know its outcome, so he turned to the twins for help.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The twins studied the stars all night and in the morning they predicted that the war would end badly. The ruler of the island was very angry and ordered the twins to be imprisoned in a tower so guards were sent to find them. When the guards arrived in the village where the children of the sky lived, their house was found to be empty.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The twins had disappeared and no-one ever saw them again.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But one day, someone looked up into the sky and saw the twins there. All the people in the village ran out of their houses and looked up as well. Indeed, in the sky shone the constellation of the good Twins. They smiled and waved to the villagers, who were rather surprised but also very happy.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now, when the villagers need good advice they turn to the sky; the stars and the twins always help them.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Serpent Bearer and the Lizard<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ophiuchus and Lacerta<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_90.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Near a village in the hills there stood two castles.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One castle was made from precious stones and the other from gold.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the first castle lived a good fairy who was a guardian of stones; in the second lived a wicked fairy who was a guardian of metals.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The good fairy was called Ita and the wicked fairy was called Ruta.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ita liked to turn into a multi-coloured lizard and watch from afar as the people in the nearby village went about their everyday lives. Sometimes the fairy would take the form of a wanderer and go from house to house. The kind people would invite her to stay the night. In the morning she would disappear and the people would find a handful of precious stones on their doorstep.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The wicked fairy Ruta would also occasionally leave her castle to observe the lives of the people. To do this she would turn into a snake or an evil wanderer, whom no-one would let into their house.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the village lived a man by the name of Kel. He was greedy and more than anything else in the world, he loved gold and precious stones. He found out that the stone-fairy was very rich and decided to go to her to demand a share of her riches.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the evening Kel set off for the hills to lie in wait for Ita. In the darkness he took a wrong turning and found himself at the castle of the wicked fairy Ruta. At midnight Ruta came out of her castle, turned into a snake and saw that a man was lying in wait for her.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ruta was happy that someone needed her. With joy the fairy moved towards Kel and coiled herself around his arms. However hard Kel tried, he could not free himself from the snake. What could he do? Then Kel thought that if he jumped high enough the snake would release him. So he jumped as high as he could and found himself in the sky, but the snake was still wound around his arms.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The good fairy Ita, out of curiosity, turned into a lizard and ran up into the sky to find out what the greedy Kel would do with the wicked snake.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But it turned out that Kel was unable to free himself from the snake and the lizard still watches them to this day. Nothing good came of Kel’s greed, except for the constellations of the Serpent Bearer and the Lizard that shine in the heavens.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_76.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Flying Fish and the Goldfish<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Volans and Dorado<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On an island there lived two sisters, Una and Sutar. They were Princesses and lived in a palace. The sisters were very different.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Una had golden hair and blue eyes; for days on end she would walk and play with her friends. During her walks she would talk about new clothes and jewellery. More than anything else in the world, Una loved being rich.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sutar had dark hair and dark eyes. She spent all her time sitting at home with a book in her hands. Sutar had many different scientific instruments, even a telescope since she enjoyed looking at the stars. Sutar believed that the meaning of life lay not in riches, but in spirituality.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The sisters often argued about the meaning of life and many other things.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day their father brought Una and Sutar a large diamond. Una immediately demanded that he make her a ring or a brooch out of this magnificent stone. Sutar objected to this; she thought that the stone should be used for a new scientific instrument to observe the heavens in more detail.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the argument had been raging for some time, the King became angry and sent for his wise magician, to ask his advice on how to settle the dispute between Una and Sutar. The magician thought for a long time and then promised that he would help the King.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So that the sisters would not disturb one another any more, the magician turned them into two fishes: Una became a goldfish as she loved gold and riches, and Sutar became a flying fish as she loved the stars and liked to fly in her dreams. The sisters then rose up into the sky and turned into the constellations of the Goldfish and the Flying Fish. There they swim on different sides of the heavenly ocean and never to argue again.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_78.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Unicorn and Table Mountain<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Monoceros and Mensa<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once upon a time there was a village that lay beside a mountain. People said that it was a magic mountain and that every night many different fruit and berries appeared on it. During the night, a white horse was said to come to the mountain to eat the sweet berries. Because of this, the people called it the ‘table mountain’.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;An even older legend said that a great treasure was hidden inside the mountain and that the horse stood guard over it.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day the villagers decided to find this treasure. To do this they needed to catch the white horse so that he would show them the way.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people made a trap near the mountain by digging a hole; then they settled down to wait for nightfall when the horse would appear.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At midnight the white horse came galloping along and fell right into the trap. The villagers surrounded him and the horse said: “What is it you need, people?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Gold and treasures” they replied.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The white horse agreed to show them the hiding-place. There the people did indeed find a hoard of gold and precious stones. But they were not satisfied with this. They caught the horse once more and he showed them more treasure, but still the people were not satisfied.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;They decided to catch the white horse for a third time. But now the horse became very angry and began to stamp his hooves and in his anger, a horn appeared on his head. He then rushed towards the people and started to butt them.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The villagers scattered back to their houses and waited to see what would happen next: the horse galloped to the top of the mountain, stamped his hoof three times and both the horse and the mountain began to rise up into the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There they turned into the constellations of the Unicorn and Table Mountain.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people looked at the constellations and only then did they begin to understand their mistake. The villagers each had several gold coins, but they soon frittered them away.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If the people had not been so greedy, the white horse would have shown them new treasure now and again; they would have lived comfortably.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people gazed into the sky at the constellations and understood that Table Mountain would never fall to earth again and the Unicorn would never again lead them to new treasure.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Net and the Telescope<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Reticulum and Telescopium<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On a hill near a village there lived a man called Kervan. In his house he had a large telescope. At night he used the telescope to look at the stars and by day he used it to predict the fortunes of the villagers.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One night, Kervan was sitting with his telescope and looking at the sky. Suddenly he saw a shooting star. It came closer and then fell into the lake next to his house.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The shooting star was probably just an ordinary meteorite. “But what if it’s made of gold?” thought Kervan, and he began to dream of becoming rich.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The next day he bought a net and spent his time trying to fish the gold meteorite out of the lake.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The astronomer spent every day and every night at the lake. He no longer looked through his telescope or predicted fortunes using the stars. Kervan had no money, all his clothes were in tatters and he had nothing to eat.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One morning the astronomer managed to drag the meteorite out of the lake, but he discovered that it was just an ordinary grey rock. Kervan threw it back into the water and went home. He wanted to look at the sky through his telescope, but the telescope had rusted and would not move.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kervan became angry. He ran outside and seized the net; he then threw it so far that it ended up in the sky and turned into the constellation of the Net. The telescope also rose up into the sky and became a constellation.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The astronomer looked up into the sky at the bright constellations and only then did he understand how foolish he had been by trying to fish something valuable out of the lake. There is an old saying: “You cannot make luck happen”.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If Kervan had concentrated on astronomy and predicting fortunes rather than running around the lake with a net, he would not have become so poor.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The next morning he bought a new telescope and set to work afresh. From time to time Kervan glanced into the sky, where the constellations of the Telescope and the Net shone, in order that he should never forget his past mistakes.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Cross and the Clock<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Crux and Horologium<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_91.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once upon a time, in a village in the hills, there lived two brothers – Ern and Farn. Beyond the hills were mountains where, according to an ancient legend, people had once lived. These people had built a whole city and spent their time studying the sciences.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The ancients knew everything about the Earth, the stars and human nature. They were also experienced in medicine. These people even knew how to fly.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the village it was said that the people of this ancient city had learnt to make gold, that somewhere in the mountains they had hidden their treasure. It lay in a deep cave inside one of the mountains and on the top of this mountain stood a gold cross.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day Ern and Farn decided to go into the mountains and find the ancient treasure, come what may. They spent a long time walking through the mountains, peering into every cave, but to no avail.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Almost a year passed. Then one day at dawn, in the rays of the rising sun, something sparkled on top of one of the mountains. The brothers rushed to climb the mountain, and when they reached the summit they found a small gold cross. Ern and Farn set about looking for the entrance to the cave. They soon found it and made their way through long narrow passages.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Finally they found themselves in an enormous cavern. The walls were covered from floor to ceiling with symbols and letters and all around lay heaps, not of gold, but of books. Knowledge was the real treasure of the ancients.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the cave something was ticking. The brothers looked around carefully and then saw an enormous clock in a niche in one of the walls. The clock struck suddenly and a voice was heard in the cave. It was not a loud or commanding voice, but soft and kind, although it filled the whole cavern.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ern and Farn froze. The voice said:<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;…“Listen to me carefully, my descendants. The people of the ancient civilisation from the Times Past are turning to you! At one time we lived here and achieved great successes in all fields of science. We were able to stop a fierce hurricane or summon an earthquake at will.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We were close to discovering the law of immortality. Our scientists deduced all the formulae of this law and understood that to become immortal, one would need to stop time. But time continued to pass, as it does now.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If you, our descendants, have managed to progress further than us in the sciences, then stop this clock that represents time.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If you are not able to stop the clock, it means that you are less advanced than we were and the predictions of the ancient civilisation will come to pass – all our knowledge will disappear from the face of the Earth.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We cannot leave such great knowledge in the hands of the ignorant, since such knowledge can bring them only harm. So, when the clock strikes, you should stop it or everything that you see before you will disappear like a mirage”…….<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The voice fell silent and only the ticking of the enormous clock could be heard.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suddenly it struck the hour.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What could the brothers do? They did not know how to stop time.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A groaning sound spread through the cave and in an instant, all the symbols vanished from the walls and the books turned to dust.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The mountain opened up; the enormous clock and the gold cross on the summit rose up into the sky and turned into the constellations of the Cross and the Clock.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ern and Farn returned to the village and told all the villagers what had happened. The people lifted their heads and saw in the sky the bright constellations of the Cross and the Clock, a reminder of the great knowledge that had been lost.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Shield<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Scutum<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_92.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once there was a quiet, peaceful village, where the people studied the sciences, grew roses and never fought. Life passed in a calm and measured fashion.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then something terrible happened; rumours reached the village that the forces of a neighbouring tribe were moving to attack it.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What could the villagers do? The oldest and wisest amongst them gathered to discuss the problem. They thought long and hard and finally found a solution to their problems; they decided to place a large stone in the path of the evil forces.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The stone had to be placed in just the right place at just the right time for it to have any power. The wisest of the villagers calculated the best time and the most suitable place for setting up the Saviour-Stone. It was erected on a hill at midnight during a full moon.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One morning, on the eastern road, the villagers saw a column of dust which signified the approach of the enemy forces. From their loud war-cries they could be heard drawing closer to the village.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When they reached the Stone they suddenly halted; an invisible wall had appeared. The soldiers could not see anything in front of them, but as soon as they took a step forwards they came up against something hard. When some of them tried to run at the invisible wall to break through it, they were thrown back.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The soldiers stood in bewilderment. None of them could make sense of the invisible wall in front of them. Some suggested turning back.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suddenly the Stone, which had stood motionless, began to shake and rise up into the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The soldiers were afraid; some ran away, while others tried once more to force their way past the invisible obstacle, but to no avail. The invisible wall protected the village like a shield.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So the soldiers turned back, convinced that they would be unable to reach the quiet, peaceful village.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the sky above the village shone the Saviour-Stone. The good people named this constellation the Shield to thank it for saving them.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_71.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Ship Argo [2 - Now divided into the constellations of the Keel, Compass, Deck, Water-Pump and Sail.], Cepheus and Hercules<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Argo, Cepheus and Hercules<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_93.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once there lived a man named Nuanas. He owned a ship that was blue with white sails. Nuanas sailed along the shore from island to island and if someone was in need of help, he was happy to oblige. He would help to build a house or look after children while their parents were away.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nuanas also had a knowledge of medicine and was able to treat people who were ill.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If white sails appeared on the horizon, people would smile as they knew that help was on the way. Children would dream at night of the blue ship with white sails.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day Nuanas wanted to sail out into the open sea to admire the blue expanse. He gathered a strong crew for the ship and set out. The instruments promised good weather.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At first the weather was indeed fine, but then a terrible storm broke.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nuanas could not understand why had the instruments had predicted good weather; no-one knew that one of the ship’s crew was a bad person and had tampered with the instruments. His name was Otas, and he was a short fellow, with a head that seemed to grow straight out of his body. He spoke to no-one and was always gloomy.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A strong wind tore the sails of the blue ship to pieces, and the ship itself was all but dashed on some rocks.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At dawn, when the people on the shore saw what had happened to the ship, they resolved to help Nuanas. People from all the villages came together and worked day and night to make some new sails for the blue ship.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When it was finished, the people took the sail to Nuanas. He was so happy because the new sail was even stronger and whiter than the old one.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So once more, the people saw the white sails darting here and there on the horizon and children dreamed of the blue ship.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day the people of the shores and islands did not see the usual sails on the horizon but in the night sky there appeared a constellation of a blue ship with white sails. The ship was steered by the kind and brave Nuanas.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Otas was also turned into a constellation but it was far away from the ship.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people said that during a storm, a huge wave had carried Nuanas’ ship into the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The wicked Otas had been carried away by another wave but he was marooned on an island in the heavenly ocean.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Fly and the Chameleon<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Musca and Chamaeleon<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the edge of the land, right beside the sea, there was a village. It was very far from other settlements and the villagers lived a quiet life, with no-one either visiting them or attacking them.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Near the village stood a statue of the Sky God, which was made of clay and stood as high as a man. The people would gather around it to celebrate their festivals. They would ask the Sky God various questions; when to sow, when to harvest the corn and what to call their children. The people brought the Sky God gifts of fruit, milk and cloth.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the village lived a man by the name of Rir. He wanted to become rich but did not know how. Then one day, he had an idea.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rir thought: “Why don’t I turn into a local god? The people will bring me food and material for clothes and then I’ll become rich!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So that is what he did. On the eve of the village’s great festival, Rir crept up to the statue of the Sky God, took it from its place and hid it in the forest. He then stood in place of the statue.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the people came with their presents for the Sky God, no-one noticed the difference. The statue had stood near the village for many years and everyone had become used to it, but no-one really looked at it closely. It was just something familiar in its usual place.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A woman with two children approached Rir and asked what the future held for her son Oli and daughter Beti.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rir replied: “Oli will find a husband and be married, while Beti will go into the mountains and find treasure”.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The woman was very surprised at Rir’s mistake and she asked him how could her son find a husband, and why would her kind and dutiful daughter go into the mountains in search of treasure?<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rir, without a moment’s hesitation replied: “Beti will find a husband and be married, while Oli will go into the mountains and find treasure”.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Some peasants also went up to Rir and asked when they should sow and harvest their corn that year.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Sow in the spring and harvest in June”, replied Rir.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The peasants said in surprise: “But surely the corn will not be ripe by June?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Fine, then harvest it in August”, said Rir.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The peasants then began to suspect that it was not the Sky God in front of them, but some kind of chameleon!<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At that moment a fly settled on Rir’s nose and started to tickle him; he sneezed but luckily no-one noticed. Rir was at a loss as to what to do; he tried opening and closing his mouth but the fly would not move. Then he cautiously tried to brush the fly away with his hand, but to no avail. Rir then became angry and started to wave his arms around.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people thought: “Why is our Sky God waving his arms? Surely a statue cannot do this?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;They wanted to calm the Sky God down and so they surrounded it, but Rir did not want to be unmasked. He needed to run away, but where could he go? There was only one way out – into the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So Rir ran up into the sky, where he turned into the constellation of the Chameleon. The pestering fly followed Rir and turned into the constellation of the Fly.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Peacock and the Altar<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pavo and Ara<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_94.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Long ago, in the hills near the sea, lived a people with an advanced civilisation. These people knew a great deal; they built megaliths and observed the Sun, Moon and stars.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the centre of the village where this ancient people lived stood an enormous stone.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Each day the people would pour milk into a saucer and place it on the stone. Why did they do this? Well, the people knew that somewhere in the hills lived the good Earth Spirit. Sometimes she took the form of a wanderer and went from village to village to see how people lived – whether they were in harmony with one another and with the Earth. Everyone knew that the Earth Spirit loved milk and this is why the people placed it on the great stone ; if the Earth Spirit should pass through the village then she could drink from the saucer.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Time passed and the years and the centuries flew by. The people still lived in the hills near the sea, but they had changed a great deal. No-one built megaliths any more, no-one observed the Sun and the Moon and only a few people in the village knew how to read and write.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One yea, there was a very hot summer and not a drop of rain fell. The people gathered and tried to decide what should be done. Someone suggested making a sacrifice to produce rain. It was agreed that the best place for this would be on the great stone in the centre of the village.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A lamb was led up to the stone and it was about to be slaughtered when a miracle happened: the stone began to shake; it broke in two and out of it came a beautiful girl with red hair and emerald eyes. She was dressed all in white and in her hands was a glass wand. She looked around with a sad gaze at the people, who were frozen with amazement.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she waved the glass wand and the great stone rose up into the sky; with another wave of the wand she turned into a splendid bird and also flew up into the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The beautiful girl was the Earth Spirit and since ancient times she had actually lived in the great stone in the centre of the village.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people had wanted to shed blood near her home but the good Earth Spirit was gentle and could not accept such sacrifices. She raised the altar-stone up into the sky, so that it would shine there as a bright constellation and remind people about goodness.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Earth Spirit herself, having turned into a bird, rose up into the sky so that people will always see her and will know that the Earth and her Spirit do not like bloodshed.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_73.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Triangle<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Triangulum<br></h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a land beside the sea lived a tall, handsome, brave and proud race. They had a great knowledge of the sciences, especially medicine and for this reason they often helped their neighbours.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people lived according to the laws of truth, goodness and beauty. They believed that truth was life itself, goodness was the whole purpose of life and beauty was a gift of life.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;These people wanted their descendants to know about them and their deeds, so they built a pyramid. The pyramid was made of a special material, similar to glass; it was transparent but also very durable. It was not a particularly large pyramid, but it held a secret: it preserved in its memory the images of all the people who had lived in the land beside the sea.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the sun illuminated the pyramid, the images inside it would move about, just like a cinema. Inside, it was also possible to see the people’s knowledge and their ancient books. Sometimes the pyramid showed manuscripts with knowledge encoded in symbols.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the handsome and proud race built the pyramid, they disappeared from the land beside the sea. No-one knew where they went. Sometimes it was said that the ancient people had gone into the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people may have left but the pyramid of memory remained. It stood untouched by time and each day it showed the images of the ancient civilisation.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;New people arrived to take the place of this civilisation. They looked at the pyramid with interest and surprise; they saw in it the faces of the handsome people and their wonderful creations.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The newcomers saw many letters and symbols but no-one knew their meaning; they could not comprehend the knowledge left by the ancient civilisation.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The ruler of these new people had heard much about the wonderful pyramid and one day he decided to see it for himself. He went up to the pyramid and at that very moment, a ray of light fell on it.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Inside the pyramid, as in a cinema, beautiful images flashed past. The ruler went even closer and saw that the ancient people had been a good deal taller than his people and that their buildings had been much finer.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;However, when the pyramid showed the letters and symbols that he could not understand, the ruler stamped his foot in anger and ordered the pyramid of memory to be destroyed.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people armed themselves with sticks and stones, but they had no effect on the pyramid. When the last stone struck the pyramid, it suddenly began to shake and then rose up into the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From the Earth the people could see only its base in the shape of a triangle. So appeared the constellation of the Triangle in the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Whenever the people looked up at the Triangle, they saw handsome faces, wonderful knowledge and incomprehensible script flash past, which told of ancient times.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Raven<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Corvus<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_95.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the shores of the sea lived the good Selters. They knew a great deal about science and never fought.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day, a hostile tribe attacked the Selters and drove them from their native land. The Selters were scattered to the ends of the Earth.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One group headed north to look for a new homeland.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On and on they went, but they could not find a place to call their own. They became lost amongst the hills and valleys. The sad Selters sat down to rest in the shadow of a solitary oak tree and began to discuss what to do next and where to go.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the oak tree sat a large black raven. He seemed to be listening attentively to what the people were saying.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At first the Selters paid no attention to the bird, but when they continued their journey and saw it flying over their heads day after day, they began to watch it closely. It was as if the large raven was showing them which path to take, so the people followed it.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Several days passed.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the fourth day the raven flew off somewhere. The Selters stopped, not knowing where to go. But the black raven soon returned and dropped a small black pebble. The Selters were overjoyed; the raven could only have brought such a pebble from the seashore or the banks of a large river.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;They gathered themselves together and set off quickly after the raven.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Soon the people could see the sea beyond the hills. The Selters always preferred to live near the sea and this land around the hills was very beautiful, so they decided to remain there.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The large raven circled above the hills and sometimes settled on one of them. The raven showed the people seven hills and on each of them the Selters placed a stone megalith. The people understood that the raven was telling them where they should live and build a city.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Selters wanted to thank the wise bird, but the raven had disappeared somewhere. Then the people lifted their heads and looked up. Far away in the sky they saw the raven, which was waving to them with its wing.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Thereafter the constellation of the Raven appeared in the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Selters settled beside the sea and built a city, which they named the Black City or the City of the Raven, in honour of the large raven that had saved them.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_96.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Southern Triangle, the Compasses and the Square<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Triangulum Australe, Pyxis and Norma<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_97.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once there lived two artists, Ar and Utar.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utar studied a great deal and travelled to other villages to take lessons with famous masters. When he set to work, Utar would take a ruler, compasses, triangle and square; he would painstakingly begin to trace out every detail of his picture.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“A picture should be painted in accordance with all the rules of classical art”, said the artist Utar, “and without deviating from these rules”.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Ar painted his pictures he would immediately reach for the paints. He never made any pencil sketches or outlines. Very often, Ar’s pictures did not conform to any of the rules of art, but they were always nice and bright.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I paint what I feel”, said the artist Ar.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ar did not study painting in special schools, or take lessons from famous masters. Each day he greeted the sunrise and later watched it fall below the horizon. Very often he could be seen sitting at night on a hill.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;More than anything, Ar liked the night sky and the bright Milky Way.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mother Nature was his teacher.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utar’s pictures were very accurate but also rather lifeless, whereas Ar’s pictures represented life itself.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Although people liked Utar’s art, they preferred the work of Ar as it was colourful and happy.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day the King summoned all the artists in the land to him and declared: “There will be a prize for whichever of you can produce the best picture of happiness”.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The artists set to work. It was not an easy task. How could you paint happiness? And what is happiness?<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utar thought for a long time and painted happiness in the form of people dancing at a ball.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In Ar’s picture the sun was shining, there was a rainbow, magical flowers bloomed, and kind elves sang their cheerful songs.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The people came up to Utar’s picture and said: “How beautiful! How accurate it is!” They just saw a picture of a ball taking place.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the people saw Ar’s picture they heard music, the voices of elves and felt the warmth of the sun; they were all filled with happiness.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ar won the prize.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utar became very angry: “How could this happen? Ar only spent a few hours painting his picture and he has won the prize! I sat day and night, carefully painting each figure with the help of my compasses and triangle, so how could I lose?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From that moment Utar decided to abandon his instruments and to paint the world as he saw it. He threw the compasses, triangle and square so far away that they fell into the sky and turned into the constellations of the Southern Triangle, the Compasses and the Square.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_71.jpg"><br><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lullaby Tales<br></h3><br><br><img border=0 src="_98.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_99.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Uncle Moon<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_100.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Night came and threw her shawl across the sky, and so the world became dark. The stars came out of their little houses and settled across the whole sky. Some stars gathered themselves into constellations while others scattered like diamonds across the Night’s shawl. Big stars and little stars played in the sky, drank tea together and chatted.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then Uncle Moon rose from behind the mountains and began to make his rounds, making sure that everything was peaceful and quiet in the heavenly kingdom. As Uncle Moon walked, leaning on his staff, the little bells on it rang out: ding-ding, ding-ding. After the Moon had finished his walk he became very tired, so he climbed into the middle of the sky and sat down to rest. Laying his staff down beside him, he twirled his moustache, gazed round at the world and began to sing a song to himself.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The big stars and the little stars stretched themselves towards Uncle Moon, gathered around him in the middle of the sky and began to sing happy songs. And so the bright stars sang with the Moon till morning when Dawn came. And then Dawn cast the Night’s shawl down onto the Earth and began to shine across the whole sky.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Beautiful Valley<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_101.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once upon a time there was a Beautiful Valley. She was surrounded by mountains on all sides. If the biting cold Wind blew from the north then the mountains protected the Valley from his cold touch. If the hot dusty Wind rose up in the east, the forests that grew on the mountainsides cooled the East Wind down and brought him to rest on the warm slopes. The stubborn West Wind tried again and again to break through to the Valley, but each time the powerful mountains with their solid, immovable peaks stood in his path. And as the West Wind battled with the mountains he lost his strength and poured rain over the rocky cliffs and ravines.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But there was also another wind – neither hot nor cold, neither strong nor stubborn, but warm, fresh and pleasant. This was the South Wind that came in Spring. He never quarrelled with the mountains, and when he wanted to see the Beautiful Valley he simply blew in, knocked on the gates and the mountains opened up and made way for him. The South Wind courteously nodded his head towards the old mountains and rushed between them to meet the Beautiful Valley. Then he sat down right at her feet, took out a little flute from his pocket and began to play wonderful sweet melodies that he had picked up from all over the world.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The whole Valley simply blossomed at the sound of such beautiful music. Her eyes became even brighter, a rosy flush spread across her cheeks, and the rivers formed by the plaits of her hair flowed even faster. When the melodies stopped, the mountains picked up the echo of the music and held it in the air so that the music rang out even longer in the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then the South Wind rose up, took off his little hat and with a bow he invited the Beautiful Valley to dance. The Beautiful Valley never refused him a dance because she loved the kind, gentle Wind. While the Valley and the Wind danced, everything around became happy along with them and the flowers and trees burst into blossom.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When evening came the South Wind said goodbye to the Valley. He took off his little hat and bowed once more, and the Beautiful Valley lowered her eyes, blushed in the rays of the setting sun, and with a sigh waved her handkerchief after the departing Wind. The kind old mountains also sighed softly and whispered to one another: “So when will the wedding be?”<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Mist<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_102.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Night left the Earth and went to wake the Morning. The fresh, bright Morning stirred and smiled at the Sun, and then he took a basket of little dew-drops and went to wake the New Day and everything else in the world.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And at the bottom of a deep valley the Mist slept, rolled up tight into a ball above a marsh. When Morning passed by he lit up the edges of the valley. The Mist opened his eyes and sighed, before falling sound asleep again.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And when the New Day came into the world, he peeped with his sunny eye into the very bottom of the valley where the Mist was sleeping. The Mist opened his eyes again, sat up with a yawn and stretched, before spreading himself out across the whole valley.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Day<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_103.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Sun rose and began to play a cheerful Melody on his rays of sunlight, plucking them like strings. The Melody echoed between the Earth and the heavens, then flew across the meadows, forests and fields. Eventually she reached the Clear Day, who was sleeping in a warm little valley, and gently tugged at his moustache. The Day woke up and the first thing he did was to smile at the whole world. Then he sat down, rubbed his eyes and saw the Melody, who had become entangled in a nearby bush. The Clear Day carefully disentangled the twigs and leaves from the Melody’s clothes, sat her on his shoulder and rose up above the Earth to his full height. The Day sighed deeply and slowly stretched his arms, as if embracing the whole world. This made everything around him happy and it all began to shine: the sky brightened, the dew-drops on the grass glittered and the gently flowing river sparkled.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Before the Sun set off on his daily journey across the Earth, he gave the Clear Day his harp. As the Melody whispered notes and music into his ear, the Day plucked the strings. Everything around them came to life and began to be heard: the grass rustled, the forests stirred, the streams gurgled, the birds sang, the bees buzzed and the air was filled with the sweet smell of a summer’s day.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;By this time the Sun had reached the highest point in the sky and from there he waved his hand at the Day. The Clear Day placed the harp on the ground, sat the Melody behind it and danced in a circle ever faster and faster! The grass, trees and streams stood still, the birds and bees fell silent, the wind died down and even the clouds moved towards the horizon to watch the Day dance. Everything grew quiet and still, and only the sounds of hot Day’s dance could be heard.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the Clear Day finished the fast dance he was very tired and sat down in the shadow of an old oak to catch his breath. The Melody had also become tired of playing the harp and so she sat down nearby and sighed.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It was cool and pleasant in the shade, and the gentle rustling of the oak’s green leaves made them feel sleepy. The Melody soon dozed off without realising it, and the Day’s eyes also began to close of their own accord. And then suddenly a lark with a clear, ringing voice flitted out from the grass straight up into the sky and began to sing a song. The Clear Day woke with a start and thought: “Why am I dozing in the middle of such a beautiful day? That’s not right!” He woke up the Melody, sat her on his shoulder once more, took the Sun’s harp and set off after the Sun to watch him light up the world.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The kind Day followed the Sun to make sure there was enough warmth and happiness for everyone in the world. If the Day saw a bird that looked sad, he took it in his hands and sang or whistled a cheerful song for it. If some flowers were drooping, he bent down and carefully lifted their heads to the sky and the warm Sun. If the weeping willows were still weeping with morning dew, the Day wiped and dried their tears. When angry storm clouds drifted across the sky, the Clear Day led them in a dance so that they turned into happy white clouds and sailed on their way.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And so the Day crossed the Earth – dancing, playing, singing songs, making others happy and comforting them. But all of a sudden he stopped with surprise, as there in front of him was the little valley where he had spent the previous night. The kind Day placed the harp on a passing cloud, sat the sleeping Melody on another cloud, and sent them both home to meet the Sun. The Day gently sighed, lay down on the grass in the warm valley and fell sound asleep.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Shadow<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_104.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Sun rose and lit up the whole world with his rays. Everything on Earth was tinted with his bright colours: things that were dark and black at night became yellow, green, blue, red, white and brown. Everything in the world began to shine and grow warm, even the bleak and barren mountains.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On a small hill there lived a stone. The stone was neither large nor small, but could be seen on the side of the hill. At night the stone was grey and by day it was dark brown.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Near this stone lived a Shadow. She was a very ordinary Shadow – grey during the day and totally invisible at night. And like every Shadow she was terribly shy: as soon as a cloud appeared in the sky that was slightly bigger than usual the Shadow froze with fear. She was very unhappy with being like this, and especially with her greyness. “The Sun makes everything bright, beautiful and happy. White clouds float across the blue sky while birds sing in the trees. The lake is also blue and golden fish play in it. Even on the brown stones there are lizards sitting and resting. It is only me that misses out on the Sun’s rays. When the Sun lights up the whole world I still remain grey and drab. The brighter the Sun the darker I become. So what use am I to anyone?” thought the unhappy Shadow.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And meanwhile the cheery Sun was directly overhead. The Shadow looked glumly at the Sun, grew even darker, and with a sigh took refuge under the stone. And there she sat for several hours in boredom. When the tired Sun finally began to dip towards the Earth, the Shadow peeped out from under her stone and began to gaze sadly at the world around her.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then from somewhere a delicate little butterfly appeared. The wind had carried her from far away and so she had decided to settle down somewhere and rest. The butterfly landed on the stone and said unhappily: “Oh, how hot it is! It has scorched my little feet!” The butterfly flapped her multicoloured wings and settled lower down in the shade. Straightening her wings, she settled more comfortably and said: “Ah, how nice to rest in the cool shade after a long hot day!” At first the Shadow froze with amazement, but then she clasped her hands in delight and proudly stretched right out across the side of the hill.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Marina<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_105.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once upon a time there lived a storm cloud, Marina, and her husband, Hurricane. They lived above the sea in a stone house with a stone wall around it. The house was neither big nor small, but it was warm and cosy with a large brightly-coloured stove inside. Marina cooked porridge and stew on the stove for her husband and the many relatives and friends who liked to visit them.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Marina and Hurricane also had a large farm with cows, horses, sheep and chickens – a whole herd of animals in the sky. Around the house there were fruit trees, a vegetable garden and a nice green lawn.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Beyond the stone wall were meadows, fields and endless pastures. Each morning, Hurricane drove his herd of animals out onto these pastures. The cows grazed slowly but surely and sailed across the sky as dark heavy storm clouds; the sheep spread out across the fields as white fluffy clouds; and the horses ran through the meadows and their hooves left little cloud trails in the sky.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day, when summer was over and autumn had arrived, Marina took a small basket and headed into the vegetable garden to gather some peas. When the basket was full she set off back to the house, but on the way she noticed that her young grandson Breeze, who was staying with Marina and the Hurricane, had forgotten to close the gate. Because of this all the chickens had escaped from the yard. Marina gasped and dropped the basket on the ground. The peas scattered all across the garden in the sky and then fell to the Earth as hailstones. Marina put her hands on her head, looked at the fallen peas, and then picked up the empty basket to gather the escaped chickens. She ran out of the gate and saw that the chickens had scattered across a cornfield and were pecking at the fallen grain. Marina soon realised that she could not manage on her own, so she went to call her husband for help.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile, Hurricane was working in his forge, making new horseshoes for his horses. The fire in the forge lit up the whole horizon with a red glow. When he heard his wife calling him, Hurricane stopped work and went to help her round up the chickens. As they chased the chickens around the field the whole sky became covered with storm clouds. When all the chickens had finally been gathered up into the basket, Marina carried them back into the yard. Hurricane was about to follow her when he suddenly noticed that the grass in the garden was long and needed cutting. He stopped and said: “My dear wife, it’s no good, I’ll have to cut the grass!” And so he went straight to the forge, found his best scythe and began to cut the grass in the yard. The scythe moved back and forth in Hurricane’s skilful hands, and with each stroke a bolt of lightning flew through the air from the sky down to the Earth. When the grass was all cut, Hurricane was pleased with his work and invited Marina to come and inspect it. She was also very pleased with it. And then the tired Hurricane took the scythe back to the forge and headed into the garden to rest. He sat under a cherry-tree and watched as Marina brought some tea and scones with cherry and apple jam, and Breeze went to fetch a tablecloth from the house.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Marina and Breeze spread out the tablecloth on the grass and arranged the little cups and saucers, and then they all sat and drank tea and ate scones and jam. And there they sat all evening until night fell and it grew dark.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Rainbow Girl<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_106.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the summer, the storm cloud Marina and her husband Hurricane were very busy looking after their farm in the sky, and so they completely forgot about the Earth.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One morning Marina looked down from the window of her house in the sky and saw that the Earth had dried up. She let out a little cry, clasped her hands and ran to look for the Rain.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But the Rain was sleeping high up on a mountain and was having some very happy dreams. Marina finally managed to wake him up, handed him a watering-can full of water and asked him to go and water all the trees and flowers. The sleepy Rain took the watering-can and set off. Along the way he spilt some water and several drops fell onto the sunny little meadow where the Rainbow Girl lived. When she saw the first few drops, the Rainbow ran out of her little house beneath a tree and was happy that her brother, the Rain, was watering her favourite flowers at last. But then she noticed that the Rain had moved on and was watering a nearby forest and lake instead. The Rainbow ran after the sleepy Rain and caught up with him near the river. “Oh dear brother”, she called, “you have watered the forest and the lake, and now you are going to water the river, but you have forgotten to water my dry meadow and my unhappy flowers!” When he heard this the Rain woke up completely and said: “My dear sister Rainbow, I’m so sorry! I was half asleep and must have forgotten them. If you give me your hand and help me to cross the river so that I do not spill any more water, then I will return to your meadow”. And so the Rainbow helped her brother to cross the river and back they went to water the withered flowers.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Rain ran here and there with the watering-can and poured the water over every dry flower and blade of grass in the meadow. After this he was very tired so he lay down to rest on the grass. The Sun came out and began to shine, the watered flowers gave out a beautiful sweet fragrance and the damp grass smelled lovely and fresh. The Rain soon dozed off and the Rainbow quietly lay down next to him and fell asleep too.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lazy Shore<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_107.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once upon a time, on the warm sand in the shade of some green weeping willows, there lived a Lazy Shore. He never went anywhere and he only saw his nearest neighbours, the willows, the reeds and the lake.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The weeping willows would talk amongst themselves all the time: “Look at the sky today! And those clouds sailing across the sky! Oh! And how beautifully they are reflected in the lake! And what a lovely colour the lake is today! Oh!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The reeds heard what the willows were whispering about, shook their heads and said: “Naughty willows!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But the Shore just sat quietly on the golden sand, looked at the lake, watched the clouds speed across the sky, listened to what the weeping willows and the reeds were saying and stayed silent. Even when he wanted to say something to his neighbours, he would started to speak a word or two, but by the third word he was already yawning and starting to doze off. The willows, the reeds and the lake had grown used to such conversations; they were not at all angry with the Lazy Shore and had learned to understand him from just a few words.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the mornings the Lazy Shore usually slept late, wrapped up in a warm quilt. Once the Sun was high in the sky and had warmed the Earth, the Shore got up, washed, combed his hair and made his bed.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When midday came, the Shore would sit down on the warm sand, take out a dog-eared book from under his bed and read a few stories. When he grew tired of reading the stories, the Shore would start to study everything around him very closely: the green willows, the reeds, the lake, the sky and the distant mountains. When this also became boring, he would catch flies and then release them again or count water-boatmen on the lake. And when he was tired of everything, the Shore would lie down on the sand and doze off.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the children of the lake, the little Waves, came out to play, their favourite game was to run up to the sleeping Shore and try to splash him. The Waves really enjoyed this game and the Shore didn’t mind it at all. In fact he didn’t even stir, just smiled and said: “What naughty children!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And so the day passed. Evening came and the Sun disappeared behind the horizon. The Shore would sit at the edge of the water and watch the reddish-pink sunset. He would say to his neighbours: “Look how beautiful it is!” and the willows and the reeds would answer: “Oh yes, just beautiful!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And when the Sun had set fully and Night had come, the Lazy Shore climbed once more under his warm quilt and fell peacefully asleep. The Shore slept deeply and dreamed of the beauty of the Night and the endless sky full of stars burning brightly.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Evening<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_108.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Day passed. The tired Sun bowed down towards the Earth. Behind the high dark mountains the old Evening awoke and lifted his head, and his pale blue beard spread out through the valleys.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then the old Evening sat up, sighed and began to look at the world. The Sun was almost gone and only the last few rays of light still played across the Evening’s head. As these little rays flew past they said: “Old Evening! Try and catch us! You won’t be able to!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The old Evening said nothing, but smiled quietly into his beard and stroked his long moustache.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At last the Sun disappeared completely behind the horizon. The old Evening glanced around, picked up his staff and cloak, sighed once more and stood up. The mischievous little rays of light took fright as they thought the Evening really was trying to catch them, so they hid themselves behind the horizon with the Sun. But the Evening just watched them with a smile and set off across the Earth. He strode through the valleys and the valleys grew dark; he leaned on the hills with his staff and they turned a light blue colour. The long folds of his purple cloak fluttered and spread across the mountains, which also made them turn purple.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then the first bold little stars flew in and perched on the Evening’s shoulders. They liked to sit and dangle their legs and sing their cheerful songs. But the old Evening remained silent and looked around at the world, then quietly smiled into his beard, stroked his moustache, and continued on his way across the Earth.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Night<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_109.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Day disappeared behind the horizon. The Night stirred on her soft sky-bed, then sat up and stretched herself with her eyes still closed. She bent down to the Earth, scooped up some clear water from a lake to wash her face and then woke up completely. The Night then threw off her fluffy cloud quilt and came down from the sky to the Earth. She glanced into the lake, set her hair straight and paused for a second, before gently splashing a wave on the Lazy Shore. The Shore was mesmerised by the sight of the beautiful Night. The Night started to laugh and then spread herself through the valleys and over the mountains, across the meadows and hills, the woods and the rivers. She gazed upon everything with love and nothing escaped her attention. Wherever the Night went she radiated peace, stillness and calm.. She sent the valleys, streams and rivers into a deep sleep and gave the ancient oak warm dreams of summer. The Night made everything rest peacefully.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Finally she came to an autumn wood with yellow, red and brown leaves. The magical Night smiled, tenderly stroked the tops of the trees with her hand and covered the whole wood with a heavy veil of darkness. The trees gratefully whispered and rustled “Thank you!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Enchanted by the beauty of the autumn wood, the Night sat down nearby to rest, gathered some fallen twigs and began to weave a basket. When the basket was finished the Night lifted her head and gazed at the dark blue sky. It seemed empty and featureless, and the Night wanted to decorate it somehow. She thought for a moment and began to gather up different leaves in her basket: birch, oak, maple and beech. Then the Night stood up and strode into the sky, glanced at the heavens around her and started to hang the different coloured leaves here and there. Occasionally she lowered herself to the Earth just to make sure she was putting the leaves in the right place. When the whole sky was decorated with the autumn leaves, the Night glanced into the basket and noticed that there were still some leaves left in the bottom. She decided to scatter them across the sky at random, and that is what she did – all of the leaves then turned to stars and began to shine brightly. Once she had finished her work she became so tired that her eyes began to close.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With a sigh the tired Night took the empty basket and plodded back home. She noticed that the Lazy Shore was already asleep, so she climbed into her soft sky-bed, covered herself with her cloud quilt and fell asleep too.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Rain<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_110.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Rain passed across the Earth. Over the forests and lakes, the rivers and fields. Sometimes slowly and other times fast, remembering his childhood when he was a small spring shower, light and playful.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And so the Rain rushed through the meadow, leaving behind fresh grass sparkling with little droplets of water, brightly coloured flowers and a shining rainbow. When the Rain reached the forest he slowed down, let out a sigh and smiled as he remembered how in the old days he used to travel through the sky in a chariot pulled by wind-horses. The horses would gallop furiously, bolts of lightning raining down from under their hooves, and the wheels of the chariot thundered across the whole sky. Then the Rain would pour onto the Earth in great torrents, and when he had finished there was not a single dry place left, and even the thickest forests were left soaking wet. “Ah!” said the Rain, and with a smile he stopped at the edge of the forest. He took out a pipe from under his belt and lit it so that the forest became shrouded in mist from the pipe smoke.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Rain carried on over the forest and his route began to take him higher and higher. The oak and beech trees were soon left far behind and were replaced by dark pine forests and alpine meadows. And still the Rain plodded on, stopping occasionally to light up his pipe and smiling into his moustache.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The meadows soon gave way to a wasteland of short stubbly grass and marshes with stones scattered here and there. The Rain was startled and said to himself: “Why am I moving so slowly? And where am I? I seem to have lost my way!” He stopped, glanced around and noticed the slopes of a mountain nearby, so he decided to climb to the very top and see what lay beyond it.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the Rain reached the top of the mountain he could see a huge valley on the other side, flooded with the red and golden light of the setting Sun. He sat down on a stone, and reached for his pipe again. The Rain became thoughtful and was so carried away by the beauty of the world that after a while he dozed off, with his unlit pipe still in his hands. He dreamed of his happy childhood, a summer’s day and the Beautiful Valley.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And in the morning the autumn Rain came down from the mountain and began to cover the world with a fine drizzle.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Frost-Child<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_111.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Somewhere in the sky a new Frost-Child was born. He was small but bright and cheerful, with lively blue eyes and rosy cheeks. From the moment he was born the Frost-Child wore a little blue hat and a fur coat with a white frosty collar.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For several days the little Frost-Child was unable to walk, so he sat in one place and inspected everything around him. He was most interested in a thick green forest that he could see in the distance. As soon as the Frost-Child was able to stand, he headed straight for the forest as fast as his unsteady legs would carry him.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The green forest rustled and swayed before falling silent once more. When the Frost-Child reached the forest he thought that it was waving its branches at him, calling him and inviting him to play. So the Frost-Child joyfully ran across the treetops and began to jump from branch to branch: maple to birch, birch to aspen, aspen to oak. Then he found a stout beech tree and swung from one of its branches for a while. By evening the Frost-Child had become so tired that he lay down on a soft spruce branch, covered himself with another branch and fell sound asleep.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the morning the Frost-Child woke up and climbed to the top of the spruce tree. He glanced around and was very surprised to see that during the night the thick green forest had turned golden, red and bronze. And the forest was not as thick as it had been the day before. The Frost-Child frowned and rubbed his brow – he could not understand what had happened. He looked around for somewhere new to play, and finally he spotted a fresh green glade in the distance, so he headed straight for it.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the Frost-Child reached the glade he noticed some grass with large seeds, the last autumn flowers and a tall thistle with a white fluffy head. The little Frost-Child began to clap his hands, run through the forest and turn somersaults in the air. He then studied the thistle carefully, especially its white fluffy head. The Frost-Child carefully gathered up the little white parachutes that made up the thistle-head and joyfully scattered them in the wind. After this he was tired so he sat down on a tree-stump to rest. When he looked around him he did not recognize the glade any more: the green grass had suddenly dried up, the bright flowers had become dull, the tall thistle was bent over and everything was covered with frost. The Frost-Child could not understand what had happened, but he just shrugged his shoulders and set off on the path towards the river.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It had rained on the path and so there were a lot of puddles. The little Frost-Child peered into the biggest puddle he could find and when he saw his reflection in the water he began to laugh. He stamped his feet and jumped right into the middle of the puddle to try and make the biggest splash he could. But when he landed he was surprised to find that the puddle had turned to ice. The Frost-Child pouted his lips and sulked as he headed on towards the river.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The banks of the river were overgrown with trees and bushes, and the river itself flowed slowly and quietly. The little Frost-Child looked at the river, sat down on a fallen tree and picked up a twig. He dipped the twig in and out of the water and then whirled it round and round to try and make the biggest splashes. But the Frost-Child soon grew tired of this game and so he then began to try and catch the autumn leaves that were floating along the river. Once he had collected a heap of leaves he lay down on the river bank and blew on the water with all his strength to make waves on the river. As he blew a thin crust of ice began to form on the surface of the water. The Frost-Child knitted his brow and pouted – it seemed that the river did not want to play with him anymore! So he climbed onto the fallen tree again and angrily turned his back to the river.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At this point the Earth suddenly began to shake and there was a loud crash. The Frost-Child heard a voice: “Frost-Child! Where are you? Where are you hiding from your grandfather?” The little Frost-Child leapt in the air with joy and called: “Oh grandpa!!!” He hoped that his beloved grandfather would explain why no-one wanted to play with him. Perhaps his grandfather would feel sorry for him and play with him instead? And so the Frost-Child rushed through the forest to meet his grandfather, the great Hard Frost, calling loudly as he went: “Grandpa! Grandpa! I’m here!”<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Brothers Cold<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_112.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wherever they went, from the far north to the warm south, the four Brothers Cold travelled in a cart pulled by oxen. The eldest Cold, with his long drooping moustaches and flowing beard, held the reins in his hands and dozed off now and again while wrapped up in his warm sheepskin coat. His younger brother, the middle Cold, sat on the cart with his hat pushed to one side, tugged at his moustache and kept his eye on his elder brother to make sure that he did not drop the reins. The young Cold lay in the cart with his hands behind his head, looking at the Sun during the day and the stars at night. He would sing songs about travelling or tell his brothers tales and funny stories to make the journey pass more quickly. The fourth brother was a little Cold-Child, and his brothers were taking him on the road with them for the first time. He was travelling on the cart too, pressed tightly to the young Cold, looking to either side and listening to what his older brothers were saying.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Colds were heading south to market to sell or exchange the produce from their icy northern farm. All summer the brothers had mined snow-salt and shorn wool from their fluffy white cloud-sheep. The eldest Cold’s wife, Severe Cold, had spun the wool during the summer, wound it into balls and then knitted warm cardigans with beautiful frosty patterns on them. The middle brother’s wife, Blizzard, had gathered white swan feathers in summer and made warm fluffy pillows and quilts. The young Cold’s wife, Snowflake, was very good at making lace and weaving delicate shawls.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Grandmother Snowstorm also lived with the Colds and looked after her beloved youngest grandson. She also grew snowflakes and icicles in her ice-garden. Sometimes she knitted hats, scarves, mittens and socks for her grandchildren and for sale at market. She rarely travelled to market herself, but when her grandchildren went she often asked them to bring back unusual items for her, such as warm air from the South Wind in exchange for a hat or scarf. Severe Cold, Blizzard and Snowflake usually asked them to bring back satin and silk for making clothes and various southern sweets that they could not buy in the north.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And so each year the Brothers Cold filled their cart with salt, wool, quilts, pillows, lace and shawls and travelled south. And this is what they were doing now, the oxen plodding slowly along and the wheels of the cart creaking gently. As the wheels creaked the eldest brother began to fall asleep, followed the middle brother, and then the young Cold nodded off too. The little Cold-Child was the last to fall asleep. The eldest Cold dropped the reins but none of the brothers noticed, and so the oxen were now able to go wherever they pleased.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The road gradually began to climb upwards. At the very top of the hill the oxen for some reason decided to turn off the road. One wheel of the cart then hit a large stone and broke, so that the cart turned over on its side and scattered the pillows, quilts, sacks of salt, shawls and lace all over the ground. The Brothers Cold also fell off the cart and woke up with a start. They smoothed their beards and moustaches, shook their heads, rolled up their sleeves and set about repairing the wheel.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At this point all the Winds from every direction suddenly appeared. They had come for the snow-salt and did not want to wait until the brothers reached the market. The South Wind gave the Colds a bag of warm air for grandmother Snowstorm in exchange for one of the sacks of snow-salt.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once they had stocked up with snow-salt the Winds flew away in different directions just as they had come. But when the sacks of salt had fallen from the cart, some of them had torn slightly in places without anyone noticing. And so as the Winds carried them across the world, snow-salt poured slowly out of the holes and fell on the ground as a blizzard.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the Colds had finished repairing the wheel they realised that their youngest brother, the Cold-Child, was nowhere to be found. They set about looking for him all over the hillside but they could not find him anywhere, so they went back to the cart and began to push aside the fallen goods. And there amongst the quilts and pillows they discovered the Cold-Child fast asleep. The Brothers Cold sighed happily, gathered all the goods and stacked them back on the cart. Then they carefully laid their youngest brother on top of the soft quilts and set off on the road again, but this time the three eldest Colds did not sleep and kept a close eye on the oxen.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When they reached the top of the next hill they could see the southern market in the valley below. It was not long before the Colds entered the gates of the market, and they were immediately surrounded by those wanting to buy and exchange their goods. The Fields and the Meadows immediately bought all the quilts and pillows to keep them warm in the winter. The Forests exchanged multi-coloured satin leaves for woolly shawls. The ancient Oaks bought scarves for themselves and the Rivers and Lakes chose cardigans with nice frosty patterns. The Flowers exchanged their summer honey smells for hats and mittens. The Guelder Rose and Rowan chose scarves for winter in exchange for guelder rose and rowan berries that the wives of the brothers Cold could use. The Bushes, Stones and Tussocks bought snow-wool and wound it around themselves in thick snowdrifts.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the brothers had only a few icicles and a basket of frosty snowflakes left, the Clouds from distant lands arrived at the market. They soon became interested in the white snowflakes, which sparkled in the sunlight like diamonds. And so the Clouds bought the basket of snowflakes and sailed off with them. When the Clouds were happy they liked to pour out the beautiful snowflakes wherever the Earth had become dark and gloomy after the autumn rains. The Clouds also liked to decorate the dark green spruce trees with snowflakes to brighten them up a little.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At the end of the day the Sun himself called in at the market. He had already been looking closely at the icicles from high up in the sky, and had now decided to buy them. When the warm spring came he would use them to decorate the trees, the river banks and valleys, and the houses of those strange creatures called people. But the Brothers Cold decided to give the icicles to the Sun as a present. The Sun accepted the gift, and in return he gave them a box full of northern lights, so that whenever the Colds and their wives opened the box, the northern lights would light up their harsh, icy land with a beautiful and mysterious light. The Sun then said goodbye and set off back to his home beyond the horizon to hide the icicles until spring.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now the Colds began to pack up and wrap everything that they had bought or exchanged. They carefully stowed away the satin leaves for their wives’ clothes and safely packed the little bottles of flower scent. Into the cart went the southern sweets and fruit, the sack of warm air for their grandmother Snowstorm, and the rowan berries. The box of northern lights was put in pride of place on the cart, the oxen were harnessed and the Colds set off on their homeward journey.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As before, the eldest Cold held the reins in his hands and dozed off now and again. The middle Cold kept his eyes on the road, which was now thoroughly covered with snow-salt or sprinkled with snowflakes. The young Cold lay on the cart, singing songs during the day and telling stories that made his elder brothers happy or sad. At night he looked at the stars, which in winter you could almost reach out and touch. The little Cold-Child sat and looked at everything with wide eyes. He was amazed at how the Earth had changed, with everything now covered with quilts, huddled up in scarves, hats and cardigans or wrapped in wool. The Cold-Child remembered that on the way to the market everything around had looked completely different. He could not wait to tell his grandmother about all the wonderful things he had seen on the road and at the market, and all his adventures along the way. Most of all though, he really just wanted to go home. But the oxen were not in any hurry, and they slowly plodded on their way from the southern market to the far north with the wheels of the cart creaking gently behind them. The little Cold-Child finally fell asleep, pressed tightly to his brother, the young Cold.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Sound<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_113.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Beside a river at the bottom of a deep ravine lived the Sound. He was invisible but everyone could hear him. Wherever the Sound went, whatever he did, the whole world heard him. Even when he was asleep at night on the riverbank he could be heard as a deep murmur in the water. Only when the Sound sat on a big smooth stone in the middle of the river and quietly meditated was the air filled with a ringing silence.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the Sun rose and lit up the sides of the ravine, the Sound also rose high up into the sky and sang with the birds. When the summer evening sky was filled with dark storm clouds and the rain came pouring down, the Sound joyfully clapped his hands as the raindrops pattered on the ground and splashed in the puddles. After a thunderstorm the Sound followed the streams of water as they gushed down the ravine into the overflowing river. He thundered with the stones as they washed over the riverbed and gurgled with the whirlpools made by the rushing water. Once everything had become calm again the Sound settled down on the riverbank for a well-earned rest. When autumn arrived, the Sound accompanied the fine rain as it whispered across the grass and pattered quietly on the yellow leaves that were strewn on the ground. He played hide-and-seek with the autumn mist at the bend in the river, appearing first on one riverbank and then on the other.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In winter the cold Winds often rode through the ravine on their frosty horses. The Sound followed them with a whistle, which spurred the frosty horses on even faster, covering the ravine and the river with snow thrown up by their hooves. After the Winds came the mischievous Snowstorm. She whirled around laughing, covering everything in her path and singing songs as she went. The Sound loved to dance with this snowy beauty and would join in with her as she sang.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With the coming of spring, the Sound was usually so busy and so happy with the bright shining Sun that he hardly ever had time to rest. He creaked with the breaking ice and gurgled noisily with the water from the melting snow as it poured into the river. The Sound ran through the forests and fields, woke the birds from their sleep and reminded them of their cheerful songs. He sang softly to the first flowers and leaves about the new life ahead of them. He filled the wings of beetles and bumble-bees with humming and buzzing. Wherever he went, the Sound was busy with the spring tasks; in fact he did not sit down all day, and so by evening he was awfully tired. And so the Sound went down to the bottom of the warm ravine and lay down to sleep on the soft green grass beside the river. As he slept he murmured with the quiet water and lapped with the soft waves against the riverbank under the moonlit starry sky.<br>
<br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Winds and the Silence<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_114.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the Top of the World, all the Winds from land and sea had gathered. The oldest Winds were seated on soft fluffy clouds, and they watched as the adult Winds tried to outdo each other in feats of strength and whistling competitions. The Wind-children played their games and got under the feet of the adults, while the very youngest sat near the old Winds and listened to their stories about how to become a real Wind.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suddenly all the Winds died down. Very quietly, and without anyone noticing, the Queen of Silence had appeared. Perhaps she came down from high up in the sky, or maybe she rose up from the depths of the ocean; no-one could tell because she always moved everywhere so quietly. And now the Queen of Silence stood silently on the Top of the World, looking at the Winds with her head slightly to one side. Her delicate crown sparkled with frost and her dark star-covered cloak billowed out around her. The Queen of Silence liked nothing better than to surprise the Winds and they always fell silent when they saw her.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But then the Winds began to rouse themselves. The old Winds nodded their heads to welcome the Queen, the adult Winds politely bowed and the Wind-children ran up to her and held the edge of her cloak, ready to follow her wherever she went. The very youngest Winds gazed in wonder at the Queen of Silence, blinked and smiled from ear to ear.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then the Queen clasped her hands together and started to laugh, and a sound like little silver bells rang out across the whole sky. She bowed to the old Winds, patted the Wind-children on the head and smothered the baby Winds with kisses.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the meantime, some of the adult Winds had found the most beautiful fluffy white cloud, carried it to the Top of the World, and made the softest, most comfortable seat for the Queen of Silence. The Queen was tired after her journey and so she took off her purple cloak, sat down on the fluffy white cloud and let out a big sigh.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Wind-children glanced at one another and then dashed off to fetch the Queen of Silence a little jug of cool water from a pure clear spring. The Queen took a sip, settled herself a little more comfortably on the soft cloud and said: “Strong Winds, fast Winds, light Winds, warm Winds, Winds snowy and hot, stormy and powerful, Wind-children and baby Winds! You fly above the world, see and hear everything, and know all there is to know. Tell me, dear Winds, what gives you pleasure in our world, what makes you happy and what surprises you. Tell me, Winds, how do people live, what do they sing songs about, how high do the birds fly, how do the flowers bloom in spring, how does the sea makes waves, how does the forest stir, how does winter arrive without a sound”.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Winds became worried and tried to think of the most amazing and beautiful things they had seen in the world. And then the oldest Wind stroked his long beard and began to speak: “I have travelled far across the Earth, and only yesterday I was flying above the sea with its blue waters and white waves. When these waves reached land they were dashed against the shore and formed mighty cliffs. I was carried away by the sight of such strength and beauty. I sat down on a cliff and fell into thought, and then the moon rose up into the sky. The blue sea grew quiet and a shaft of moonlight danced across it. I have never seen anything more beautiful and powerful than the sea, dear Queen!” And so the old Wind spoke and then fell silent.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Winds began to talk amongst themselves again, trying to decide who had the best story to tell the Queen of Silence. At last, another old Wind began to speak: “One winter I was strolling through forests of oak and fir, quietly singing songs in the treetops, breaking off the dry branches and blowing the old autumn leaves to the ground. The winter was just like any other. But then one night a storm cloud drifted over the forest and covered everything with fresh snow. In the morning, dear Queen, I did not recognize the forest – it had turned into a fairy tale! The oaks had put on white woolly scarves, the fir-trees had dressed themselves up in lacy cloaks of frost and snowy fur coats, and the grass and flowers had covered themselves with a thick white quilt. When morning came, all these garments of frost and snow began to sparkle in the sun like jewels. So what was I to do? It seemed a shame to destroy such a fairy-tale, so I died down and left it as it was. And then I heard people singing somewhere in the distance. I decided to find out what had made them so happy and what they were celebrating, so I followed the singing and eventually came to a village. I quietly peeped into the windows of the houses and saw people gathered there to greet the New Year – they were baking little pies and columns of smoke rose up from their chimneys into the sky. There was joy and happiness everywhere! Then they began to sing a new song and my soul was so filled with warmth that I wanted to join the people in their celebrations. I found a house where they were singing, tapped on the window, and then slipped through a gap under the door and began to sing in the chimney. You would have liked it dear Queen!” And so the old Wind finished his story and fell silent. All the other Winds nodded their approval, and the Queen of Silence agreed that she would have loved to see such a winter fairy-tale and people welcoming the New Year.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then a warm south Wind stepped forward and said: “Old Winds! Why are you entertaining our guest with such stories of winter and bad weather? There are other kinds of beauty in the world”. All eyes turned to the warm Wind as he sat down opposite the Queen of Silence and began his tale: “Each spring my brothers arrive from the south to drive away the cold snow clouds from the northern lands, to melt the snow and break the ice on the rivers and lakes. They carry the first birds on their shoulders and warm the first flowers with their breath. This year, as usual, I followed the first warm Winds to a far-off cold land. I love to see how the first blades of grass struggle out of the ground, how the new young leaves burst out on the trees, how streams gurgle over the land. As I flew over the gardens filled with cherries, plums and apples, the thought came to me that my younger brothers had never seen spring gardens and flowering meadows before. And so I decided to return home and carry the Wind-children with me to show them the whole world”.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“When I reached my home on the Top of the World, two Wind-children and little baby Wind were waiting for me. I scooped them all up into a basket and we set off across the mountains, forests and deep blue sea to visit the spring gardens. By evening we had reached a little garden that had a seat in it for weary travellers to rest, so we decided to stop there for the night. But the naughty Wind-children did not want to go to bed yet, and they jumped out of the basket and started to run across the grass. They hid themselves in the raspberry-bushes, chased each other round the trees and played with the first young leaves, before falling asleep in the branches of an apple-tree together with the baby Wind. While the tired little Winds slept peacefully, large pink buds appeared on the apple-tree. At dawn the baby Wind was the first to wake, and when he saw the blossoms around him he began to laugh with joy. He then blew gently on the apple-tree and it broke into blossom. And that is the end of my story, dear Queen”, said the south Wind.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Queen of Silence whispered: “What a wonderful story”, and then gradually fell into a deep sleep. Soon afterwards the old Winds also dozed off, the adult Winds grew quiet and the Wind-children and baby Winds lay down in their soft little beds. Everything died down and became silent on the Top of the World and the world itself sank into a beautiful and peaceful sleep.<br>
<br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Little Flower Elf<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_115.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Here is the Sunny Meadow, and here is the most beautiful rose in the meadow. On this rose live the flower-elves – Papa-Elf, Mama-Elf and Daughter-Elf. And not long ago, a new little flower-elf appeared in the family. His name is Ini. This elf-child already has little wings and knows how to fly, but he has not yet left his home. Ini sits on the top of the rose and looks at the world with his eyes wide open in amazement.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“What a big, beautiful world it is,” thought the little elf. “How many flowers there are! I would like to know who else lives in meadow, besides the flower elves.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Mama, who else lives in the meadow?” he asked.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mama began to smile and said that among the roses, cornflowers, poppies and forget-me-nots lived not just elves, but birds, insects and various animals too. She also said that it really was time for the elf-child to leave his home and come for a walk around the meadow. On the walk she would show him everything there was to see and introduce him to all the inhabitants of the Sunny Meadow. And so Mama-Elf looked tenderly at the little flower-elf, held out her hand to him and led Ini out of his home for the first time ever. He grasped his mother’s hand tightly to avoid becoming separated from her, and looked at the world around him with happiness and curiosity.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_116.jpg"><br><img border=0 src="_117.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Two elegant butterflies unexpectedly rose up from some flowers next to Ini.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Oh, flowers that can fly!” said – the little elf in amazement.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Dear little one! They are butterflies, not flowers. Butterflies are insects that live among the flowers and drink nectar from them. They are our neighbours,” Mama-Elf explained.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_118.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Oh Mama, look, what a huge butterfly!” exclaimed Ini, pointing at something in a nearby tree.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“It’s not a butterfly, Ini; but a bird, and it lives in the tree and sings wonderful songs,” explained Mama.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_119.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In another tree, Ini was introduced to a fluffy red squirrel and saw a baby squirrel sleeping in a hollow in the tree-trunk. The flower-elf flew quietly down to the ground so as not to wake him.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_120.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As he continued his walk through the meadow, the little elf saw a hamster that was gathering ears of corn and carrying them into his burrow.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The hamster is very kind,” said Mama, “but now he is busy storing food for the winter so we had better not disturb him.”<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_121.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And so Mama-Elf and young Ini continued on their way. On the stones beside the pond a green lizard was sitting very still, warming himself in the sun and dozing peacefully. As the young elf had never seen a lizard before, he thought that it was just a big green stone. But Mama explained to Ini that it was not a stone but a lizard, who also lived in the meadow, and liked to rest on the stones on warm summer days. The little elf decided to cautiously fly a little closer to the lizard to have a better look. How beautiful she was!<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_122.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ini met a mouse, who lived next door to the kind hamster. The mouse was busy gathering peas for dinner. The little elf was surprised: “Can you really eat peas? Elves never eat them.”<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_123.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On a nearby strawberry bush the little elf saw a dragon-fly. Ini thought the dragon-fly was simply wonderful, and he especially liked its big, bright wings.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_124.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then the little elf met a rabbit and a caterpillar. The rabbit was also soft and fluffy, and lived in a burrow among the roots of a big tree; and the bright red caterpillar lived in an old hollow stump.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Both the rabbit and the caterpillar were cheerful and friendly. The little elf even sang them a song that he had heard the bird sing earlier.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_125.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After dinner the little elf flew to the lake, where a big water-lily was flowering. Two silvery fishes were having fun swimming around beside the flower.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ini sat on a reed and watched them. And the fishes leapt in the air and waved their tails.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_126.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And so the day passed, and night arrived. The Sun disappeared behind the horizon and a huge, yellow Moon hung in the sky above the meadow.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Daughter-Elf was already sound asleep on one of the rose petals. Papa-Elf and Mama-Elf were also beginning to doze off, and only the little elf-child was still awake. He was sitting high up on the very biggest leaf of the rose plant and thinking: “The world is so big and beautiful, and the Sunny Meadow is just a small part of it. But even though the meadow is small, so many flowers and berries grow in it. The butterflies and the birds, the lizard, the hamster and the hard-working mouse, the rabbit and the caterpillar, the silvery fishes – they all live in the meadow. And there is enough room for everyone there, enough warmth, flowers and sunlight. How wonderful to have a Sunny Meadow! How beautiful it is! How nice it is to live there too!”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The flower-elf sat for a long time on the leaf of the rose, happy and amazed at the beauty of the world, until at last he fell asleep.<br>
<br><img border=0 src="_127.jpg"><br><br><br><h3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lyubov Talimonova<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1971 – 2011<br></h3><br><img border=0 src="_128.jpg"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Russian born Lyubov Talimonova was an award-winning artist, illustrator and writer.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She was recognised by the Russian art critics as a member of the Russian School of Cosmism, while European critics related her work to the Art of Vision and Imagination. Her paintings are held in museums and private collections in Russia, Ukraine, France, Poland, England, USA, Ireland, Korea, China.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lyubov’s pictures and stories were inspired by a sense of wonder and a deep love and reverence for life. In her search to understand the Cosmos, her art explored the enduring power of myth and legend and the ancient mysteries of pyramid and megalith.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;However, her bright, joyful paintings, each one a rich symphony of colour and light, belie the artist’s personal difficulties: from the age of two Lyubov had a severe form of insulin-dependent diabetes and was constantly fighting that difficult illness and it’s complications. But she refused to let any of that get her down. Lyubov deeply appreciated every day of her life, and wasted not a minute: writing, painting or reading every time she was well enough to do so. She triumphed over adversity.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her pictures were first exhibited in 1992 and since then she has had more then thirty exhibitions in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Germany, China, Italy. From 1992 to 1993 three of Lyubov’s pictures were taken onto the space station MIR by a group of Russian and French astronauts. The paintings bear their autographs together with the stamp of the station MIR. One of those paintings was taken into the open space.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In 1994 Lyubov was invited to exhibit in the Kremlin as part of the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the birth of the world’s first cosmonaut, Yuriy Gagarin. In the same year she exhibited at the 10th International Congress of Cosmonauts, where she was awarded a Diploma in recognition of her work in developing the ideas of the Russian School of Cosmism.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lyubov has written and illustrated books for children and adults. Over 500,000 copies have been published in Russia, Ukraine, Germany and England. One of her books “Holding the Ancient World in My Hands” was recognized by The Society of Bibliophiles (Moscow) as the best book of the year 1992. She had also illustrated the stories of the 19th century German writer W. Hauff and the book by M. Morozova “Keeper of the Secret.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From 1994 onwards, Lyubov lived in England, continuing her creative work in this country, although the foundation of her art was back home, in Russia.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Last eleven years of her life L.Talimonova spent working on a new book “Prince of the Marshland”, yet another philosophical, life-asserting story. The book was published in the UK in August 2011. Lyubov Talimonova was a member of the British Society of Authors and a member of Society for Art of Imagination.<br>
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